Helping Children with Colorectal Issues Mwanza, Tanzania

With the proper medical intervention, the vast majority of children with colorectal issues can live fulfilling lives. In Tanzania, one of the largest and poorest east African countries, there seems to be a high incidence of colorectal problems, yet they don’t have the infrastructure and training to care for them. Therefore, life is different for these children. They don’t receive the proper medical treatments and are subsequently shunned from their community.

As a an organization for children-Nyanza Kenya Ostomy Association & Resurge Children East Africa,our twin organization which is working in East Africa, we continue to feel impassioned to do something about it. This year will be 6th mission trip to Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza Tanzania. We assembled volunteer medical team of 16 professionals from Chirec Hospital in Belgium and Cincinnati Children’s hospital in collaboration with a nonprofits called Mending Kids.

Our goal isn’t only to perform life-altering surgeries, it’s to train the medical professionals there to do the procedures with the tools that they have. That way, they can continue to help these kids long after we’re gone. During our most recent visit we saw 46 patients in clinic and performed surgery on 30 children from Tanzania, and Kenya. Throughout the week-long trip we focused on colorectal issues, but performed whatever procedures they needed. It’s exciting for me to see the progress these patients have made, some of them continue to come back each year. We like to check in and make sure that they’re doing well.

One patient who stands out to me from our most recent trip is a girl named Dorcus. She’s 8 years old and was born with a cloaca, when the rectum, vagina and urinary tract are one channel instead of three. Dorcus also was born with a duplicated anus, two vaginas and a shortened urethra. Her doctors created a colostomy to pass stool out of her body and into a bag, and that was it. Because of this, she wasn’t allowed to attend school and was homebound. We performed a posterior sagital anorectal vaginal urethral plasty to correct the cloaca, and reconstructed her rectum, vagina, and urinary tract. This is a procedure that allows us to reconstruct her anatomy so that she has one urethra, one vagina and one anus and rectum. On our next mission trip we plan to remove the colostomy bag and anticipate that she will be able to attend school. Dorcus continues to thrive and is extremely excited about the potential to attend kindergarten. What was most memorable about her wasn’t just the favorable outcome, it was her infectious smile. Despite her condition and the inability to be with kids her age, she was a delightful, happy kid.

The trip to Tanzania is one of the most rewarding things we get to do . Impacting global health is an important part of our mission and we see these visits as a way to contribute directly to that goal. Am grateful for the opportunity to serve and share love to these children and I ask you to join us in these missions. I personally need to raise $ 400 by 1st August 2018. If you are able to assist with this trip financially, you will help us reach more 30 children with a stoma this year.

This missions trips are being funded entirely through donations and every penny collected will be used for Accommodation at Bugando Medical Centre Hostels @ 25 per night for 12 days= $ 300: Thus 6 days mission with Chirec team from Belgium and 6 days with Cincinnati team. Transport cost @ $ 25 for one way to Tanzania, thus totaling to 4 trips by bus= $ 100.

Thank you in advance for your financial support. May God bless you.

For Stoma Children.

Lameck Odero

Local Mission Coordinator