We have had the privilege of working with Mission Doctors Association in Bwambo, Tanzania for the past five years. Each summer, we pack up our family, with eighteen duffle bags of donated medicines and medical supplies in tow, and head to the South Pare Mountains in Tanzania. There, we find hundreds of patients waiting to be seen, as there are only 200 doctors and 40 million people in Tanzania. My husband Mark, a Family Practitioner (also trained in surgery), spends his days seeing patients, teaching nurses and mid-wives, and performing deliveries and surgeries. Molly and the children work in the hospital cleaning, painting, refurbishing, and organizing the wards and clinic rooms. We have very little running water, and virtually no electricity, save for the small generator that runs on diesel fuel. Our life in Bwambo Village can be very challenging, but it is also extremely satisfying, knowing that we are able to care for patients and their families at least once per year for 8-10 weeks. Mark sees hundreds of patients while we are in Bwambo. We are so grateful for this wonderful opportunity to serve!!
One of the difficulties in doing the beautiful work of MDA is seeing the many, many needs of the hospitals and of the patients while on mission. Over the past five years we have held many fundraisers to collect funds for a new ultra-sound machine, an x-ray machine, basic lab equipment, and medical supplies. We were also able to put in three large water tanks to bring clean running water to the hospital. All of these efforts have improved things at the hospital and clinic in many wonderful ways.
Because the people in the South Pares do not have any kind of transportation, they walk to and from the hospital on foot, sometimes taking 8-10 hours to reach the hospital for care. Can you imagine being in labor or needing emergency surgery and having to walk or be carried for many, many hours up a steep mountain pass?! One of the most important services Bwambo Health Center provides is ambulance transport to the major hospital at the base of the mountains where patients can receive emergency care and/or surgeries. This vehicle (the only vehicle on the mission at present) has carried thousands of desperate patients up and down the mountain for over 15 years. (This Land Rover/Truck has been over used and much abused to say the least.) Unfortunately, just this past month, the Pastor, Fr. Dr. Beda, was told that the truck was no longer safe to transport patients and would need repairs too expensive for the Diocese to handle. For this reason, we are in desperate search for a donor to provide a portion of the cost to buy a new ambulance/Land Rover. As you can imagine a Land Rover truck is one of the only vehicles that can traverse the steep mountainous trails (we can’t really call them roads yet ).
The Total cost of the new vehicle is close to $70,000. However, the MIVA foundation (a mission-based group supplying vehicles to missions for many years), is willing to donate $50,000!! This makes our job much simpler, as we are only asked to raise $20,000. We have raised $8,500 so far!!
We believe that this Ambulance Campaign is a great opportunity for us all to share our gifts with others who are truly in desperate need of transportation for medical care. Please consider a donation to purchase a new Land Rover for Bwambo Health Center.
Your generous gift will make it possible for thousands of patients to get the care they need on a daily basis.
Many blessings and thanks for all you do to support our efforts to help those in need,
Dr. Mark and Mrs. Molly Druffner and family
Please click on the Donate button on the top right to donate.
Please specify "Ambulance Campaign" under "I want my donation to be designated toward"
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