Diary - Thursday, January 22, 2004 

It is a rather toasty afternoon here in the "Jam", and I can't help but reflect on the news we heard yesterday about the arctic temperatures that have enveloped Eastern Canada over the past few days. Minus 32 degrees in London, Ontario! Imagine, we are 65 degrees warmer at this moment.

Of course, and as usual, we hope everyone who is reading this is well and enjoying life to the fullest extent. To friends and family, we miss you very much, but as I have said before, being apart for so long gives us an opportunity to appreciate so much those non-tangible connections that we share in every moment. The reunions are all-ways eagerly anticipated and enjoyed so much.

I have to say, that we are absolutely 'Rocking' here at the Centre and we are very pleased to report that Alva and Jabeen seem to be having too much fun both in and out of the office. We had a very interesting chat last evening over a delicious Thai Prawn curry that Pat had 'whipped up' about the impact that both Alva and Jabeen are making, especially on the women here. First of all, the majority of the women in Jambiani have extremely full and demanding lives, perhaps not unlike their counterparts in the West, however it is extremely rare for them to have an opportunity to be nurtured both physically and emotionally. At least in the West there are options for treating oneself to a variety of 'energizing' therapies such as breema, massage, spa treatments etc. For many of the women here their contact with Alva and Jabeen will be the first time they have been really cared for and touched, in a therapeutic sense, since they were children and to be given this attention by other women must be quite an eye opener for them. Alva was saying that after one of her sessions, her client just sat there for several minutes, not moving and no doubt attempting to assimilate the shift in energy that she was experiencing. I think Alva said she appeared to be quite 'stoned'. :) The Jambiani 'Natural High'.

On the Chiropractic front, we are continuing to see increasing numbers of patients and in fact it looks like today will be our busiest since the end of Ramadan. Of course we are seeing some tremendous clinical results as well, which is our great reward. A few days ago, the parents of a 5-month-old baby brought her in as she had been having difficulty breathing and seemed to be choking frequently. This had been ongoing for about two months and despite being given medication the child did not seem to be improving and naturally, the parents were becoming quite concerned for their baby's well being. Fortunately we had a 'cast of thousands' in the office that day and between Dr Pat, Alva, Jabeen and myself we determined that she probably just had a bad cold but in addition we found a significant upper cervical subluxation which was easily corrected. Two days later, the parents returned with a completely transformed child. No runny nose, no cough and no choking or breathing difficulties. After all these years, I still continue to be amazed at how effective Chiropractic treatment can be and who knows what the outcome might have been had this child not been given an adjustment?

Last Wednesday, we had our tour of Mnazi Moja Hospital. This was both fascinating and educational and I even ran into Dr. Said, the orthopedic surgeon I had met previously. We were shown through several departments including physiotherapy and rehabilitation, male and female surgical wards, the burn unit, the main orthopedic ward and pediatrics.
As Dr Pat summed it up, we became immediately aware of how dedicated the staff was but at the same time it was obvious that they lacked proper diagnostic services and that there was a shortage of supplies and up to date equipment.

Yesterday, we were finally able to meet with the Minister responsible for Health and Welfare, Dr Mwinyihaji Makame. We had been trying to arrange this for quite some time and we were just delighted with how receptive and articulate Dr Makame was with us.
Dr Pat outlined his hopes to bring medical services and specialists to the Center and we were also able to provide a copy of our contract we hope to ratify with the Ministry in the near future. Dr Makame was totally receptive to our ideas and felt that the Ministry would have no problems whatsoever facilitating Pat's proposal and assisting us with our continued work in Jambiani. So Dr Pat and his wife Janie will now return to the UK to begin, what is indeed an admirable task, to fund raise and create awareness amongst their colleagues at home as to the great needs that exist here for improved health care. We are excited!!

In addition, Janie is very interested in contributing to the community from the educational side of the equation, especially in the area of teaching conversational English. She is very passionate about this opportunity and she has promised to pass on some of her thoughts and ideas regarding this so that we can post them on the website, perhaps as part of our next update. As well, Dr Pat will send some of his ideas too. Mama Pat continues to facilitate, locally, Kristi Falconer's Deaf and Hard of Hearing project. In fact yesterday she also met with representatives of an NGO called UWZ, Organization of People with Disabilities Zanzibar. They have decided to conduct a class once per week here in Jambiani not only for the people who are deaf and hard of hearing but also for their families too. This is a fantastic development and is certain to change the lives of those involved in a most positive way. We'll keep you posted. Also Pat continues to see her English classes expand as more people hear about them. We'll try not to let her over do it. :)

So all in all, we are very pleased with our continual evolution here and we remain positive and focused on the potential the future holds for HABS, the Jambiani Wellness Center and for all those individuals who get involved with the project.

I've asked Jabeen and Alva to add some of their thoughts and feelings to this update as well, so I'll sign off for now. Be well everyone and as all-ways, thank you so much for your love and support, for your e-mails and for your help and assistance. We sure appreciate it.

Much love,
Ali Baba and Patima

 Tuesday January 27, 2004

Jambo Habari?

This is Dr. Jabeen Jussa, Chiropractor from Vancouver, Canada. I have now been in Jambiani with HABS for 2 weeks and it has already been a wonderful learning experience. This is my first time volunteering and traveling to a developing country and I am very happy that I made the decision to make this part of my journey. Pat and Alastair are amazing hosts and have put their hearts and souls into this endeavor. You will be very well taken care of and will gain much from this experience. HABS is a greatly needed asset in this area of the world and everyday more and more people are being treated and educated on preventative health care. The people here are very friendly and they are obviously appreciative of the services that are being provided to them. HABS is creating an opportunity for a healthier future in Jambiani and Zanzibar at large. I find the one thing that we lack in the West is balance and this is something you will find here if you come out to volunteer.

Interestingly enough, the locals face some very similar health issues as we do in the West but unfortunately they do not have the knowledge or resources that we are privy to. Low back pains, arthritis, diabetes, hypertension - all are quite common ailments here. However, I feel that the education and treatment that individuals are receiving here at the clinic will help to decrease the incidence of these problems and produce a healthier society. I will be with the clinic until early March. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. Looking forward to what the next 5 weeks will bring towards me and teach me.

Dr. Jabeen Jussa

It's been both gratifying and humbling sharing Breema (www.breema.com) with the friendly and gracious people of Jambiani and Zanzibar. Most people here work extremely hard and have never had access to this type of preventative health care before and they really appreciate it. Some have had very serious injuries resulting in severe joint deformities. Common complaints are neck and shoulder pain, back pain radiating down one or both legs, and knee pain, all usually related to the heavy work they do or to accidents. Cervical compression is common in the women from carrying heavy loads on their heads from the time they are children and into old age. Most of them work for long hours in the seaweed farms and on the Shamba's (farm), bent at the waist with their knees hyperextended. In the 2 weeks that I have been practicing in the clinic, I have had the opportunity to see many of these people experience significant improvement with relief from pain and freer, easier movement as a result of the collaborative treatment they have received from Dr. Jabeen, Ali Baba and myself. Some of their conditions have been in existence for many years and, for the most part they continued to work hard with only over-the counter analgesics for treatment so you can imagine the relief they must
feel.

It's especially fulfilling to witness the women's response to gentle nurturing touch and to see them relax for the first time in who knows how long. The expression 'women's work is never done' is definitely a reality here. I have also had the opportunity to use my nursing skills. For example, today, Alastair and I saw a woman who had stepped on a broken bottle while carrying a large load of seaweed. She had several deep cuts on her foot that had been poorly dressed and would have likely become infected if it had been left that way. I cleaned the wounds, applied butterfly sutures and dressings and gave advice regarding the risk of infection from tetanus. Fortunately antibiotics are inexpensive and are readily available here. However, the tetanus vaccine will probably need to be purchased in Stonetown. We have advised her to return to the clinic in 2 days to have her dressings changed and to monitor her progress. So different to how we would proceed at home in Canada, but still a much better level of care than she would otherwise receive if the clinic were not here.

I am trying to make time everyday to study Swahili, as I would really love to talk more with the people here. Otherwise I am loving my experience here. Pat and Alastair are wonderful hosts and I am already planning for the next time I can come.

Kwaherini.
Alva Nolla.