Kindness is born of culture

Now that we have settled a bit, many of us have been reflecting on our experiences thus far. I cannot begin to explain how much for which we have to be thankful. In particular, I have noticed the wonderful nature of the local Tanzanians in every interaction I have had. This observation has me wondering how culture can play a large role into how people interact. Although many of us are from Minnesota which has a reputation for being cordial and respectful, nowhere in the American culture could one find people who are this gracious and caring for every person they encounter. One of the observations I have made is that, no matter the setting, each individual is acknowledged personally with a greeting. Moreover this exchange happens without fail and always includes positive vibes and a beaming smile. I found it particularly interesting that these interactions do not appear burdensome but rather second nature for the locals. Moreover, this trait appears to be born of generations of respect for others, elders, guests, and more. Although this doesn't seem to be too surprising, I promise that until you see the purity of it one cannot fully appreciate its beauty. I hope very much that the 20 or so of us on this trip can each take a piece of this culture back home as inspiration to lead some of the desperate changes our own culture needs.

I also wanted to write about some of the activities that have happened over the last day or so. Today I rounded for the first time and saw A LOT of neat things. I was able to observe patients ranging from 1 to 95 years old with a wide range of issues. During my time in the outpatient department, I even got to help as a nurse of sorts and Anne was able to help get a heart rate reading as well as assist in the removal of an abscess. The best part is we are administrators who were just there to see the operational flow and learn about the medical records yet our physician counterpart, Nixon, insisted that we learn about the clinical aspects of the hospital by giving it a try. Additionally, some of the medical students were able to observe in the operating room for multiple C-Sections, including one delivery of twins! However, here at Ilula the challenges are always present and because the power went out, Aaron found himself fetching his head lamp to complete suturing a patients forehead.

Finally, I wanted to add two personal events over the past 24 hours that I enjoyed immensely. First, Rishi and I were able to play soccer with the nursing students! It was very fun and everyone was so happy/excited by the camaraderie. I feel hopeful that we have already made some friends. Also, last night Kikoti, the hospital administrator, invited us to his home (which was beautiful) for a nice meal. My favorite part of the evening was when Kikoti told his children that Cindy was their second Bibi (grandmother). This was a special evening for me for which I will not soon forget. Well I'm done rambling now, hopefully our adventures have only just begun.