Topical News 2009
29/08/2009 Our sponsor Dr. Alois Schranz, head of Medalp, celebrated his 50th birthday
We congratulate, say "thank you" for his generosity and wish him health, wealth and happiness
May 2009: Lance Whyle from "Living Water International" in Ifakara
LWI is a faith-based organization that endeavors to offer access to clean water to the poorest people in the developing nations of the world. I have been a volunteer with Living Water International in Tanzania for 6 years. My primary focus has been find water, clean water, where none yet exists. I am continuously amazed at how often we have provided clean water to rural people who did not know that water was something one could see through.
I see my job as:
RAISING AWARENESS to the problems associated with the lack of safe water.
RAISING FUNDS to fund water projects.
RAISING WATER from the depths of the earth by coordinating and implementing water projects. (This is the fun part).
From time to time, other water problems come before me, that go beyond the less complex need of the rural village. This is the case with the situation at the St. Francis Hospital at Ifakara. Fortunately, I have access to professional input that I believe will ultimately bring a solution and adequate water to meet the needs of the hospital. Our approach has been to solve this problem in a step by step fashion that would demonstrate financial responsibility to donors, as well as meet the needs of a growing medical facility.
I am able to spend 5 to 6 months each year developing, coordinating and implementing water projects. A portion of my time is used to train local men how to do the work that I do. My goal here is to empower men to serve their own communities. This is in line with the precepts that are fundamental to LWI. These precepts are to train, equip and consult others to carry on the work of offering clean, safe drinking water in the name of Christ.
more information on "Living Water International"
26/01/2009 - 17/02/2009 A "repair-expedition" to St. Francis Hospital
Franz Kirchner and Charly are working on the sterilizers
“At Ifakara Hospital the 4 ½ year-old sterilizers do not work and cannot be used any longer.
In the X-Ray Department both the patient identification gadget and the X-ray processor have broken down."
By the end of 2008, these two problems were announced via E-mail to the
“Association of the Friends of Ifakara”. Naturally, sterilizers are essential for a hospital; therefore a technician of Belimed Comp., who had installed both devices some years ago, had to be sent to Africa.
Team of X-ray department
May 2009 - The new Occupational Therapie has been installed
Godfrey Ngidula completed his degree as an occupational therapist at the KCMC in Moshi. He has been working in St. Francis Hospital since November 2008. Isabella Hofstetter and a group of committed people from St. Francis Parish in Kempraten/Switzerland financed his studies, and are setting up the rooms and are endowing them with therapy requirements.
This new institution is a blessing, especially for the many children with burns and congenital disturbances.
May 2009 - The Prosthesis Workshop works again
Mr. Fedrick Mwewe has revived the Orthopaedic and Prosthesis Workshop. It had existed for years but was out of order over the past years. Mr. Mwewe started to produce artificial legs again. Our association supported his work with tools and other requirements. It was touching to observe how a little boy suffering from bad congenital deformities of his arms and legs was able to stand and to walk for the first time in his life, thanks to Mr. Fedrick’s skills.
