DVP 22

We've just come to the end of Bridge2Aid's 22nd Dental Volunteer Programme (and our first in our new role as full time B2A team).  It's been a great couple of weeks seeing UK volunteers using the skills and gifts they've been given to make a lasting difference.  As a result of the training programme, there is access to emergency dentistry for another 100,000+ Tanzanians living in rural locations around the lake zone.

Have a look at the report on the Bridge2Aid website at http://www.bridge2aid.org/b2a/latest-news-inner.php?id=690

I found it hugely satisfying being part of a team training clinical officers in November 2010 and February 2011.  It's even more satisfying enabling teams to come out from the UK, fulfil their potential and successfully train Tanzanian CO's to fulfil their potential.  But for me, the greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that together we are making a difference for the people that really need it, who without the training would have to travel many miles to find someone with the skills to get them out of dental pain.

Well done DVP 22 team.  Bring on DVP 23!

Paul

Samuel and Thembi

Since arriving in Mwanza we've met a lot of people and made some good friends.  We're really blessed to have met Samuel and Thembi when we visited Mwanza last year and we had the opportunity to visit them for a delicious meal a few weeks ago. 

Samuel is the pastor of a church, Thembi works at the international school and also helps lead the church.

They live in a house with arguably the best view in Mwanza, accessed along a narrow dusty lane, where chickens and children peer out from every dwelling at the wazungu coming through their part of town.  Isaac is particularly fond of Samuel who has a beard (like pappy).

One of the things we are having to learn again is how to cook.  Meat needs to be cooked differently, and there are a range of foods available that are not commonly found in the UK.

Thembi gave Beth a lesson in the kitchen on how to cook bananas (plantain).  These are large green savoury bananas which are really tasty fried out and cooked in a tomato based sauce.

Thanks Samuel and Thembi for your welcome and the delicious meal we enjoyed.