Twenty Years Of Butiama Parish

Yesterday, our neighbors in Butiama, celebrated their twentieth anniversary of the birth of their parish. Fr. Maciej Braun, CR - the parish priest of Butiama - asked me to take a few pictures of the event. You can see them here.

Serengeti Day Trip

Our surgeons and water engineer went for a day trip to Serengeti Western Corridor on Saturday. I was there to take pictures for them. You can see samples by clicking here.

Mindblowing!

Hernia Project In Kiabakari

A few pictures of one of the hernia surgeries performed by visiting Polish surgeons in our health center during the Hernia Surgeries Project under the umbrella of the District Medical Officer of Butiama District in cooperation with the Diocese of Musoma and Foundation Kiabakari. Warning: Although the most drastic and graphic images have been avoided on purpose, still be warned that some of the pictures show the operation from a close distance. See the pictures here.

Meanwhile In Mwibagi

The reconstruction of the church destroyed in thunderstorm and twister nine days ago has begun (reinforced concrete beam ready, preparations of roof beams underway). Due to the help from our member of parliament, Hon. Nimrod Mkono, who donated roof sheets, timber and nails for roof work, and the contribution from other source, we will be able to finish the job in short time and bless anew the church on Sept 29, the Solemnity of Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Patron Saints of Mwibagi church.

Blue Monday? Nah!

A few pictures from today. Boring, depressing Monday? No way! Our surgeons continuing with surgeries in the health center, clinic day for mothers with children, development projects underway and closing slowly to its completion. A good and busy day. We do not know blue Mondays here in Kiabakari.

Kiabakari Hub

'I think I like what I see' - I murmured to myself upon opening the attachment of the email of the creators of the internet gateway to Kiabakari who sent to me another version of the main page. I liked the way they translated my vague ideas into something creative. I hope by the end of this year to have an internet hub with all pieces together in one place. An official website of Kiabakari with interactive info on Comprehensive Vision of Kiabakari, Divine Mercy shrine, Health, Education, Parish, Sisters, Foundation Kiabakari, Guests/Volunteers and Development Projects. This should be starting point for anyone who wants to know what Kiabakari is all about, where we came from, where we are at now and where we want to go and how. Our dreams, vision, passions, daily life, ups and downs. Life in its fullest.

Meanwhile In Mwanza

Power down, thunderstorm in. How I missed this sight and sound! So many months without rain in Kiabakari, only one rain a couple of weeks ago. As I await the time to go to the airport, a bit worried about the weather and the incoming plane from Nairobi with our guests, two Polish surgeons who have landed safely in Nairobi (we exchanged text messages a while ago), I enjoy the sight and sound of the thunderstorm in Mwanza. Here is a short mobile phone video clip which sadly cannot translate by far the might of this weather event.

Pictures From Construction Sites In Kiabakari

As you know well, for a few months now, three development projects funded by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the scheme of Polish Aid 2013 are being realized in Kiabakari. Here are some pictures of the current state of their completion as posted by Foundation Kiabakari on their Facebook timeline (click here).

Please, continue to sponsor our projects through your kind prayers, well wishes. Keep your fingers crossed as well, humanely speaking. Our aim is to complete all three projects by the end of October, well ahead of deadline which is the end of the year. And this despite continuous problems with water in Kiabakari and drought in Tanzania. I am proud of my construction teams, supervisors and suppliers. Well done, so far.

Inguinal Hernias In Tanzania

I woke up early this morning in my favorite room at SMA Regional House in Bwiru district of the city of Mwanza. In a couple of minutes two young Polish surgeons will land in Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and then after a couple of hours they will board the Precision Air flight to Mwanza. They are expected to land here in Mwanza at 9.20 A.M. I will pick them up and we will drive straight to Kiabakari, hopefully, God willing, reaching their final destination around lunch time. Then after a short rest and settling down in their rooms, we will have a first meeting with the staff of our health center, to get to know each other, prepare the theater, newly purchased autoclave machine (I brought it from Dar es Salaam especially for this project; it is brand new and never used so far), other operating tools (brought by the surgeons themselves) and select employees who will work directly with the surgeons. We will set up procedures for the upcoming hernia surgeries and will hope that people affected by this ailment will shop up starting tomorrow, Monday, September 2.

The government of Tanzania via District Medical Officer of Butiama District will finance the procurement of all needed medicine and dressings. We, as the health center and Foundation Kiabakari, will sponsor internal health center costs, so instead of paying a lot, the patients will contribute as little as 15 Euros (of course the will pay in Tanzanian shillings) for the surgery.

Sławek and Przemek will have only two weeks to perform as many surgeries as possible. On my part I did everything that was possible under circumstances and with the financial resources I had in my disposal, posting announcements everywhere in the Region, spreading word through friends channels, via Radio Victoria and government and church healthcare institutions. We will see if this effort brings some effect.

As always, I count very much on your kind prayers and well wishes for the success of the project. And it is my hope that this Inguinal Hernia Project in Kiabakari will be the beginning of the new chapter of healthcare in Kiabakari - opening the avenue of visiting doctors and specialists of various kinds according to the priorities of health problems of our communities in Kiabakari, Butiama District, Mara Region and beyond. Already people ask for cardiologists, dentists, eye specialists, gynecologists, physiotherapists, diabetic specialists etc to come. The needs are huge. Let's spread the word about this. It is a noble cause!

For Polish readers (but you can also use Google translator) an article on our surgeons adventure in Kiabakari (click here).

Caring Healthy Arms

This is the title of the exhibition of pictures and artifacts prepared by my Foundation Kiabakari at ŻyWa Pracownia located in Krakow's Kazimierz district as a global education effort to spread the news and knowledge about the ongoing development project 'Upendo Unaojali' in Kiabakari. I am very pleased with a huge work done by our team under the leadership of Miss Bożena Koczur. I hope and pray and humanely I keep my fingers crossed as well for the success of the exhibition and good media coverage. If you happen to be in Krakow in this period, please come and see for yourself!

The links to the event - Facebook (click here) and Internet (click here).