Where to begin? Maybe the end – as beginnings always come after endings and hello's always follow the goodbyes. The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of stress and emotions.
An unexpected opportunity knocked on my door: to return to Tanzania, 10 years later, as a medical students to help set up an research trial that had been paused due to the pandemic. Upon hearing about this internship my mind raced to find all of the things that could and might go wrong. Underneath it all lay a certain feeling of serendipity. I took some time to think about all of the risks and unknowns involved but in my heart I already knew what my answer was.
The study is RSVGoldIII – An ICU network study looking at a common respiratory virus (RSV) in low to middle income countries. My role would be to get the analytical device to the Pediatric ICU at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam and to train and support the staff while starting including patients in this international randomized control trial.
Upon meeting the team at Muhimbili it became clear that my feelings and desire to go were justified. A major reason I had selected to join my medical masters program in Utrecht NL was research but also to gain international experience. To be able to return and do both of these things in Tanzania was a golden opportunity. My friends and family sympathized with these feelings and supported my decision to go. Convincing my university to allow such an experience amidst a global pandemic and lockdown in the Netherlands was another story....
My mind had been made up. 10 years ago I took months to prepare for a similar trip (see http://teachermzungu.blogspot.com/), this time I had two weeks to prepare everything necessary: visa, CV, letters of introduction, training for the RCT, medical donations, technical gear for the wild, medications, vaccinations... the list goes on. I started to sprint.
This brings me to today the day of departure. Everything has been arranged. Somehow I cant help but feel like I've overlooked something. I run down the list of most important items and everything seems to be in order. As I pack up the last couple things my best friend Conor shows up at my door bright and early to wave me off on the trip. And soon after my sisters also stir after having offered to relieve some of my stress by dropping me off at schiphol.
I say a quick goodbye to Luna. She knows something is up and has been curiously poking around the piles of stuff in my room for the past week. She seems a little upset and doesn't want to say goodbye. I cant leave without giving her a hug so I lure her out from under the couch with some treats and say my goodbyes. I wish there was a way to tell her I will be back. I can only hope she'll understand.
Before I can blink we are on the road, and in typical Mazur fashion 15-30 minutes later than planned but still on time ;) I still have a lingering feeling like some deus ex machina is going to swipe the entire trip from me but I try to relax as Natalie plays some Afrobeat music and Sophie hands me some snacks that she bought for me for on the airplane <3
Were about halfway to Schiphol when the car starts to act weird and before we know it the engine dies and we pull over to the shoulder on an exit overpass. As the trucks pass us as highway speeds my stomach drops and I feel sick as I will probably miss my flight. In my mind I say well "we got so close", or "at least we tried". My sisters being the amazing people they are don't waste anytime before calling me an emergency taxi to bridge the remaining distance to the airport. Not the goodbye I was expecting but I gave them each a quick hug transferred my luggage to the taxi and they waved me off from the side of the highway.
30 minutes later I was checked in and through security and sitting at my gate. The airport had an eerie feel. It was mostly filled with dutch people leaving for the dutch antilles. My boeing 747 heading to Dar would have just 40 people on it. But I could finally stop sprinting to catch my breath. All the preparation had led to this moment. The experience was about to begin.
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