Mtitaa - a trip into the countryside!

Yesterday we ventured to Mtitaa - community of about 10,000 people 60 km from Dodoma. The trip as made by small bus (a daladala). Every seat was full but it was still at only 50% of its usual capacity since these things are usually packed to the gills.

 Bill

Villagers filling water canisters at well head

Back of the bus

After a long and dusty ride (dry season here so it is quite dry and cool) we arrived. We met with the village officials in their tiny town hall and all introduced ourselves in Swahili, a fairly humbling experience for all of us. It was another example of the importance of greetings in Tanzanian culture. It would be unthinkable for us to just show up and start looking around etc.

 Being introduced to the Village's Officials in the town hall

Community Vital Statistics on the wall of the town hall building/room

Our hostess, Deanna, a Peace Corps volunteer, who has lived here for the last two years, took us on a tour of the town's medical facility, a regional health centre in the Tanzanian parlance. It was spartan but highly functional.

Deanna

The clinic and hospital are headed by Dr Anna, an AMO, or Assistant Medical Officer. She has had 5 years of training after high school but in not a doctor per se. She can perform surgery but does not operate at this facility. She has a two year commitment to serve as the cost of her education. She does treat major illness here like severe malaria, pneumonia, TB and HIV as well as providing all maternal and obstetrical care. There is an ambulance if patients need to be transported to Dodoma such as for a C section.

AMO Office and Exam Room

TB Treatment Guidelines Posted in Office

Top 10 list for the Health Centre

The community is quite spread out. They are anticipating the arrival of electricity in the next year so many of the older wooden roofed structures are being replaced by metal roofed modern houses which can be wired safely for electricity. The clinic and one ward hospital does not electricity. Vaccines are kept in a propane powered refrigerator. Vaccination is free.

Our next stop was a local primary school where Deanna has been helping to build toilets. The kids were very excited to see us. The classrooms were packed.

Classroom with children

Classroom

Same classroom when empty

Next we went to Deanna's house to get a sense of how the two year volunteers live. 

We found it to be quite spartan as she has neither electricity nor running water.

House

Bedroom with Mosquito Net

With those sights behind us we returned to our hotel in Dodoma. I was grateful to be in a large city with the promise of some of the amenities of modern life!