A 40 foot container of medical humanitarian aid for Shirati KMT designated hospital in Rorya, Mara, TANZANIA was shipped out of MedShare’s distribution center in San Leandro, California. Over one thousand individual pieces of equipment and supplies were selected by the hospital director Dr. Bwire Chirangi and included on the container, including ambulatory bags, hospital beds, surgical drapes, sterilization packing, an anesthesia machine, patient gowns, an ultrasound, stainless steel surgical tools, and much more.
In this photo, MedShare staff and volunteers and the local Shirati supporting group called AISCS stand in front of the container destined for Tanzania. AISCS is a local group that helps African immigrants and has various projects with the Shirati Hospital including an improved water system. AISCS founder and president, Mrs. Christine Nyanda-Chacha, welcomed me to San Francisco and gave me the beautiful green shirt from her community. It was a very exciting day and although I had hoped the fundraiser would be successful, I had no idea that it would have such a big impact. Truly, the donations made are going to be well used and have served the double purpose of environmental conservation and providing healthcare supplies to those in need.
Fortunately, I was able to be present for the shipment ceremony at MedShare and have these photos to share. Why was my kayak in the photo? Well, I’m starting a new job in the Bay Area and was in the process of moving there. While driving cross-country from Atlanta to San Francisco I learned about the ceremony and so I drove through the night so I could be there for this special event. Since finding the recipient hospital, the coordinated efforts by MedShare and Shirati hospital to select and verify the supplies took only four weeks. A job well done!
The container will take about 6 weeks to cross the Pacific and Indian oceans by freight ship. So stay tuned for delivery.