Duluti Initiative, Inc.

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MAGDALINA

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HEALTH CARE IN TANZANIA

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"Now is the time.

Women and children are facing even graver health threats because of the global economic downturn. Even before the crisis, women made up 60 per cent of the world's poor, and maternal mortality was the worst health inequity in the world." (Dr Asha-Rose Migro.Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.(2009).Remarks at a luncheon to launch the 2009 Report of the Global Campaign for the Health Millennium Development Goal.www.un.org/apps/dg/dsgstats.asp.)Duluti Initiative, Inc. is a 501(c)3 charitable non-profit organization. Our goal is to provide and promote access to health care for the people of Tanzania who may not otherwise have voices or resources to access their own health care system. Our focus is on women and children.
OUR PROGRAMS

Community Outreach Education

Hospital

While the pregnant women in our groups were recieving medical care, many were found to have inadequate nutrition. When we met with our groups, we implemented teaching sessions about proper nutritional choices. Now, women have been eating well rounded diets. They are able to teach others as well as their families, the importance of eating proteins, starches, fruits and vegetables and healthy fats. Presently we are developing a simple teaching tool to continue to educate women and children about a healthy diet and how to achieve and maintain a diet of this type.
For our first three years, pregnant women from our program groups were funded for mosquito nets, malaria treatment, medical are, doctor visits, hospital fees and transportation to and from hospital visits ( as many women live in rural areas), as well as a supplemental nutrtion allowance.The women learned from medical staff as well as from each other, the importance of proper nutrition and pre-natal care. Now these women want to move forward on their own and learn to provide for themselves. To this end, Duluti Initiative, Inc. is sponsoring these groups with nutritional programs, such as this chicken project pictured above. Raising chickens, planting gardens or raising animals give women access to healthy nutritional choices, and enable them to have a supplemental income to obtain nutritious foods as well as medical care.
Nkoaranga Hospital is a small rural hospital and clinic. Near its grounds lies Nkoaranga Orphanage. These facilities are the most accessable (financially and geographically) to many of our groups. We join with other non-profit organizations to provide funds, medical supplies and equipment to this growing and overburdened facility.Funds for equipment are provided. Donations of equipment are sometimes hand carried and personally delivered to the Medical Director to assure critical supplies arrive at the intended destination. Donations of medical equipment that are inappropriate for this hospital, such as high tech ventilator circuits for example, are in turn donated to other non-profit organizations such as missionrelief.org; a non-profit which ships medical supplies to countries in need. Quality accessable health care facilities complete our organization's health care delivery model.
MAGDALINA

MAGDALINA

Magdalina

September 19, 2007 - June 7, 2008

Magdalina was born September 19, 2007.

Her mother died during childbirth due to complications associated with malaria. Another statistic in a country where the less fortunate are unable to afford proper health care.

I met Magdalina while volunteering at Nkoaranga Orphanage in Tanzania, East Africa. She had just returned from an extended hospital stay. Her thin limbs hung limply beside her small body, and her head faced to the right with her eyes staring off with an unfocused gaze. Her abdomen was huge in relation to the rest of her body, and she lacked the strenght to even cry. She would wrinkle her face and let out a tiny squeak. When she attempted to nurse from a bottle, more formula ended up on her than in her, so what spilled had to be scooped into her mouth with a tiny spoon. She was so small and fragile that many caregivers were afraid that handling her would hurt her. At nap time, I would place two fingers on her chest to assure myself that she was still breathing. At almost 5 months old, complete with cloth diaper and rubber pants, she weighed am alarming 3.8kg; a little over 8 pounds.

Over the next two months, Magdalina impressed us. She focused her gaze on our faces and gained control of her limbs, as well as the ability to turn her head. As her legs were threaded into her sleeper, she would put up a bit of a fight. When her shirt was pulled over her head, the face that greeted us had eyebrows knit together in annoyance. She learned to drink from a bottle, and when burped, would release a belch that would impress everyone. The little one cooed and 'talked' to us. Instead of a weak yelp, she mustered a fairly impressive roar. In a short time the littlest fighter had won her way into our hearts. I wondered what type of toddler would greet me when I returned to Tanzania, but that was not to be.

A few months after my return to the United States I recieved word that Magdalina had succumberd to malaria. She died June 7, 2008. She was less than nine months old.

It is in part due to little ones like Magdalina, and women like her mother, that Duluti Initiative, Inc was established.

Cynthia R. Young, CEO Duluti Initiative, Inc.

BIOS

Amandalyn H. Mosby Executive Director

Ruthanne Phillips Executive Director

Cynthia R. Young CEO

Lyn holds a Bachelors degree in Social Work from Widener Colege, and as an RN, an Associates degree in Applied Science. As a registered nurse working in the Case Management Department of Saint Mary's Medical Center, in Langhorne PA., Lyn's role is to assess patients needs and resources in order to facilitate a smooth transition from the hospital.She is a Certified Professional Healthcare Manager and a member of American Case Management Association. Her professional backround also includes an extensive career in physical rehabilitation as a clinical liaison at Magee Rehabilitation in Phila, PA.As a recent recipient of the Omega Delta Upsilon Foudadtion's 2009 Crysal Award: a recognition given to African Americans in the field of medicine that have rendered services to those in the Delaware Valley, Lyn demonstrates her considerable talents in both the inpatient and community settings. Her effective communication and organizational skills allow her to understand and respond to the needs of her patients and thus prepare and teach them the skills that will move them toward health.These skills will be instrumental in refining our programs.
In January of 2007, Cynthia visited Tanzania and worked as a volunteer in Nkoaranga Orphange and visited Nkoaranga Hosptal. There she came face to face with the picture of what inadequate prenatal care can bring.A graduate of Widener College in Chester, PA., she has been working in the field of Medical Oncology for over 29 years at Fox Chase Cancer Center, a Magnet hospital: a designation given only to hospitals known for nursing excellence.Medical Oncology is a field full of challenges, as patients often have medical problems superimposed onto complex oncology situations. Using tools such as strong communication skills, and critical thinking abilitites, she is able to communicate the needs of patients to other members of the health care team, as well as act as patient advocate. Performing bedside nursing, allows her to teach other nurses, students and patients.These skills have allowed her to twice recieve the Center's nursing recognition award and in 2010, the Special Contributor Award: an award given in recognition of outstanding contribution toward the achievement of the mission of Fox Chase Cancer Center. She plans to use these same qualities to orchestrate the triad of programs that will help raise the standard of health care for the people of Tanzania.
Ruth currently has a position at the Quintiles Corporation as a Clinical Nurse Educator. She is presently contracted with Novartis to educate nurses throughout Pennsylvania about medications designed to help enhance the lives of cancer patients.A registered nurse for over 20 years, with a BSN from Pensacola Christian College, her extensive nursing backround includes everything from Oncology, to teaching to community education. In 2002, drawing from her many experiences, she developed and implemented cancer specific clinics designed to improve the quality of life from the time of cancer diagnosis to time of treatment.Ruth is now using that same creative resourcefulness to implement programs which will improve the lives of the women and children of Tanzania.
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Ways To Help

Use www.goodsearch.com as your search engine, and use Duluti Initiative, Inc. as the organization for which you search. Every search you conduct earns us one cent.Visit us and ''like'' us on Facebook.Make a donation. Here are a few things that your donations buy:$500.00 ................a chicken project$500.00.................a garden project$70.00...................a goat$8.00.....................a quality mosquito net$6.00.....................a live rooster$5.00.....................a malaria test$5.00.....................a live chicken
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Health Care in Tanzania

Tanzania is a country in Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique. It is slightly larger than twice the size of California (including its islands of Mafia, Pemba and Zanzibar.) The climate varies from tropical along the coast and to temperate in the highlands. *Tanzania is divided into twenty-six regions; twenty-one on the mainland and five in Zanzibar. There are ninety- eight districts. *Statistics / HIV-AIDSTotal population: 41,048,532 Infant mortality rates 69.28/1000 births Total fertility rate: 4.46 children/ woman (2009 est) HIV/ AIDS prevalence: 6.2 (2007 est) People living with HIV/ AIDS 1.4 million (2007 est) HIV/ AIDS deaths per year: 96,000 (2007 est)+The structure of health services at various levels in the country are as follows:- Village Health Service:- Dispensary Services are the second stage of health services. The dispensaries cater for 6,000 and 10,000 people and supervise all of the village health posts in its ward.- Health Center Services: A health center is expected to cater to 50,000 people, which is apoximately the population of one administrative division. - District Hospitals- Regional Hospitals: every region is supposed to have a hospital. They have specialists in various fields and offer additional services which are not provided at district hospitals.- Refferal/ Consultant Hospitals: The highest level of hospital services in the country. Presently there are four referral hospitals; the Muhimbili National Hospital, which caters to the eastern zone; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC), which caters to the northern zone; Bugando Hospital which caters to the western zone and Mbeya Hospital which serves the southern zone.Diseases:- Food and drinking water- bacterial diarrhea, Hepatitis A, typhoid fever- Vector born- malaria and plague- Water contact- schistosomiasis. * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanzania+http://www.tanzania.go.tz/health.html
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Contact Us

Duluti Initiative, Inc.P O Box 458Feasterville, PA 19053Tel: 215-953-9818Email: info_duluti.orgFacebook: Duluti Initiative, Inc.The photograph to the right is slightly out of focus to protect the identites of the women and children.