Mkulazi and St. Mary’s

Several times Sunday we were asked about our schedule. We were puzzled when the news that we were traveling to Mkulazi on Monday was met with sniggers, knowing looks and rolling eyes. When Barbara explained that the road to Mkulazi is known as one of the worst in the area, we were not concerned. How bad can it be? We’re tough. We’re American, after all.

6:30 am saw us all piling back into Barbara’s Land Rover. We were joined by Kilatu, who works for the diocese and is responsible for community development, including Mkulazi. Barbara shares the front seat with one person, three of us cozy into the middle seat and the rest of us sit on two parallel benches in the back, cargo area. Two inches of foam line the seat and back rest on the benches and we interlace our legs to extend them so our knees are somewhat below waist level.

Our first hour was back down the Morogoro-Dar es Salaam highway to a dirt road. The few bumps in the road had us looking at each other and smiling. Barbara clearly exaggerated the poor condition of the road. However, after we passed through the small village of Ngere Ngere we began to understand the sympathetic laughter from Sunday night. It took two full hours to travel 35 miles and the terrain was some of the worst any vehicle has ever attempted to traverse. In the rainy season, we are told that the road is impassable, leaving the village of Mkulazi completely isolated from the world. The close quarters were tolerable in the front and middle seats. The back benches were barely endured and we rotated seating to manage the trip.

We experienced a completely different view of Tanzania. Stick huts with mud plaster and thatched roofs were scattered in the bush. Water must be carried from remote sources and life follows the cycle of the sun with only a rare kerosene lantern to prolong the day. Our progress was halted often by men herding cows or goats down the “road”.

We were greeted with much ceremony by the village elders in Mkulazi and proudly served tea, soda and biscuits to refresh us after the dusty road. The diocese has just completed installation of a solar powered electrical system that is a marvel throughout the area and is an addition to an earlier water collection system that makes running water possible in the immediate few buildings. Mkulazi is a village of 3500 people that encompasses many sub-villages in an area with a 10 kilometer circumference. We were there to see patients at the dispensary who had conditions that had not been resolved after consultation with the local medical clinician. Before we could begin our work, though, the formalities were to be observed. In Tanzania, relationships are far more important than results. Although we were eager to see patients immediately, it was important that the village council honor us with formal speeches and introductions.

Our work began shortly after 1 pm and we met with 23 patients, treating those we could help, caring for those we couldn’t help, and sharing love with all.

The trees awakened us today singing and dancing in the uncustomary wind that ushered in cooler air. After a brief visit to the diocese offices to formally meet with Bishop Mameo and his staff, we approached the hospital and the line of people waiting for help stretched out the door and down the street. A quick 30 minutes for organization saw us divided up into work groups as we began seeing patients. Many were referred to us by the Asbury Methodist medical team, which proceeded us by two weeks. At the end of the day we had seen 35 patients and performed two surgical procedures.

Tomorrow we will be able to start several hours earlier and have four surgical cases scheduled for the day. Our work yesterday at Mkulazi and today at St. Mary’s has helped us refine a system that will allow us to see larger numbers and we are hoping to see more than 50 patients in clinic tomorrow, some of whom will be surgical candidates. This work is rewarding and energizes all of us as Christ opens our hearts to our Tanzanian brothers and sisters.