Ben Wilhelmi

Flying Medical Service, clinics in the bush, Tanzania

 

Flying Medical Service operates 2 Cessna 206s.

An old picture: I had been stranded in a Masai village, Pininyi on lake Natron shores. The problem was a jammed starter. Pat Patten, the manager-founder, had come to rescue me with a new starter. A night in a Masai village can be interesting.

 

A one-legged man leaves the clinic after some treatment on his stump.

 

Babies receive their drop of polio.

 

A nice ‘medical’ hut in the Rift valley.

 

An airstrip near an active volcano named Lengai.

 

In this place, Oleparkashi, the clinic takes place under the wing. Notice the scale hanging from the wing.

 

A man goes home, probably quite disappointed. Nothing we can do for his elephantiasis on the legs.

 

Patiently waiting for the doctor.

 

Another hut, a different view of the volcano Lengai.

 

The last 2 pictures were shot on slide film with my lovely Rolleiflex.

Flying Medical Service in the bush, photography

 

Obviously this is an outreach clinic happening in the rainy season. Dust is normally blown around.

 

The Cessna 206 on an airstrip, not the widest one I agree.

 

A nurse taking care of a patient in a medical hut.

 

The regular vaccines, pertussis, tetanus, measles, polio…are given in remote villages.

Babies are weighed on each visit. An important and cheap step to spot any problem in a child’s development.

 

 

When I say bush, I mean bush. What I also really like in this job and country is the variety in the seasons and the landscapes. Tanzania is just incredible.

 

2 or 3 boxes is what we carry along for the doctor and the nurses to perform. Not much one could say but most of the common diseases are treated with so little. Once in a while, for serious wounds, difficult pregnancies, cases of malnutrition ( the famous Plumpy Nut supplements are now being offered to starving kids even in Tanzania, not only Somalia and the likes), severe infections, cancers even…we fly patients out to hospitals.

 

These are some of my “archive” pictures from 1999 till 2002, still on films that is, but nothing has changed since I'm back for a 2nd tour of duty.

Feminism and child issue in Tanzania

 

Feminists would be enraged by some details in Tanzania, not only about the domestic violence and lack of rights… there is that female nurse in one of our hospitals who delivered twins. Suddenly no one refers to her as Castuli, her first name, but by Mama Wawili. That nickname means Mother of the Two. It looks like her personality has been erased, that she only exists as a breeder (and preferably little boys). That attitude is not only reserved for twins, many women would lose their first name and become “mother of…”

A barren woman is in serious trouble in Africa. In some cases, another mother- a real friend I’d say- could give a baby to a childless one to relieve the social stigma.

A Masai woman would finally get respected when she has delivered 4 boys. And that’s not enough, they have to make it to the warrior age too.

White people here are always eyed suspiciously, with incomprehension or pity if they are childfree, even more if the decision not to have any is known as in my case and at my venerable age.

Having said that, I’m sure you have picked some similarities on the baby issue with our western cultures. Wasn’t it common to choose a wife on her hip measurements and anyway to send her back if she proved to be barren? What about the social pressure from normal people upon younger ones to have children? I said “normal” because  here in Arusha enters the 4th dimension, that is the missionaries or same orientated-minded people… who think they have a godly right and mission to harass the “others”.

I’ve lost count on how many times I had to explain my choice to them and they are even worse as they insist, bring on the subject on a regular basis and show little tact. And thus they don’t seem to realise that some people would love to get just one child but can’t for medical reasons. Just try to imagine the pain to have the subject thrown in your face.

There is such a near brain dead religious woman here who witnessed her good friend and me split over the child issue. Then what does she do as soon as I have a new girlfriend? She brings the subject again!! Time to get some yoga lessons with that one…

Lately I’ve mentioned the magic word: vasectomy! I can nearly read in their mind “Vade Retro, Satanas”! At best commiseration and prayers to come for my lost soul…but I haven’t been bothered too much lately. The message got through their intolerant neurons…

Anyway not long ago the situation for women in the West was not brighter. Africans are always surprised that in Europe white men hardly behaved differently about up to 40 years ago and that there are still some remnant attitudes. I love to explain those things and see what happens. And so lately, a doctor asked a confirmation about our women by then having no right except to keep quiet and obedient, no work, being beaten with no fuss... I did confirm the main idea, the guy was a bit confused, paused and then asked “what happened to you guys, why did you let it go?”. I said we didn’t really see it coming…and that African women were on the rise too. He got scared and went into denial, poor guy.