Exchanging the day job for the fashion show ramp
Nenagh NotesJohn Duddy’s visit to Tanzania This past summer saw Portumna student John Duddy visit Makiungu Hospital in Tanzania as a member of the UCC Surgeon Noonan Society. A charity run by 4th year medical students, Surgeon Noonan raised money for hospitals in African countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Ghana and Zambia. Accompanied by fellow students, John brought much needed monetary aid and medical supplies to Makiungu.
The people of Portumna contributed to the fundraising by attending a very successful charity bridge night hosted by the ‘79 Bridge Club. The pupils of Portumna Community School also helped out by holding a non-uniform day. Makiungu is a small village located in the Singida Rural District on the high central plateau of Tanzania. Singida is a semi-desert area with mainly sandy soil and a rainy season lasting for just 2 months per year.
The local tribe, the Wanyaturu, are mainly subsistence farmers growing millet, maize, sweet potatoes and groundnuts. Singida is one of the poorest regions of Tanzania with little or no industry and an average annual income of $130 per capita. Makiungu Hospital is a 154 bed hospital founded and run by the Medical Missionaries of Mary. It provides medical services to a large rural population, including general medical and surgical care along with maternity, TB and HIV services.
It also provides an outreach antenatal service to outlying communities, maternal and child health being a major issue in Tanzania. Surgeon Noonan has had a connection with Makiungu going back to 1980 and during that time has contributed to many projects including the construction of an IV fluid making facility and staff housing. This year, Surgeon Noonan money is being used to train a nurse anaesthetist and to complete a water collection system.