Appropriate for: students and residents of all levels

Background Ahakishaka is a village of about 2750 people in the Northwest of Tanzania. It is close to the border with Rwanda and five hours by bus from the nearest city. It is an agricultural region, and most residents subsist by growing bananas, beans, coffee, and vegetables. Cows and goats graze in the hills, and fish are caught in the nearby lake. The village is home to a primary school that provides education for 557 students through the age of 13. Students who progress to secondary school travel to the neighboring village for further education. Health education is supposed to be included in the curriculum, but often times the health lectures are skipped. Issues related to sexual health are not routinely discussed in the public setting and are considered taboo. There are many common misconceptions about issues such as HIV/AIDS that make it difficult for local youth to protect themselves from infection. Healthcare is provided through a government-operated clinic at the entrance to the village as well as several traditional healers and a private hospital in the neighboring village of Nyabiyonza. Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality along with TB, respiratory infections, and mechanical injury. HIV prevalence is not known, but it is thought to be very high. There are over 250 orphans in the village. Testing and treatment have recently become available in the regional hospital an hour away, but it is not accesable for the majority of residents.

 
Opportunity Medical students could travel to Ahakishaka during the summer between their first and second years to work in the Nyabiyonza secondary school teaching students about health. Many secondary school students speak English and have expressed interest in working on peer education programs that could be brought to the primary schools in order to teach the younger children. Five students have already visited Ahakishaka in 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2007. Preliminary surveys of HIV knowledge and HIV education programs have been piloted in the secondary school, and the school authorities have been very welcoming of the efforts. In summer 2007, two first year students will pilot a malaria prevention program using insecticide treated bednets. Support is offered by the local village chairman, a local health educator, and WILMA (an NGO active in the village). Housing and hosting is provided in a community center.

 

FAQs (answered by student founder David Benziger)

Is it safe for single women? Yes. While there, the student or students will be working directly with local leaders who will provide translation and organization of all activities. There is a night watchman at the community center where students will stay, and there are always other people around when traveling. It's very safe. The greatest danger involved is travel to the site. It's a five hour dala dala (minivan with 20 people in it) ride from the nearest city, and most of that is on poor roads. I never felt unsafe in my experience there though.

What are living conditions like? IT's not exactly for everyone. The community center is a mud hut with no running water. The village is very spread out, and there are no cars. Students who go to Ahakishaka have to be comfortable taking sponge baths and walking several miles per day to get to the school or any other places they plan to visit.

Who is the mentor on site and what is their contact? We have worked directly with the village chairman, Josephat Kinyina, and a young businessman named Ernest Johansen both of whom are extremely helpful and speak English well. Ernest has acted as a nearly 24 hour per day guide and host while Kinyina has arranged meetings and logistics. For right now I would prefer that people contact me directly so that I can then get in touch with our friends in Ahakishaka and make the introductions. The internet access in Northwestern Tanzania is very limited, and correspondence is not always fast.

Are you plugged into the MOH? I met with the regional health director who is the MOH's representative for Northwestern Tanzania. He was very supportive of the original mobile clinic plan, and he even offered to allow us to use the government supply chain to stock the clinic. I haven't been in touch with him since, but if we had a substantive proposal, i'm sure that Kinyina could get us back in touch with him.

What's the long-term goal? Is it sustainable? The goal is to increase knowledge and awareness of health issues (specifically sexual health and HIV/AIDS) among the school population in Ahakishaka. This can then be used to work towards increased empowerment of youth to protect themselves through condom use and safer practices. Much could be accomplished with a one-time visit, but a continued relationship that sent students from Mount Sinai every summer to work with the next class would reinforce the program immensely and make it much more sustainable.

Contact If interested, contact Dr Nils Hennig (nils.hennig@mssm.edu) and David Benziger at david.benziger@mssm.edu for more information.