Muskathlon: Duly impressed in Sengerema

The Musklathlon Circus has settled in Mwanza for a while. In the past week, about 60 Dutch people arrived to run a marathon for charity together with about two hundred Tanzanians. The primary charity is Compassion. On the day before this sporting splurge, the Dutch also paid a visit to Sengerema, where the Muskathlon was run last year.

With the guests divided into groups, the Dutch tropical doctors present gave guided tours through the various departments of the Sengerema hospital. The director, sr Marie José, then took them to a crisis shelter for the children. Many guests had brought a bag with toys, colored pencils and books, clothes and/or personal care items to hand out. Children and staff very happy of course.

Literally a look was taken behind the scenes of the new OR complex, which is sponsored by the Pharus Foundation via Simba Health. Nice to see the interest in all the activity with explanation by the local contractor. Furthermore, a 'pitch' for a new blood bank (one for an area the size of Gelderland) also produces many positive reactions. Including the offer of a number of guests to donate blood at the old location in the hospital. In the end, only a few supervisors did this, because the rest still had a marathon credit.

On the way to lunch, a 'walk-by' past the new consultation office, sponsored by the 'Friends of Sengerema', and the renovation of a house for the new tropical doctor from the Slingeland hospital provide further animated conversation. The visit is concluded with a pleasant lunch in a room of the adjacent nursing school. For one of the participants who contributed a lot to the new ambulance, there is an impromptu ride with that ambulance that arrived from Dar es Salaam just the night before. Fortunately, he does not have to lie horizontally on the stretcher in the back, but can sit next to the driver in the front.

It's nice to receive many positive reactions from people who are deeply impressed by the special work that is being done in Sengerema.