The training continues: meet Agnes and Ahmed

It's time to get acquainted with our newest trainees, Agnes Kimaro from Moshi, and Ahmed Tunda from Lushoto. We met these passionate junior sonographers during our recent trip to Tanzania and provided them with hands-on training with our dedicated trainer, Regina Namumba, in Tabora. They eagerly seized this opportunity and began their training in mid-November.

Before this, both of them undertook a long bus journey with an overnight stay along the way. After all, Tanzania is 22 times larger than the Netherlands and the largest country in East Africa. Once in Tabora, they received a warm welcome from trainer Regina.

In the following days, we regularly received enthusiastic messages and photos from both the trainer and the trainees. Agnes and Ahmed were both highly motivated and quickly grasped the intricacies of the profession. Above all, the joy in the photos was evident, indicating a positive atmosphere among them. It was also gratifying for us to see that the trainees took initiative, organized themselves, and communicated effectively with us. These are leadership qualities that could be crucial for future collaboration with our foundation.

This time, our trainees were supposed to receive certificates as well. However, on the day they were to be printed, the electricity went out. But, true to Tanzania's spirit, a solution was found: the certificates followed the trainees, who had returned home and begun the Christmas season.

Agnes returned to Moshi, where in December, Christmas trees beautifully bloom along the roadsides. In her evaluation, she writes that she hopes to become as skilled a sonographer as Regina one day. She also notes that the training made her aware of the mistakes she had made before. We hope to deploy Agnes in outreach efforts in the future, perhaps on the Mamabus in Moshi.

Ahmed returned to Lushoto, in the Usambara Mountains. He, too, speaks highly of the training and guidance provided by Regina. He learned to perform various types of ultrasounds and to interpret and report the findings accurately. He writes to us that he has much more to learn but that the training time was insufficient. He hopes the Foundation can support him in pursuing an official education. Early next year, we will discuss with him what role he can play in the future of ultrasound in his region.