Here’s the scoop: Cape Town, South Africa is in a pretty serious water crisis. Not just Cape Town, but countless communities around the globe are experiencing a water crisis and live without clean drinking water. Drinking unclean water causes a variety of issues to include cholera, diarrhea, nausea, lung irritation, skin rash, vomiting, dizziness, and in some … Continue reading Waves For Water
When you enter Langa Township, the first thing you see is a brand new public housing complex that is quite nice. The government has stepped in and replaced settler communities with new public housing. 50% of the housing for Cape Town residents and 50% for migrants from the East. At first I didn’t understand the dynamics of this, but it became clear as I made my way through Langa.
Yes, health. As in my health and the public health system in Costa Rica. Not ideal, but 3 days into my lovely trip I got sick- like really sick. Maybe because I drank the water, or ate a tortilla de queso unheated (I know, breaking all the gringo rules). Continue reading “Salud”
M-RDT or Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test is deemed the primary method of blood testing for Malaria by the WHO in Tanzania. I had the pleasure of attending a training put on by the Ministry of Health in Tanzania to train health professionals from hospitals and clinics in the Moshi District. Continue reading “Testing M-RDT”
Let’s talk sustainable public toilets. Sexy, right? This isn’t something I gave much thought to, until I worked on a project building them in Tanzania. I mean, who really walks around thinking about toilets? (unless you need one at that moment). As it turns out, sustainable public toilets are more interesting than I anticipated! Continue reading “Eco Choo”
Sauti means loud or loudly in Kiswahili. Sauti also is the name of a project I had the pleasure of participating in during my time in Tanzania. I spent a month and some change in Moshi, Tanzania looking at the public health system, and I know, I’ve been posting about everything but public health. I’ve found a hard time finding the right words to even begin to describe my experience. Where to start? Continue reading “Sema Sauti”
Yes, there is a Heaven in Rwanda. It’s actually a bar and restaurant that I happened to stumble upon the last night of my trip. I was sitting there by myself, looking out over the city, struggling with the menu. I wanted something local, but didn’t know what to get. The owner then came to my table and we started to chat. He’s from NYC, lives here with his wife, he started to tell me about his book, but had to step away quickly after giving me some recommendations. Continue reading “Heaven in Rwanda”
When I travel I like see the diversity of a city. I want to see touristy things, but also how local people live. This time I found an organization in Nairobi that supports people from the Kibera slum by giving tours, so I signed up with the hope that I’m giving to the community. This is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum in Africa. Two men led me through markets, a bone factory, a women’s center where women raise money to support those in the community with HIV, and finally to the slum. Continue reading “A Walk Through Kibera-A Nairobi Slum”
First, I’m always a bit torn about how to share my experiences abroad. I almost feel a sense of responsibility to protect the people and culture I love so much from misunderstanding and judgement. So I must say before I talk about my experiences, that the lack of development in Africa has nothing to do with the competence and intelligence of its people, but with the political and economic system and the lack of access to education and resources. Continue reading “Tanzania Yetu”
“Mwana unleavyo ndivyo akuavo”
As you Bring A Child Up, So He Will Be
Imagine you are in grade school. You are about 12-13 years old, have just completed your primary education, and are about to transition into a new and exciting period of your life as you enter secondary school or high school if you are a student from the United States. You will be going to a new school and do not know what to expect, you are feeling nervous excitement. It is your first day of school and to your surprise, your classes are taught in a completely different language! You’ve had some lessons in this foreign language, but you certainly do not speak it, nor can you read it. What would you do in this situation and who could you turn to for help? Imagine how limited your opportunities would be if your education ended abruptly at the high school level because of a language barrier. This is your reality if you are a student in the Tanzanian education system. A system set up only for wealthy children to succeed and less than 30% of average students to achieve secondary education. Continue reading “The Truth About Education in Tanzania”
