History 5

In March 2001, Pat and I, representing our HABS, returned to Zanzibar for two weeks of meetings with the Ministry of Health, the Department of Immigration and the Jambiani Community Development Committee. We explained to them that we wanted to establish a clinic in Jambiani and as well accommodation for volunteer practitioners and educators. These meetings were most successful and we returned to Canada with a real sense of accomplishment and the realization that we were that much closer to crystallizing our dreams into tangible reality. The next seven months were frantic as we prepared, once again, to return to Africa and begin the construction process and set up the foundations for the Jambiani Wellness Centre. We also realized that there were now some very practical issues to deal with, especially the need to generate funds to finance our project. Up until this point, Pat and I had been pouring our own resources into the project, something we were happy to do but we were now realizing that as our ideas were materializing we could not continue with this. We have calculated that if you consider lost income while we are away and personal funds spent, we have invested over $300,000 since our first visit to Zanzibar in 1997!

I'm sure some of you might think that we have been "hit in the head" one too many times to be extending ourselves like this, however we are totally focused on ensuring the sustainability of what we have started and just know that what we are doing is a good thing and that many opportunities for growth on many levels will evolve out of this.

We arrived back in Zanzibar in November, 2001, having raised almost $15,000, far short of our final outlay of over $60,000, but eager to begin the construction process. The next six months were very challenging as we proceeded to co-ordinate all that was required to get the building done. In addition I was seeing several patients a day in a variety of settings. On the beach, in hotel rooms and on the floor at times. This was most difficult but gratifying none the less.

We departed Zanzibar in May, 2002, with the vast majority of the construction completed. We plan to return again in November, 2002, to fine tune the clinic and accommodation and to have a grand opening with the President of Zanzibar and associated dignitaries.

We are grateful that others are sharing our enthusiasm for this undertaking and we now have several practitioners and educators on line who are committed to the concept and are willing to give of their time and expertise to help make someone's life a bit easier. In fact, the South Vancouver Island Chiropractic Society canvassed it's membership late in 2001 and many contributed to the purchase and shipping of a portable chiropractic table which has successfully arrived in Jambiani. We are most appreciative of that but perhaps not as much as the folks who will lay their bodies on this table to receive much needed treatment.

Pat and I will continue to oversee this project in Zanzibar and we are grateful for the support we have received so far and for any help that might find its way to us in the future. It has, as you can see, been quite a journey so far, and we look forward to what tomorrow may bring as we trust in those unseen creative forces that we feel are lurking in the background to steer us in the appropriate directions.

History
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