Diary - Sunday, December 28, 2003

Looking at the dates here, I'm realising there has been quite a gap since I last sat down to type some thoughts to you. Of course we have all punched through the Christmas season hopefully none the worse for wear, other than maybe a few extra friends around the old waistline. :-)

We had quite a nice dinner at the home of our friend Klaus who owns the Blue Oyster Hotel. Pat, Sheel and I and his family and friends. It was a very nice evening and we all appreciate the fact that Klaus opened up his home to us.

Yesterday, we had a call from a woman who stays/works at the Matemwe Bungalows about an hour and one half Northeast of Stonetown. She had heard about our clinic here and was in fact having a lot of difficulty with a chronic disc problem that was severely limiting her activities. As I am in the clinic tomorrow, Sheel has volunteered to go up there to work with her. She sent a driver to pick him up earlier this morning and he'll spend one night before returning later tomorrow. Should be quite a nice trip for Sheel as he'll get to see some of the Northeast coast beaches and it should be excellent for the patient too, as she'll be getting some expert attention for her particular problem. Gotta love house calls on Zanzibar. :-)

The clinic has been comfortably busy now after the lull we experienced during Ramadan and we are now still waiting to have our meeting with the Minister of Health to look at the mechanics of working in Mnazi Moja Hospital one day per week. There has even been some suggestions that we might actually charge for these services and of course any income would be most appreciated at this point. We will keep you posted as these events evolve.

Weather wise, we are well into the summer season now and in fact we have had some pretty strong Northeasterly breezes for the past week or so. These winds are not unpleasant and they definitely keep the temperatures at tolerable levels. When we go into the village, which is only 75 meters behind us, there is a noticeable increase in the heat factor. So we are grateful for our seaside position.

With only three days left before we welcome 2004, it is quite amazing to me that it will soon be one full year since we officially opened the centre. During this time, we will have welcomed 9 volunteers and have increased the number of patient visits to well over 4000!! As well, we continue to get queries from practitioners all over the world, and as I mentioned earlier, we are now placing people into 2005. We have to be encouraged by the reception we are getting and the fact that all of our volunteers to date have expressed an interest in returning again.

Of course, we feel our patients are very fortunate indeed to be getting the quality and type of care that they are presently receiving and will be receiving in the future and from all reports, they are very grateful for the support we have been able to provide over the past few years.

I suppose, our biggest concern at this point is the future sustainability of the project. Although we continue to fund raise and have individulals who are trying to help us in that respect, we have invariably fallen short of our yearly requirements. Unfortunately, this trend can't go on indefinitely as our own personal resources are limited. At the moment, we employ 6 local people and can accommodate a maximum of 4 volunteers. Realistically, 2 volunteers at any given time is ideal.

In order to maintain our present level of service, we need approximately $25,000 to $30,000 US per year. This includes all local and our international transportation, employees salaries, food, beverages, administrative costs such as photocopies, internet time, files, paper and visas, maintainance costs such as painting, varnishing and general repairs etc. In the bigger scheme of international aid, this amount of money is miniscule, however here, it means so much to so many. We can assure you that every cent of money raised goes into the project directly to benefit those who need help.

So, we'll keep putting the word out there and continue to trust that this work is worthwhile and that if we are meant to continue, the financial side of the equation will continue to somehow work out.

Anyhow, it is time for some other activities now. I'll be asking Sheel to add some final thoughts to this update which we hope to post Wednesday. In the meantime, we hope that you are all well and happy and that the approaching New Year brings nothing but joy and happiness your way.

Take care and much love to you all from us here at the Jambiani Wellness Centre. :-)

Ali Baba and Mama Patima

Greetings everyone and Happy New Year!

My time here is coming to an end, but only in body and definitely not in spirit. This place will forever be a part of me and I aim to return, albeit next time with my family.

The clinic is picking up in volume now that Ramadan is over. It is nice to make connections with some of the people that I have treated several times and watch the progression in their return to health, as opposed to some whom you only see once for they cannot return because of the great distances that they must travel.

I have created a mini-pamphlet while here, which we now give to each new patient. It simply explains the chiropractic approach to wellness, informing them that these conditions actually start in early years, take time to develop, and thus take time to heal. Now the people can understand why they need to come in several times and it puts less pressure on the doctor to provide the "immediate cure" that they are conditioned to expect. It also suggests that they bring their children and family for treatment rather than waiting until an acute problem develops. Finally, it describes some basic nutritional changes that they can incorporate into their everyday lives. The day after releasing the pamphlet, I had three teenagers come in for a check up, simply for preventative purposes. It was great. As I said in the last update, it is the education that is needed as well as the care. Over time it will be interesting to see how this village changes in their overall health and welfare, especially the next generation. I wish to thank Mr. Pandu for being my translator on making the pamphlet as well as being by my side in the clinic to assist me in educating and treating the patients.

Of course, I wish to thank Ali Baba and Mama Pat for creating this space and welcoming me, and to thank my family and all of you for supporting this very worthy cause.

In service, happily
Dr. Sheel Tangri