Selina Selemani

(Audience note: I have been debating for months on whether or not to tell this story to my blog readers, but after much consideration, I've decided it's important to share. This is a very intimate insight into life here in Africa.)

I first met Selina back in November 2012, just a few weeks after my arrival here in Tanzania. It was Thursday of Route Week, and like we do once a month we stopped by to visit our artisan groups, including artisan group "Kumunazi". Pastor, Ernestina and Edson were there (the local staff), along with myself, Hilary, Linda and Helena (Linda & Helena were from Sweden, and were social impact interns here...they just left last week). As we do when we visit each group, we greeted the women, collected their newly made products, sat in a circle and discussed business. The conversation is always in Swahili, and while I can now clue into a few words here and there, we usually don't know much about what is being discussed until someone volunteers to translate..which doesn't always happen.

This time, Pastor paused in the middle of his Swahili talk and turned to us and said “yes...this one is sick”. He pointed to Selina, who was cradling her left arm like it was broken or something. We asked “how” she was sick, and he turned to Selina and said in Swahili “show them”. As she gently removed her arm from her sweatshirt and unwrapped the bandage concealing her wound, she gradually unveiled her sickness. Selina had approx. 2 inches of bone sticking straight out of an open wound in her arm. All of us “imports” were appalled and searching desperately for answers.

Selina & her arm, pre-surgery.  I also took close ups for the doctors to evaluate, but I  think those might be too difficult to stomach for you blog readers...so I'm keeping those to myself.

“Why hasn't anyone gotten her help? How have we let this continue?”

It was clear from just looking at her wound that Selina would die if nothing was done to help her. And...now all of a sudden, it seemed like it was up to us imports to make something happen. None of us were doctors, and all of us had just arrived in the country, knowing nothing about the medical system and even less about the language. But all the same, this was a human life – not only that, but one of our artisans' lives at stake. We couldn't just sit beside idly while she suffered, when we had the education and tools in our belt to do something to help.

Money, as it often is here, was the obstacle in this case. Selina needed money for medical care, and the money simply wasn't available. That night when the four of us returned home to Murgwanza, we couldn't get her out of our mind. We sat around the table, along with our two other co-workers, Shannon & Geoffrey, and brainstormed. Getting the money wasn't an issue...and the cost of treatment was ridiculously cheap. Mind blowing cheap in fact. It's hard to fathom if you're from the states that someone couldn't get immediate help when treatment is so affordable. Between the six of us, we easily had the capacity to pay for her medical care. However, the real problem was how to treat this situation fairly. See, we have 308 artisan women that we are responsible for, and we couldn't simply give money and treatment to one and leave the others to suffer. 10-15% of our artisans have HIV or malaria, and injuries pop up all the time (for example, one of our artisans last week limped into our meeting due to a snake bite). What would be a fair way to get care for Selina – fast – and also ensure that others would have the same access to care in the future if need be?

So after months of discussion with our Founder, Heidi, and reaching out to family and friends for recommendations, we have decided to establish a micro-finance medical fund here at WomenCraft. It is one of my proudest accomplishments during my time here. We are still ironing out details, but the basic framework is in order. We have started a Pay Pal account, and anyone internationally will be able to donate to this account, assisting our artisans with medical treatment. The fund will be for emergency cases only. We simply can't afford to pay for ongoing malaria or cancer treatments at this time. If the artisans wish to have access to this health plan, they will be asked to pay a monthly or yearly fee. Again, we are still ironing out details, but we have the wheels in motion and hope to have the fund up and running in the next month or so. This past week we announced the medical fund to our artisan women, and asked for a show of hands as to who was interested in partaking. Almost everyone raised their hand.

When we have the medical fund up and running, I will post a link here on my blog and also on Facebook if you are interested in donating.

And...I am very, very elated to report that Selina had her surgery on the 9^th of January, and is recovering just fine with her mom by her side at the hospital here in Murgwanza. Hilary & I visited her the day of her surgery, to check in and also to bring her mom food. Selina's mom was by her bedside comforting her, and Selina was clearly on drugs...moaning and totally out of it, but recovering fine. Just a few weeks ago I had held Selina's mom's hand and promised her I would do everything I could do to get her daughter care. Sharing this moment of recovery with them was really special.

The following day, we all decided to stop by the hospital again to visit Selina at the end of our Route Week day. Pastor, Ernestina, Jackson, Hilary & I all walked into the intensive care unit and were delighted to see Selina sitting upright, alert. However, she was in a lot of pain. They had apparently run out of medicine at the hospital, and tears were streaming down her face. As I stood at the foot of her bed, I reflected on how much pain she had been in for so long, and realized that no matter how much pain she was in at this precise moment, she was soon to feel pain no more.

Then, I looked down at her arm. They had removed the IV from her arm, and the vein the IV had been in was dripping blood. I scanned down further. Her skirt and leg were soaked in blood...from her arm. All of a sudden, I started feeling something I have felt before...but never quite to this extent. My vision started to get blurry and my head really hazy. “Hilary,” I said “I don't feel very good. I think I might pass out”. I walked myself over to the empty bed next to Selina and sat down.

Next thing I know, I'm opening my eyes and Hilary and about 20 Tanzanians are standing around me. Jackson has a coca-cola for me, to help with my blood sugar levels. I'm drenched in sweat. Apparently, I had passed out. Twice. “Nichole, are you ok? That was so crazy,” says Hilary. She said that I passed out, that my lips and face turned ghost white, and that I even twitched a little bit. I don't remember a thing, but Hilary says the first time I passed out I fell straight back onto the bed. Then, I awoke. I remember Ernestina saying to me “ok, lets go” and I remember still not feeling well, and saying “no”. Apparently, that's when I passed out for the second time.

Long story short, my co-workers are not allowing me any return visits to the hospital...unless I need to go there for medical care myself. I will just have to send Selina well wishes through messengers. I hadn't expected to see blood, and obviously it was too much for me to stomach.

My experiences in Tanzania have taught me so many things about myself, and my adventure with Selina is no exception. I know that I feel so happy when I can make a big impact and difference in the lives of others and help in any way, and that even when something seems beyond my control and impossible, I can work through the obstacles to make things happen.

I also now know that I am not planning on applying for medical school. Well...anytime soon anyways.

Side note! My Dad IS a doctor (Optometrist), and he will be arriving here in Tanzania February 1^st! He is going to bring glasses and do vision screenings for our artisans, and hopefully also bring them some scissors for cutting kitenge and toys for their kids. It will be his first time out of the United States, so this will be an eye opening experience for him, without a doubt. I am so proud of him, and so excited for his arrival!

As of today, this blog now has over 1,000 views. Thank you so much for sharing my blog with your friends and family, and most of all for sharing this journey with me.