14th July 2013

SAFARI GROUP DEPART TANZANIA

0600: Safari group collected form Isamilo Lodge
0630: Check in for PW 411 to Dar
0830: Safari group depart Mwanza

In a couple of hours, I’ll be at Mwanza Airport.  In some ways it feels like I’ve been here forever and in others like I only arrived there a few days ago.  I don’t know what I expected from Tanzania. A dental elective? An opportunity to go somewhere I hadn’t been before? A lifetime’s worth of stories to tell at dinner parties?  But whatever I might have expected, I’m going home with far more than that. I’ve come to love this country and the people.  I’ve made friends and memories here and I know I'll be back again one day.

Bridge2Aid has now trained 260 health workers, treated an incredible 19,550 patients during DVP and created sustainable access to emergency dental care for an astonishing 2.6 million people in East Africa. And that’s just the beginning! These are exciting times ahead for Bridge2Aid!
Many thanks for your support, in many ways, and for taking the time to read the blog: )

Anyone interested in learning more about Bridge2Aid can visit their website at http://www.bridge2aid.org/b2a/

 One last thing to leave you all with.....The picture below was drawn by one of the dentists on DVP whilst waiting for her train after landing back in the UK.  I had to post it!  I adopted it as my mantra a long time ago and it has inspired me eversince.....

Natalie x

13th July 2013

UK OR SAFARI

Safari people day in park
0720: 1st group volunteers arrive in UK
1800: Safari group return to Mwanza
1800: Check in at Isamilo Lodge, and get luggage from Joyce
.

Eventually we packed ourselves back into the car and headed back to the VERY bumpy VERY rocky main road. On the way back to the entrance we saw different birds including: Malibu Storks, Supurb Starlings, King Fishers, Vultures, and Yellow Weaverbirds. We also saw mongooses, warthogs and hyenas. Finally we saw them, way out in the distance, lounging about in the shade of a tree, observing their future meals.  Being my favourite animal, I was grateful that they made an appearance at all. We were hoping to stick around for a while and see if they got the motivation to move closer to us, but unfortunately the Tsetse flies thought it would be a great idea to join us in our car. Thus we moved on from that particular spot.

It flew by so fast, but it's fair to say it was most definitely quite the experience of a lifetime!

12th July 2013

DEPART MWANZA OR SAFARI

0600: Group returning to UK collected from Isamilo Lodge
0630: Check in for PW 411 to Dar
0700: Joyce to collect luggage from safari group
0730: Safari group collected by Fortes Safaris
0830: UK group depart Mwanza

The Serengeti!! The group all woke up at 5:30am - before the sun rose - and loaded up the car with supplies. We all piled into the car and drove down the main road for the next hour. I hadn’t realized how close we actually live to the Serengeti Western Entrance until we pulled through two large gates and stopped at the entrance buildings. We paid the entrance fee, went to the bathroom (in a real bathroom) one last time for the day and then headed out on our adventure.

The color of the savanna grass against the dark blue morning sky was quite breathtaking. As we drove down the VERY rocky VERY bumpy path we stared out at the grasslands searching for animals. The first creatures we came upon was wildebeast. At first we were all very excited and wanted to stop, but our guide said that there were many more to be seen during the day (he was right). Then out of nowhere we saw a Zebra! Again, we were warned there would be many more and we barreled on down the path. The same thing happened with Baboons, Gazelles and Impala. Though we wanted to stop and observe these animals, we quickly got used to seeing them everywhere and having them block our way in the road.

About 20 minutes of staring out the window, our eyes peeled for new wildlife, we heard a squeal from up front. “An elephant, an elephant, back up, back up!!!”. s we came to an almost crashing halt, we backed up slowly. Sure enough, right next to the road, masked behind a few small trees, was a young elephant bull.

The next stop we made was to the Hippo pool. However, as we turned down a side road  we came upon the amazing site of Giraffes!! So many giraffes. Again, we stopped, stared, took pictures and videos. After a few minutes of observation we continued on gaze upon the hippos. There was a bridge that ran across a small, brown, bubbling channel. Of course, where the bubbles were, hippos were hiding under the water.  By looking at them you wouldn't think their known as one of Africas most

dangerous animal...to me they just look bored, lazy and fat.

Who knew safari could be so tiring...after a long day it was time to chill in our little hamocks back at base camp and watch the magnificent sunset.

11th July 2013

RETURN FROM BUKOBA TO MWANZA

0630: Breakfast and check out
0700: Depart form Walkgard Hotel - drive to Mwanza
1500: Arrive Isamilo Lodge Hotel - Mwanza
1700: Debrief Meeting
1830: Farewell Dinner

10th July 2013

TRAINING DAY 6 AND DRIVE TO BUKOBA

0630: Breakfast
0730: Check out of hotels
0800: Depart GSS and Faith Hotels
0830-0900: Setup (PARTIAL)
0900-1230: Tooth Camp/Training
1230-1330: Lunch
1330: Packup (FULL)
1330-1430: Cake, ceremony, photos, kit delivery etc.
1500: Depart Karagwe
1730: Arrive Walkgard Hotel in Bukoba
1900: Brief and Debrief followed by dinner
Evening: Free time

Today was the last day at the hospital and, indeed, the last day with the trainees. In the morning we continued the training and saw about 47 patients. The trainees then sat a 1 hour written exam. Each of them was given a certificate by the charity in a little ceremony (below). They then had a cake and some soda and Joseph made a short speech, thanking them coming over from the UK and for the training.

At the end of the day we said farewell to the trainee clinical officers and drove back to  Bukoba. Tomorrow we were to set off for Mwanza at 08.00 and have the formal de-brief with the B2A staff there.

9th July 2013

TRAINING DAY 5

0700: Breakfast
0800: Depart GSS and Faith Hotels
0830-0900: Setup (PARTIAL)
0900-1630: Tooth Camp/Training
1230-1330: Lunch
1630: Packup (PARTIAL)
1700: Depart site
1730: Arrive GSS and Faith Hotels
1900: Brief and Debrief at GSS Hotel followed by dinner
Evening: Free time

8th July 2013

TRAINING DAY 4

0700: Breakfast
0800: Depart GSS and Faith Hotels
0830-0930: Setup (FULL)
0930-1630: Tooth Camp/Training
1230-1330: Lunch
1630: Packup (PARTIAL)
1700: Depart site
1730: Arrive GSS and Faith Hotels
1900: Brief and Debrief at GSS Hotel followed by dinner
Evening: Free time

The second clinic is about 45 km away, half of which is along an unmetalled road. It took us well over an hour to get there.  The clinic is larger and has great potential: showers, flush toilets and large sinks ..... just no water or electricity!