Hello from Dar es Salaam! We arrived late in the night on June 21st and Dr. Christine Bohne’s driver, Josh, picked us up. Although we were exhausted after a full day of traveling, Josh took good care of us, relaying Christine’s words of advice and keeping the energy up on the drive to our airbnb. He taught us a few essential vocabulary on the way, explaining that “Karibu” means welcome and “Asante” means thank you. Once inside, we were greeted with a kind note and snacks from Christine, welcoming us into our new home for the next several weeks.
The next day, Josh helped us exchange cash and buy SIM cards before we met with Christine for the first time at lunch where she told us about her background, the incredible work she has been doing with NEST360, and general tips for living in the city. Together, we shared our reasons for working in global health, leaving me more resolute in my decision to pursue my Master’s in Public Health and work with like minded individuals. One of Christine’s suggestions was to become comfortable navigating within the city, which led to calling our first Bajaji, or rickshaw, to take us home!
We met up with Christine again for dinner where she introduced us to the Slipway, her favorite evening spot. It was a lively place with an international crowd and music and conversation in every corner. In the background were the lapping waves of the Indian Ocean. Christine encouraged us to try a Tanzanian dish called Urojo, or Zanzibar Mix, which is a hot potato stew made with various spices. All of us remarked how comforting the dish was, reminiscent of an Indian kadhi, creating a sense of familiarity in a new environment. We also tried fried cassava with masala seasoning, introducing us to a root vegetable we would soon find across several restaurants.
On Friday, we attended the 11th annual Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) Scientific Conference. Partners with the Tanzania Health Ministry spoke about their efforts at addressing maternal and neonatal health at a large conference hall packed with people. Some of the speakers were from NEST360, like Dr. Nahya Salim, who spoke about how most technology is not validated for newborns so by creating linkages with manufacturers, they can create quality improvement policies in this context. Her presentation was made even more meaningful by her introductory words about approaching care, it is “not about few of us, it’s about all of us together,” which I took to mean in the context of a global landscape. It is not just about the possibilities we can achieve in a high income country, but our ability to bring all people up to the same stage, low to middle income countries included.
Feeling curious and enthusiastic,
Annika