A Fixby couple are back in Tanzania helping one of the country’s most remote and poorest communities.
Retired surgeon John Philip and his wife Chris have just returned to Ukerewe, an isolated island in Lake Victoria.
It is the Fixby couple’s fourth mercy mission to the east African island which has 350,000 people, many of whom have no electricity or safe drinking water.
John and Chris will be joining other Rotary Club members to improve healthcare and education on the island.
The volunteers will refurbish a 40-bed ward at the Nansio Government District Hospital, supply water to several schools, provide water filtration, construct toilets and establish a start-up fund for small businesses.
Dr Philip, who is leading the mission, said: “Four years ago, my wife Chris and I went to the 120-bed hospital and held a young child dying of malaria in our arms – a simple injection may have saved that child’s life.
“A woman in a life-threatening emergency had to be operated under local anaesthesia with the help of a head torch. This was the turning point in our lives.
“Health problems are only a symptom of underlying poverty and lack of education. This is why during the last five years, we have been engaging with the community of Ukerewe in a holistic manner.”
Since 2008 John and his volunteers have supplied hundreds of thousands of pounds in aid to Ukerewe.
And their efforts seem to be working.
John said: “The number of maternal mortalities has significantly dropped. There are fewer mothers dying from complicated pregnancies and the number of young children living is increasing.
“But it’s educational standards that are improving too. Teachers told us that because children are drinking clean water they are more attentive in class and their attendance is much better. We’ve made a significant difference.”
John and Chris, who worship at St Hilda’s, Cowcliffe, hope to open a children’s ward at the hospital, which is the only one on the island.
The volunteers will also help islanders set up their own businesses, which include making and selling honey, a precious commodity in Tanzania. And the work doesn’t stop at the end of this mission.
Dr Philip said: “It’s very compelling to keep going. We’re almost certain to carry on with this project”.
