Cherie Walton started her career as a scientist studying liver disease at UConn health. She has spent the last 14 years sharing her love for science at CCSU, University of Hartford, and Tunxis Community College. As a young girl, she dreamed of becoming a scientist and of going to Africa. Her dreams have come through. She now wants to help the young women in Tanzania who have a dream of becoming nurses and mid-wives.
Cherie gave a presentation on this topic several years ago and this is an update on the program which is very close to her heart. The logo is based upon a hand drawing by one of their supporters and captures the mission including holding the village close to their heart.
The whole concept of the mission came about when 3 women from MA decided to take a safari. They were also interested in the medical services in the community and were very disturbed by what they saw. The lack of facilites, supples, and personnel. They also noted how few women were working and decided to sponsor a nursing student. They ended up sponsoring the two women pictured at the top of the slide.
Why Tanzania? There is a major shortage of medical workers. The country has 10 times fewer doctors and 25 times fewer nurses as the US has. People would wait in lines for days to get seen.
Why just support women? Because more than half of the women live in extreme poverty, are often left with many children by their male partners in a country that practices polygamy. (Editors Note: Social, Political, and Economic science has shown that empowering women can move whole communities forward).
Why focus on Midwifery? It is because the maternal and infant mortality rate is so high in this area. Maternal death rate is about 30 times higher than in the US. Number one cause of death is bleeding with infectious disease as the second leading cause.
A number of the students have gone to advanced study including one women who is currently studying the US to get her Ph.D.
The first school was located in the Northern part of the country as shown on the map right on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro.
The 2nd school is in the middle of the country. This part of the country is very flat and very dry. Most women make their living by farming and picking produce.
Behind the Mvumi Hospital is the Birthing Center shown above. The pit in the center is where the afterbirth is thrown and then burned.
The 3rd nursing school that the project has scholarships at is in Southern Tanzania. This is a very lush, very green area. This is tea and coffee country but very poor. These are some of the nursing students interacting with patients.
The nursing program is a 3 year program requiring a competency exam at the end. These programs are very rigorous and equal to the hardest programs in the states.
The scholarship program does not pay for the first year. The students have to raise the money on their own. They need to show their desire and commitment to their education.
A year of study is less than a one course at a US university.
These are comments from letters sent us by the two nursing students that we sponsored a few years ago.
Cherie shared one last story as to how the program helped not only one individual, but her whole family and village.
As a final note. Cherie's childhood dream came true and came together as she is pictured here as a scientist, teaching in Africa!
is having the "biggie" today as he joins the octogenarian club in addition to Rotary. Rollie got him into our club in 1985. He had a token appearance as part of the club prior to that, but it didn't last. He has now been here for 35 years. He still enjoys it, so he is still hanging in.
is also having a biggie and he has become a septuagenarian. Even though it is not Thanksgiving, he is thankful for a number of things starting with his beautiful wife of 38 years, for his 3 spectacular daughters and 3 grandchildren with another one the way. He also noted all his Rotarian friends. Last year he was able to bring in his paintings, which he started doing two years ago on his birthday. Since then, he has done 40 paintings.
following in Don's footsteps is happy for this fellowship that she has joined. Thankful that her family has been safe through this COVID ordeal and hopes to stay that way. Looking foward to another great year.
who missed last week’s crazy hat day, wore a NY Giant’s hat to celebrate the two Super Bowls that the New England Patriots and Tom Terrific lost to the NY Giants in 2008 and 2012.
received a District Service Award for her work on clean water and the empowerment of women. She also answered Don Bonner’s question from last month about her next project. They will be working on expanding clean water goal to the village. A recent fund raiser by the Avon Congregational Church had a goal to raise $1,000 for the project but with the COVID restrictions the were only able to raise a little more than half of that, however, she was able to find someone to do a geological survey to make sure that they had enough ground water for the project within what they raised.
