playing catch up: part two!

From Mwanza up the lake and over it on a rather rusty, potentially not sea worthy, ferry (don’t tell mum!) to the dusty mining town of Geita – they say sand gets everywhere. Trust me, in Geita bright red dust gets into places not even I expected!

And so the work begins. Our reason for travelling to Geita? Having established a strong palliative care programme as part of this project and having already benefitted from their mentors input, this was our opportunity to learn from them. To steal ideas for Shinyanga and figure out what went well and what not so!

As well as an all day meeting on Saturday (yes, working on a Saturday!! Note to employers in the UK… I am not skiving!!) we also spent all day Friday doing field visits i.e. visiting palliative care patients in the community and witnessing the good work being done by the fabulous Mary (palliative care co-ordinator in Geita) and her team.

Now I have to tell you – I am not the most ruffty tuffty person in the world but even for those of you who are as hard as nails; to be warmly welcomed into the homes of some of the most sick people I have met and to see the conditions they are living and their poverty, together with the selfless acts of compassion demonstrated by the home based care teams and other palliative care team members is humbling and moving.

(Home based care volunteers; as the name suggests, volunteers (unpaid) who look out for and support the most vulnerable in their community)

I already know I am going to come back from this experience a somewhat different, albeit still recognisable on the outside, Cassy….

x

PS - pics to follow when settled in Shinyanga, not living out of backpack and technical head in gear!