Open Architecture Network

Dear all, We are pleased to write this first of several updates regarding the Ipuli Rural Center of Excellence (IRCE). As a recap, the Ipuli Rural Center of Excellence is a community-oriented, community-driven project that aims to create new participatory and collaborative methods to promote health, education and community development in marginalized and rural regions in Tanzania . Due to this commitment, IRCE works closely with the community and puts them at the center of all activities. We have so far been successful to achieve our goals and plans are in set up to replicate this project in other parts of Africa . So what have been some of the activities taking place in Ipuli in the past year? 1. Izumi Foundation provided a $79,000 grant in July 2008 to build and operate a maternity center in Ipuli Village . A representative from Izumi will visit the project site on September 20 to see the beginning of the construction of the maternity center. 2. A documentary was made by Poptech! and Haley and Aldrich from their trip to Ipuli in September 2007. The final documentaries are available for viewing on their websites. During this trip, a cheque from Haley and Aldrich was presented to the IRCE that has gone towards the completion of the IRCE hospital in September 2007. The hospital will be open by Fall of next year. 3. The medical dispensary that was build adjacent to the Ipuli Medical Training Center will be fully operational in November 2008, with medical staff coming from a local NGO who specializes in rural medical care. 4. Two volunteers from Canada will begin to work with the project the end of this year, with one person conducting a health assessment of Ipuli residents and another designing a rural health information system. 5. The 4-tonne truck purchased in 2007 to facilitate all construction efforts as well as serve as a source of income by transporting products to and from the market between Singida and Dar es Salaam is now profitable and able to recover construction expenses. 6. Dr. Charles Mgana will attend the 2008 Poptech! conference in October in Portland , Maine . From 2 October to 3 November, Dr. Charles and Mrs. Hellena Mgana of the IRCE will be in the United States to meet with supporters and partners. They will present updates of the IRCE, and raise awareness of the importance in working directly with rural communities in Tanzania (and in other African countries). They also plan to raise $10,000 for the purchase and operation of a van to be used as a mobile medical unit whose primary mission will be to reach out to people in Singida region with identified health risks who may not have access to regular health care. Below are the dates and locations of where Charles and Hellena will be in the States. If you are interested to meet with them and get more exciting updates of the IRCE project, please do let us know before September 17 by emailing nmgana@yahoo.com. 29 September-2 October: Montreal , Canada 2-7 October: California ( Stanford University , Mountain View , and Loma Linda University of Health Sciences) 7-10 October: Denver , Colorado 10-12 October: Herington, Kansas 12-14 October: Chicago , Illinois 14-16 October: Hiram, Ohio (Hiram College ) 17-26 October: Portland, Maine (Poptech! conference) 26-29 October: Boston , Massachusetts 29 October-3 November: Washington , DC

Dear all,

I am pleased to announce that the Ipuli project will receive 79,000 USD from Izumi Foundation for the construction and operation of a maternity center in Ipuli Village. This is a 12-month funding whereby the first check will be sent on July 7, 2008.

Details of the funding is described below. This funding is meant to supplement current activities in Ipuli by providing care and services for women and children.

The Ipuli Rural Center of Excellence wishes to thank each and every one of its partners and supporters in realizing this project from a dream to reality.

Thank you, Charles, Hellena and Neema

Maternity Center:

Early Health Intervention- activities: ($10,000)

• Carrying out a health assessment to inform future activities of the project;
• Identifying entry points and focal areas for health education/disease prevention;
• Develop a strategy for health education into early project activities;
• Carrying out a series of health interventions seminars for community leaders, government officials, and NGO and community-based workers;
• Building the capacity of community committees and organizations in the area to carry out interventions that empower women;
• Procurement and distribution of delivery kits, supplies and drugs; and
• Monitoring and reporting on the progress of health considerations.

• Promoting approaches to preventing postpartum hemorrhage, mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and malaria in pregnancy;
• Establishing systems for training and educating maternal and newborn care providers;
• Developing national guidelines to improve maternal and child health;
• Strengthening maternal and newborn health care services; and
• Mobilizing community participation in safe motherhood and child health.

Sustainable Development- activities: ($6,000)
There is need to build capacity to construct an information system involving data collection from the community level and aggregating at the district level.

• Procurement of bicycle ambulances, radio communications equipment and village phones;
• Establishing Information Management Structures;
• Training of established committees;
• Retooling local committees by providing equipment and data collection tools;
• Data collection and small area profiling;
• Advocacy for community-based information management systems;
• Technical support for planning and service delivery monitoring and evaluation; and
• Production and distribution of guidelines and client cards.

Construction- activities: ($42,000)
The construction and outsourcing of a maternal wing located adjacent to the Mother-Child Medical Center is a central part of the RCE’s commitment to women and child health. The maternity wing would comprise of a maternity suite that with delivery and postnatal facilities. A small theatre would allow on site for women who need emergency health services.

-Wish List-
Tanzania Rural Center of Excellence (RCE), Ipuli Village, Tanzania
Updated January 2008
1. Medical supplies and equipment for the medical center (see appendix 1)
2. Mobile health van (see appendix 2)
3. Financial support to purchase furniture and laboratory supplies for the medical training facility and center (30,000 USD)
4. Volunteer for website design and maintenance for RCE website
5. Partnerships with companies interested in the RCE and interested to conduct various on-going initiatives, including donation of equipment and supplies, adding information about the RCE in their company updates and promotional materials (or adding a link to the Poptech and RCE websites), planned visits to the RCE, volunteering at the RCE for staff on leave/holiday, or internal fundraising programmes. These partnerships will be the cornerstone for replicating the RCE in other African countries, and in the creation of the Global Partnership Fund
6. 25 computers (pc laptops or desktops), 5 printers, 2 scanners and 2 faxes for students and staff
7. 5 sewing machines (2 foot petal and 3 power-operated) for the Ipuli Women’s Cooperative
8. Sporting equipment and supplies (i.e. soccer, basketball, etc.) for approximately 300 village children
9. Medical/Health volunteers beginning Fall 2008 to undertake health assessment in Ipuli Village
10. Electronics and other products
a. 20 film for children for them to document “day in the life” camera project and 3-5 digital cameras for project documentation
b. Handheld mobile-computing products to collect and store health data during a health assessment in Ipuli Village
c. 3-5 bicycle ambulances
d. radio communications equipment
e. 5-10 village mobile phones (to provide public phone services available at the medical training center)

-Appendix 1-
Supplies and Equipment

Medical Equipment
Blood Pressure Monitors (10)
Blood-Glucose Monitor (10)
Medical Centrifuges
AED - Defibrillators
Oxygen Concentrators
Otoscopes
Spirometers
Autoclaves
Weight scale - Adult
Weight scale and table - child

Obstetric and Maternity Care
Obstetric surgical

Medical Supplies
Stethoscopes (15)
Hospital Beds (15-20)
Examination beds (15-20)
Surgical Instruments

Diagnostic Equipment
Culture & Sensitivity incubator
HIV Testing Kits
Needle destroyer
Anesthesia equipment
Dental equipment (basic)
Opthamology equipment (basic)
Syringes (various sizes)
Needles (various sizes)
X-ray machine
Vaccine fridge

Diabetic Supplies
Diabetic Test Strips
Diabetic Lancets

Home Care/ Mobile Health Van
First Aid Kits (25)

Medical Uniforms
Medical Scrubs (25)
Lab Coats (35)
Nursing Shoes (25 pairs)

-Appendix 2-
Mobile health van
The Rural Center of Excellence’s commitment to health extends beyond geography boundary to care to the health needs of individuals and communities outside of Ipuli village. Integral within this project will be a mobile health van whose primary mission will be to reach out to people with identified health risks who may not have access to health care living in Singida region. The services will target improving the health of young people, the elderly, and women.
The van will visit various community locations (i.e. primary schools and churches) on a regular basis to offer free and confidential services at each of scheduled locations. It is estimated that the van will reach over 5,000 beneficiaries a year. The van will also be used to collect public health data of residents in Singida region so as to develop appropriate services based on the real health needs of the communities.
Services available through the mobile health van:
• Malaria checking
• Blood pressure and diabetes screening
• Weight monitoring for children
• Pregnancy testing
• Nutrition assessments
• Eye exams
• Ante-natal/post-natal services
• HIV/AIDS education
• Immunization education
• First Aid
• Distribution of vitamin supplements (i.e. iron tablets and vitamin A)
• Health education services
• Medical referrals
The cost of purchasing a van with such a capacity to travel regularly is 2,000 USD. The cost of the fuel and van maintenance will be donated by the Rural Center of Excellence. A member of the Rural Center of Excellence will drive the van and a health professional appointed by the local government will administer the health exams.