Longmeadow High student volunteers with Jambo Tanzania

Sept. 13, 2018 | Payton North
payton@thereminder.com

Ashvin Babu checking in a patient at the clinic in Tanzania with the help of an interpreter.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo

LONGMEADOW – Longmeadow High School (LHS) senior Ashvin Babu has recently taken his second trip to Tanzania, helping volunteer members of the organization “Jambo Tanzania” with healthcare and health education in the country.  

Babu has taken two trips to Tanzania with the group; the first in 2014 and the second this year. He noted he’s always been intrigued by sciences, and plans on majoring pre–med when he goes to college. He has an interest in economics, and hopes to work in the medical or general health field post–graduation.

Today, Babu is back and shared his experience with Reminder Publishing through a question and answer interview.  The following is a lightly edited interview with Babu discussing his experience in Tanzania.

Reminder Publishing (RP): How did you get involved with Jambo Tanzania?

Babu: Dr. Mary Banda is a local physician who lives in Longmeadow. She is originally from Tanzania and is the founder of the organization. She was my inspiration to join the organization in 2014. I was involved in some of the local fundraiser events and became interested in the work done by Jambo. Now I am an active volunteer member of the group.

RP: Why did you decide to go back to Tanzania after your first trip?

Babu: I was quite apprehensive but was excited before my first trip. As a seventh grader, I believed I would be of little help to the organization. Thanks to the Jambo volunteers and Dr. Banda, they eased me into the role of pharmacy staff with encouragement. I enjoyed learning about medications, looking for them, counting and dispensing the medication.

As a high school student interested in the sciences, the clinic gave me an opportunity to expose myself to the medical field. Not only did I get to observe and shadow the doctors, but I also was able to partake in various aspects of health including the pharmacy. The volunteers who were not physicians switched off on a rotation of reception, vitals, shadowing and the pharmacy.    

RP: What did you do while you were in Tanzania?

Babu: My experience in the 2014 trip working in the pharmacy motivated me to look into ways of obtaining affordable medication supply for the clinic and in future for the hospital. Over the last year, I worked with Dr. Banda to compile the list of medications, research on the availability and pricing of medications in different countries including the USA, Tanzania and India, and was able to coordinate with local Tanzanian wholesale pharmacy dealers to obtain the medication supply for the clinic. I was ecstatic to see the first package of medication delivered when we arrived there.

During the trip, I worked in the reception area, took vitals, and dispensed medication in the pharmacy. One of the best facets of Jambo Tanzania is that your career background does not define your impact on the organization. Any person can lend a helping hand and have a huge impact on the Gera community.

The trip, itself, typically lasts three weeks with over a day of traveling. The first stop in Tanzania is Arusha. After a day there, we take two flights the first to Mwanza and the second to Bukoba. We stay at a hotel, which is a 45-minute drive from the clinic where medical attention is provided. We took a bus to the clinic and half of the trip was on unpaved roads. In the clinic the volunteers work in a system analogous to an assembly line in order to maximize efficiency. There are four stations. The first is reception where we take names and medical history of patients. Next, the patients arrive to vitals were we take blood pressure, pulse, and temperature. We can also check for diabetes. The patients then wait to see the doctors who diagnose the patients and recommend medications. Finally, the pharmacy dispenses the recommended medications to the patients, and they are on their way.

RP: What do you feel was the most rewarding part of the trip?

Babu: Seeing the benefits of the work done by our organization was truly an enlightening experience. The children and adults are so thankful to our crew. We received simple gifts like home grown bananas, sugarcane and pineapple as a token of thanks.

On breaks, numerous children gather at the fields just outside the clinic. It is fun to bring soccer balls and play soccer with the children. The pleasure and happiness a simple soccer ball can bring to a child's face is truly amazing.

We also visited local elementary and high school built by organization and they had brought in clean water to the area. I heard from the doctors that was a dramatic decrease in the number of water borne infections compared to the first trip and attributed it to the access of clean water.

RP: Was there anything you learned in Tanzania that surprised you?

Babu: On my second day working at the clinic, I was checking vital signs for a mother and her children. She was carrying her baby in a back sack. I assumed the baby would be a year old. I was shocked to hear through the interpreter that the baby was already three years-old and was not able to walk. I heard from the doctors that the baby was very malnourished with stunted growth. I also witnessed many children who had skin infections, poor teeth and appearing very thin. It really saddened me to see this and how we take simple needs of life here for granted.

RP: Do you hope to go back in the future?

Babu: I definitely hope to go back in the future. I was fortunate enough to go two times, and I would love to go a third time. The experiences created by this trip are priceless. Seeing the progress and impact you can make is awesome.

Babu reassured Reminder Publishing that individuals who would like to help the Jambo Tanzania do not have to travel across the world to do so. Funds that have been raised in the past have gone to the completion of the Jambo Tanzania Hospital and the Clean Water Initiative, which provides clean drinking water to the people of Gera. Babu shared that the next phase after building the hospital is equipping it with the proper medical facilities to sustain itself for the years to come. To learn more about the organization and or donate, go to www.jambotanzania.us

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