History

2015

The Mount Meru Foundation is established as a result of a visit by Margriet van der Weel-Roem to the Mount Meru Hospital in Arusha, Tanzania.

The board of the foundation is formed by midwifery ultrasound technicians Margriet van der Weel-Roem (chairman), Anna Lied Poelstra-Sanders (treasurer), Marianne Ris (secretary).

Dr. Frida T. Mokiti, Regional Medical Officer at Mount Meru Hospital, is applying for a donation from a properly functioning ultrasound device.

The foundation starts by raising money for this, setting up a website and orientating on a suitable device.

Nancy Jongsma joins the board as a P.R. employee.

2016

• The foundation finds a good ultrasound machine to donate to the Mount Meru hospital. The total costs for this ultrasound device with accessories are around 11,000 euros.
• The foundation has already managed to raise 5000 euros for the echo device.
• Marianne Ris resigns from the board. Nancy Jongsma takes over the secretariat.
• A lot of effort is being put into raising funds and expanding the foundation.

2017

• The required amount for the purchase of an echo device has been received.
• Mid 2017 a portable ultrasound device, the Mindray Z6, will be purchased.
• During a working visit to Tanzania, the ultrasound machine is officially transferred to the Mount Meru hospital.
• In collaboration with the radiologist at the hospital, Dr. Richard Sungura, give Margriet van der Weel-Roem and Anna Lied Poelstra-Sanders a few days of hands-on training.
• Anna Lied also provides hands-on training to Johanna, a German obstetrician who has been working in a small maternity clinic near Stone Town in Zanzibar for 10 years.
• At the end of 2017, contact will be made with the Driving Nurses foundation. Driving Nurses Foundation ensures that a Mamabus runs in rural areas around the city of Moshi to educate women on all aspects of pregnancy and motherhood. Together we are investigating the possibility of a mobile ultrasound device in the Mamabus and offering fully-fledged pregnancy checks in 5 villages (20,000 people) that are far away from a medical post.

2018

• Mount Meru Foundation and Driving Nurses Foundation enter into a partnership.
• Nancy Jongsma resigns from the board and is succeeded by obstetrician sonographer Saja Erens.
• A benefit concert by the Tilburg women’s debut Alea Iacta yields 3300 euros for our foundation.
• Thanks in part to other donations from Star-SHL and loyal donors, among other things, we can purchase a portable echo device, the Philips Lumify. We can work with this in the rural areas of Tanzania.
• Margriet van der Weel-Roem and Anna Lied Poelstra-Sanders go on a working visit to Tanzania. In the Mount Meru hospital they see that the echo device donated by the foundation is used intensively. With Regional Medical Officer Dr. Wonanji and the Driving Nurses
• Foundation, the possibility of having a Mamabus drive in the rural areas of Arusha will be explored further.
• At Zanzibar, Margriet and Anna Lied give hands-on training to a number of midwives, including Johanna. Recently, with the knowledge she gained during the previous visit of the foundation, she has introduced a weekly ultrasound consultation in her clinic.
• In Moshi, Margriet and Annalied are investigating ultrasound training opportunities and are working with the Driving Nurses Foundation on the introduction of ultrasound scans on the Mamabus in Lower Moshi.

2019

• Midwifery ultrasound technician Miriam Hoogendam joins the board.
• The foundation launches the “Adopt an Echoscopist” project and selects three candidates (two midwives and a clinical officer) to train in midwifery ultrasound.
• Thanks to our sponsors, the candidates can start in April with a basic ultrasound training of 3 months in the KCMC (Academic Hospital) in Moshi. The foundation provides one month of extra training and offers guidance through distance learning for 2 years.
• Saja Erens pays a working visit to Northern Tanzania. She makes many new contacts in various places, including Karatu.
• Various sponsorship campaigns are held for the benefit of the foundation. A promotion with hair bands yields more than 1200 euros and a bicycle tour of WTC Zijtaart more than 550 euros.

2020

• The Mount Meru Foundation is working, with its partner Driving Nurses Foundation, on a plan to make good mother and child care available in the rural areas around Karatu.
• Tanzania also does not seem to be able to escape the corona virus. The first infections were reported in mid-March and the Tanzanian government took measures to stem the further spread. For example, schools and training programs were temporarily closed.
• Nevertheless, we were able to train 1 candidate this year. Midwife Jackline Shirma has successfully completed the ultrasound course at the KCMC hospital in Moshi.
• Much teaching and supervision took place via WhatsApp groups and the mail from the Netherlands.

2021

• Due to the coronavirus, no working visit from the Netherlands to Tanzania could take place in 2021, but our coordinator Yona came to the Netherlands from Tanzania in January. Future plans were discussed.
• In May, Sjan de Weert, obstetric sonographer, will be our new administrative assistant. She focuses on purchasing mobile ultrasound equipment for the Foundation.
• Miriam Hoogendam will resign from her board position but will remain loyal to the Foundation as a board supporter.
• Our Project ”The Mobile Ultrasoundist” has started.
• The first request for mobile ultrasound from Himo has been received and has been promised.
• Veronica, our sonographer on the Mamabus in Moshi, works with full satisfaction with the Lumify loaned by the Foundation.
• At the beginning of June, Jackline Shirima, our trained sonographer, left for our supervisor Regina Namumba in Tabora for a 10-day intensive hands-on training.
• In September Lucie Driessen, midwife, will join the board.
• Testing for the purchase of mobile ultrasound devices took place.

2022

• It is with great sadness that the Mount Meru Foundation has had to say goodbye to its founder and chairman, Margriet van der Weel-Roem. She passed away on August 13, 2022.
• After extensive test rounds, four beautiful mobile ultrasound devices were purchased in 2022 for our project the Mobile Sonographer. For the first time we also teamed up with Benetec.
• The Benetec device – the Minisono – was taken into use by Regina Namumba in mid-2022. Regina is a very experienced sonographer who provides extra hands-on training for sonographers for the Mount Meru foundation.
• Three midwives were able to follow extensive hands-on training in 2022 at the expense of the foundation with our trainer Regina Namumba in Tabora. They look back with gratitude on their ten-day training.
• At the end of September, a Tanzanian delegation visited the Flemish Thomas More college. One of the visitors was Dr. Heriel, with whom we work. An excellent opportunity to discuss the mobile ultrasound project in Karatu with him.
• A mobile device (the Lumify from Philips) was taken into use in Zanzibar in the autumn by Johanna Omar, a German obstetrician who has been working in Zanzibar for years. With this we have been able to kick-start her project for mobile pregnancy checks in the outlying areas of the island.

2023

• Field research in Moshi district from Himo has taken place. 21 centers were visited.
• The Mount Meru Foundation packed its suitcases and made a working visit to Tanzania and Zanzibar in September.
• The SMM hands over a mobile ultrasound device, the Lumify, to Dr. Simpa for outreach around Karatu.
• The 2nd Mamabus can start running in Karatu.
• In Moshi, the SMM meets Agnes Kimaro, a junior sonographer from KCMC. Agnes goes to Regina Namumba for hands-on training at the expense of the SMM.
• The Usambara Mountains are visited, an area for a possible new project.
• Ahmed Tunda , a junior sonographer from Lusotho Hospital, receives hands-on training from Regina Namumba in Tabora from SMM.
• At the invitation of the SMM, Regina Namumba will come to Zanzibar for 5 days in October to provide hands-on training to Johanna Omar and a number of junior sonographers.