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Monday, 31 October 2011
Learning Objective 1: Analyze the process of creating a global partnership between academia and community members who share a passion to assist a vulnerable population: East African orphans.
Learning Objective 2: Describe the components of a global partnership: communication,resources,cultural awareness, and meeting unmet needs via the perpective of village elders.
Bridges of Promise partnered with Dominican University of California nursing faculty to create a health link partnership with the Rulenge diocese in the Kagera Distric on Tanzania's western-most side. The region includes a 60-bed orphanage and a rurual surrounding community. After the members of Bridges of Promise approached the nursing department, meetings took place to create a mechanism to assess the needs of the community for which the Rulenge diocese serves. Personal and public health were identified as key areas of need and the focus of the project began to view the needs of the vulnerable children of the Rulenge orphanage. The vision of the partnership was to work with the local priest in hearing from the elders of the surrounding community as to what the unmet health care needs were. Infant mortality was found to be 16.5% and life expectancy was only 45.9 years. Malaria, AIDS and nutrition releated issues were found to be among the primary health concerns. An assessment was performed via the assistance of the diocese and the immediate needs included shoes for all of the children, scholarhips money for the adolescent orphans to attend highschool, and bed net protection for all of the children. Fund raising was conducted by the sale of Ucholi beads made by women of a neighboring country: Ugunda. Further assessment included the educational needs of the nursing staff at the nearest hospital in Biharamulo. At this time the group is fundraising for a trip to the region to provide staff development, collaboration and education on theares of health promotion, children's health, maternal health, nutrition, immunizations and prevention of local endmic diseases. The partnership is a satisfying way to engage both community members and students/faculty in providing global assistance to a vulnerable population.