Here we GO!

Matt and I are about to spend a month in Arusha, Tanzania. I will be working as a doctor in a hospital there and he will be assisting in a local orphanage- that is roughly all we know so far. We are going through the program A Broader View- which is a non profit. We found this through just Googling because we had our hearts set on the IU Kenya program which ended up being shut down until, ironically, last week. But we are very excited about this opportunity. And of course, nervous. The long flight, the potential for infectious diseases of all kinds, safety, and also all the things we might see- myself in a hospital with very limited resources and Matt in an orphanage with hardly any supplies. I feel good and am so proud of our friends and family who donated to us to bring supplies over to the orphanage (people went above and beyond and they are great!) We are bringing 2 fifty pound duffles full of everything I thought they might need to have fun and learn things too- books, coloring books, art supplies, jump ropes, stuffed animals, bouncy balls, stickers, toothbrushes and paste....the list goes on. Plus we have leftover money to buy things over there- maybe they all need backpacks, more food, a bed? who knows.

Although people we know have been incredibly supportive, I have seen criticism online of people who a. volunteer abroad when there are opportunities locally and b. go on volunteer "trips". To that I say, as I have witnessed healthcare for the lowest socioeconomic classes here and abroad, there are vast reasons why it is important to try to bring volunteers abroad. For one, here people have many opportunities for healthcare although it may be lacking or their access isn't ideal (cue my sentiments of wanting an amazing national healthcare system)- there is at least a chance that they may be treated and get into government programs and things that pay for their meds. From what I have seen and know in these struggling countries- there is none of that- people die all the time because they literally have zero access to healthcare and even if they were to get to a hospital the chances are the hospital is lacking in current technology and diagnostics. I am already saddened to think of the difficult decisions I will be faced with and the knowledge that back home, things would turn out differently. But that is reality, and I will do the best that I can. Obviously volunteering at home is important too and I hope to do more of that in my future once fellowship is over. And to the sentiment that these trips are useless, well, I saw what a big difference my med school was to Haiti- going at regular intervals, setting up clinics with local people employed there, people now able to see doctors that have never seen one before...I agree there may be problems with untrained people going for a limited time and thinking they are going to save the world (sometimes they can disrupt the system), but the fact is many of us have skills we can share and do unfortunately have limited time. I recognize that part of the reason we are going is to do something different and challenge ourselves, but the goal always is to help others. I know bringing a bunch of toys and things is not going to change the fact that most of these kids will never be adopted, but at least it can be a bright spot in their lives. The money we are paying for room and board helps the local people employed there.  I think the biggest lessons to learn from this are - we aren't going to change Arusha in a major way but we can make a small impact and to focus on what we are there for and give our best for the short time we are there.

Ok now I am getting very philosophical for a minute, now changing pace to something more light hearted- after the month in Arusha, we will continue on to our honeymoon in South Africa. It is somewhere we always wanted to visit. I have been fascinated with great white sharks since I was young and am pumped at the chance to cage dive with them. Reading more about South Africa, I was excited to do things like climb Table Mountain, see penguins on the beach, and stay in a B&B in wine country. We made some nice reservations for dinners (the rand the currency is not doing well compared to the dollar so things are fairly inexpensive there). Then we are going to Kruger National Park for a proper safari- as an animal lover I am very excited to see these wild animals.

Anyways, we will have spotty internet so may not be able to post too much but I will try to update as best I can.