It’s hard to leave. There’s something captivating about the patients we met in Tanzania, and our CSI team will never be the same.

While changing the lives of 37 individual patients is amazing, our biggest impact is definitely teaching the Tanzanian medical and nursing staff.

Before and after cleft surgery.

We held lectures facilitated by our three surgeons and taught numerous nursing classes. Surgical residents observed and assisted in the OR, prompting one Tanzanian resident to make a decision to become a urologist. Even when the surgery schedule was completed, Dr. Siva Chinnadurai was still teaching an Arusha Lutheran Medical Center (ALMC) surgical resident.

My gratitude is pouring out to the families here at ALMC who entrusted us with their children. Respect for the people of Arusha will forever be with me. We feel an immense sense of satisfaction right now, tinged with a little sadness that it’s time to leave. Now there is a bit more hope. The medical staff has more knowledge and skills than last week. And as one mother said to me, “Karibu Tena” – welcome again.

See photos here.

Susan McMullan, CSI Medical Records volunteer