Letters from Elizabeth

Dear Friends,

The year is ending and Christmas is just at the corner. Many people world-wide including you, are worrying on what to eat at Christmas and what gifts to offer to friends and what to wear new. Here in Zimbabwe we are not thinking of tomorrow but on what to eat today, how to access the health services, how to send the children to school. The crisis is so deep that we are without words.

Yes, cholera is with us and is spread through out the whole country. Politicians are saying the cholera is over, but we health workers are saying it will take long to contain the outbreak because the health system has completely collapsed. Many people have died just because what is needed is not available. Health Institutions with the exception of a few are just monuments without the professionals, without drugs, without equipment and yet there are so many people that are sick. Just ordinary ailments cannot be managed let alone the major health problems.

Hunger is the major threat to our nation. People are dying of hunger. In the hospital we are seeing children dying of malnutrition-kwashiorkor, marasmus and pellagra. In the country 30% of the children under five years are stunting, 17% malnourished and 5% severely malnourished and debilitated.

My experience as a doctor is just frightening even just to tell about it. I struggle to save a life, and tomorrow I hear that the patient has died of hunger. I prescribe a patient some drugs and give instructions that have to take the medication after the food which one does not have. Such things do demoralize the health worker tremendously. I know that I can save a life doing 1, 2 and 3 but I will not be able to do so because I do not have the necessary tools.

At St Albert's were I work there is no electricity during the day; it only comes for a few hours during the night. Most of the time we are without electricity means that the hospital has no water, no laboratory, no X-ray etc. I thank friends that have donated some generators but the fuel is also a problem, it is hardly available in the country.

A few weeks ago the Hospital’s management executive committee closed some two wards of the Hospital because of shortage of staff. The decision has been passed because our staff has to go and look for food in the neigbouring countries, Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa. They work for seven days, and seven days they will be off hunting for food. What ever little available in the country is too expensive.

Having such a scenario of needing so many things; you may wonder how best you can help us. We want to continue working; we want to keep the Hospital open. To be able to do so, we need to have the vital services going. We need drugs, sutures for the theatre, X-ray films, laboratory reagents and a small sum of money to keep the staff on duty—a small incentive of food will give the health workers strength to continue offering services.

On behalf of the St Albert's Mission Hospital staff, I would like to wish you all a HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

Emmanuel is with us!
Dr Elizabeth Tarira and team

Please send your donation for St. Albert’s Mission Hospital to:
Dr. Vincenza Giuntoli
% Elizabeth Tarira, MD
Associazione Sanitaria Internazionale
Via delle Terme Deciane 5/a
00153 Roma, Italy

Nov. 28, 2008

The following is from a Nov. 28, 2008 email that Elizabeth sent to Thomas Taschbach, a nurse in Germany who has volunteered at St. Albert’s.

Hi Thomas,

... Hope keeps us hanging on. The mother-to-child [HIV] prevention program is ongoing, with most of our clinics offering counseling testing and therefore giving nevirapine to the mothers who are to give birth. Since 2001 we have counseled 11,420 mothers; 1,420 are HIV positive and 1,079 babies received nevirapine. HIV-negative babies: 80%; HIV-positive babies: 19.4%
Patients on ARVs to date are 591, of which  60% are women and 32% are men, and 8% are children. Those who are positive and are on Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis are 3,650. These will also need the antiretrovirals in the future. From August, we are putting 15 to 20 new patients on antiretrovirals because the drugs are available, but we do not have the basic drugs e.g. for epilepsy, asthma, high blood pressure and even to reverse a patient from anesthesia.

... Elizabeth

August 7, 2008

Dear Darrell and Barbara

Here the suffering continues. People are not even able to reach the Hospitals. Very sick ones and those who can afford the bus fares are coming. In Harare to deliver a baby one must bring to the nurse 5 pairs of gloves, cord ligature, methylated spirit [rubbing alcohol], cotton wool, etc, and to get these things one needs to sell a "kidney". Now we are using the coins once thrown away. A Zim$1.00 coin equals Z$10 000 000 000 [10 billion]. We are really in a true mess! Hopefully this situation will be rectified in the near future, though we do not know how near.
With lots of thanks, Elizabeth

December 15, 2007

Dear Darrell and Family,

Here comes another Christmas 2007. What have I to tell you about us in Zimbabwe? We are fine and still struggling. When problems and difficulties become too big, words will fail but only deep sighs can be heard. All we can do now is just take a deep breath and sigh.

We just look up for the hand of the Lord to come for our deliverance. Elections are on the corner, but hopes for a change of regime are very slim. Our people are so brain washed about the land issue that all the hardships we are going through become secondary. As long as an individual is sitting on a piece of land he/she deems is his, the rest is not important - the sinking economy, the shortage of food, the lack of imports, industry decay, inflation above 20,000%, etc. - it's not his/her business. If he/she can exploit the neighbor for self gain that is enough. Corruption is thriving from the top to the bottom cadre in our society, only spared are the smallest children who are innocent.

Jesus is coming to free us from all the above mentioned worries. He promises, joy, happiness, peace, love, prosperity not as the world thinks these to be. I quote St Paul: who says: "Rejoice in the Lord always and I say again Rejoice." Christmas is time of rejoicing for our Redeemer is coming to give us true freedom.

I hear that you wanted to know more about the dam project? Currently we have received the purifying plant from Malaysia costing 30,000 USD. Work is going on building the spillway. We have so far spent 25,000 Euro, and what is still outstanding is a work of 30,000 USD. We thank God slowly we are progressing.

To get the cement in the country is a nightmare! I paid in September 6,000 USD for 600 pockets, and I only received 190 bags so far. The rains are just pouring making the work even difficult. Just think of 10 USD for a 50Kg bag of cement. Prices are changed in a matter of hours. This sounds unbelievable, but this is what is happening. Those few who benefit would like that the situation remains as it is. Well, trying to look for funders will never do any harm. I also sometimes apply and get a no reply. All I can do is keep my fingers crossed.

Did I tell you that we were asked by the Ministry of Health to start a midwifery course for nurses at St Albert's. Adventures never come to an end here!

Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Elizabeth and Co

December 4, 2007

Dear Darrell and family,

Greetings to all of you. It seems that the elections will be on in March. There is a lot of confusion, but from the way the rulers are campaigning to remain on the reins, it shows that the elections will be on. They tried to postpone in order to buy time, but it seems did not succeed. There is a lot of campaigning going around as usual for the ruling part only. Lots of help being given to the rural people, tractors from China, ploughs, seeds etc. They are zeroing on the land issue which they know people like the land even if they are suffering for fear it will be taken away!! by whom only God knows. Well let me not dwell on this. We keep in touch.

With affection,
Elizabeth

November 15, 2007

Dearest Darrell,

Just a word to say, we are still alive at St Albert's. Life tougher than ever. There are no words to describe our suffering. Greetings to all.

With love,
Elizabeth

June 6, 2007

Dearest Darrell,

Sorry that I could not send you a line just to say the angels are here. Sarah and Chris are working very hard and are happy. The bags with all the goodies they brought for the Hospital were detained by the customs, but I am collecting them all this week. We are await for Jon on the 15th June.

I have also two engineers arriving from Italy to see what we can do with the dam water. We need to have that water in the Hospital. It seems we can get a purification plant that has to come from Malaysia for about 17,000 USD. He will compare also with the prices in Italy. So am kept fairly busy at this place.

By the way, sometime in July the Italian Government will give me an award for the work I have done here as a District Medical Officer. I shall tell you more about it. Also I have to organize for this function. Greetings to your family.

With love, Elizabeth

Dec. 10, 2006

Dear Darrell and Family,

Not knowing when I shall be in Harare next time, I prefer to send the compliments of the Season in advance. I am sending the mail while waiting to meet Tim, who is arriving today at 9 pm. I wrote the email on 4 Dec., though.

We thank God that we are still alive, in spite of all the tremendous hardships we are going through. How many times have I talked to you about the nightmares we the majority are all experiencing. But now things are just tough; there is no change, no future, no hope, only misery for the poor. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Beautiful cars, big luxury houses are being built, diseases of opulence are coming up, and yet many other people are starving, dying, lacking the basic commodities, medicines and professionals. The elite who can flee the country are doing so, and these are forming our rich class. I wish the coming Savior would save us as He did the Israelites. The people were waiting for a liberator, but He did come with a different kind of kingship.

He talked about, and lived justice, love, peace, harmony, joy, and forgiveness.

These teachings and examples were to be practiced by the inhabitants of that time, but are still valid for us today. The problem is that the hearts of many, especially of our rulers, have become so callous that they do not see the suffering anymore, they are all busy organizing their comfortable future. We the poor are only hoping for the promise reserved for the poor in spirit.

May I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2007. When things are tough even the words become few. Our situation is indescribable. The inflation has reached 1070%, the highest in the whole world, and yet our rulers are happy that things in Zimbabwe are OK. We are enjoying our sovereignty, but unfortunate enough we cannot eat it, and diseases cannot be treated by it, let alone all other things that are missing. We are going on because God loves us and because generous people are behind us by prayer and by support. Let us carry on praying for each other. All these things will one day come to an end. By the way the Catholic Bishops Conference, the Evangelical Fellowship and the World Council of Churches produced a document entitled "The Zimbabwe We Want". It is a good document though edited by the ruling government. The haunting issues beleaguering our country were spelt out and possible solutions were suggested, but who will listen to them? Prophets spoke, but some people were found still unprepared.

Best Wishes from all of us. Elizabeth, Julia, Neela, Melania and Christina.

PS: The phones are still out of order. I have forgotten even how to use one!

Dr. Elizabeth Tarira
St Albert's Mission Hospital
P. Bag 9047
Centenary Zimbabwe

October 28, 2006

Hello Darrell,

The water update is just on a low note. I am a bit frustrated. Currently we have very little water available because the boreholes have a small yield of water. We are in October. We boosted the water with two boreholes from the projects but the demand is so high. You know about the boarding school. [Note: this refers to the nurses training program. The students live on the hospital grounds.]

The EU [European Union] had promised to fund us for the purification plant, but they have suspended their support to Zimbabwe till next year in March. We had hoped to use the dam water, but there it is at a stand still. I went to check if we could brave it on our own but it's impossible. The plant which we need costs US$150,000. Where can we get such money?

We are back to square one.

All the same, we do not give up. We are still going to render the services to our community.

When the rains come in Nov. the water table will improve and life will go on.

The other day I received an E-mail from the Blood Transfusion Center saying that they had run out of Anti D due crucial for blood mapping. [I believe this refers here to a reagent needed to type blood, which must be done before it can be transfused.] This means that we cannot have blood for some time. They said this was due to lack of foreign currency. Well, Darrell if start writing on this health issue, I produce a romance at the end of a week's writing.

Looking forward to the updated website.

By the way today the Italian Ambassador was here handing over some teaching materials to our Nurses' Training School -- some books, charts, skeleton and dummies. It was a happy day for us and our students. The delegation remained impressed by the work we are doing.

Greetings and thanks for the cheque, which arrived this week. The cash will be used to flash out and service the existing bore holes. These have not been serviced for the past 8 years. Most probably that is why we are having a meager yield of water.

Ciao With love or My news will never finish.
Elizabeth and Co.

September 28, 2006

For almost the past year, emails from Dr. Elizabeth Tarira have been sporadic and brief, a reflection of the worsening conditions in Zimbabwe. Recently, Barbara and I received the following email, a plea for help. Her reference to "a drop in the ocean" refers to even small donations.

Dear Darrell,

May I share with you the findings of the state of our health care delivery system. I share with you this plight so that you can help us in any way you can.

Even if your help will be a drop in an ocean many drops will make that ocean. At St Albert's we have taken up the challenge to contribute to the formation of health professionals for our country. We opened a Nurses' Training School in January in spite of having all the problems listed below.

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Welfare on the field visits to the Midlands and Harare Provinces on the Health delivery System. They visited Government as well as Mission Institutions. This was presented to Parliament on 23rd May 2006.

In its written and oral evidence, the Board outlined the following problems: " Unprecedented staff exodus and low morale for those remaining " Ineffectiveness of the referral system " Ill equipped training schools, coupled by shortage of tutors " General shortage and lack of equipment and skilled personnel " Poor remuneration, lack of accommodation and other incentives for personnel in this unique sector " Inadequate funding for the health sector over past few years " Shortages of essential drugs including antiretroviral (drugs for treating AIDS patients) Part of the report reads: "The findings were shocking to the Committee. The Committee found out that the Health delivery system is collapsing. Hospitals and Training centers are seriously understaffed, the referral system has collapsed, buildings are dilapidated, and equipment is obsolete or broken down, drugs in short supply and erratic, including the life- prolonging anti-retroviral drugs. This seems to say it all. We can add to the list the shortage of electricity and we are forced to deforest our surroundings. We try to cope somehow.

Wishing you well.
With love Elizabeth

December 11, 2005

To All the Friends of St Albert's,

Just a line to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a blessed New Year 2006.

For us here the challenges have made us stronger and more resourceful. We really thank God for your help. Things are still going from bad to worse. The economic situation is sliding everyday. The death toll has increased from 2,500 a week to 3,000 a week country-wide. Hunger has also the upper hand on the vulnerable population, i.e., children and the old.

There is no food in the country. What is available is so costly that the ordinary person cannot afford it. The government is adamant that it does not need help from anyone.

At the Hospital, work goes on as if these challenges are not there!! This coming year we start a Training School for Nurses upon the request of the Ministry of Health. How we are going to manage only God knows. No government support has been provided. We are going to teach without books, without teaching aides etc.

The Dam project is still on-going. The water has been harnessed; what remains is to purify it and bring it to the Hospital, work that calls for more resources. We are still without phones, and there are continuous interruptions of electricity, but work still goes on.

We are fortunate to have many friends who support us continuously morally, and with prayers and material help.

May God reward all of you a hundred fold,
Elizabeth and the St. Albert's Community

November 5, 2005

Dear Darrell,

Greetings from St Albert's Mission Hospital!

I am sorry that I could not answer your letter immediately because I was completely out of touch. For the last two months till today the phones were down. We do not know if they will ever be repaired. No spare parts are available, there is no fuel for repairmen to come and fix the problem, the cables are stolen, etc. As if this was not enough, my portable computer has been broken for the past month. Now it has been repaired, and I am in Harare trying to catch up with friends. When I return to St Albert's, I am back to square one with no communication.

This is our life now out here. But I am happy to say that God still loves us and gives us friends who care. Thank you for being there for us.

Just a small update: My heart is sinking, pellagra, malnutrition due to hunger is back in the Hospital. People come demanding food from the Hospital that I do not have. Women and children queue at the secondary school to eat the leftovers from the students. I used to collect these remains to feed the pigs, but now the people are the priority. This is now part of our life. Just pray for us that this comes to an end someday.

With much affection,
Elizabeth

7-2-05

Dear Friends Darrell and Barbara,

I was silent, but we are still surviving. I had a bad influenza but now am OK. The phones were also on strike; the electricity is often off than on. It is cold and sometimes cloudy so the solar panels cannot make the phones function.

I would like to share with you the economic and political crisis that our beloved country Zimbabwe is passing through. The whole system is just down to its knees, and yet the rulers are comfortable because they lack nothing in their homes and on their tables.

After the fast-track Land reform, we have seen fields flourishing of grass only; just a few places have a meaningful agriculture. People are hungry. We just hope that our new colonizers the Chinese who are being allocated the farms will be able produce food enough for the people and also something to export!

The local farmers who were given the vast lands did not know what to do with the soil. Some of these farmers did not have equipment or a hoe to till the land, let alone the fertilizers that are so expensive, others did not have knowledge of managing commercial farming. A good number of them are also affected by HIV/AIDS and these are too weak to work in the fields. All they can do is to till a few hectors around their huts for their family needs only. The economy cannot improve if there is no production.

The factories are at a stand still, no prime ingredients therefore there is no out-put. The foreign currency [i.e., hard currency, such as US dollars or British pounds] is not available in the country. Power cuts are the order of the day. As if this was not enough, the President has launched a "Clean up Exercise." The cities and the rural areas have to be got rid of dirt, up-root crime and find the foreign currency being sold at the black market. Now I can understand rulers whom we read in history, they seemed paranoid, and this is the exact situation we are in now. The strange thing is that the whole lot of the regime has gone blind; nobody has a heart or feelings.

All structures that are not on the plans are being pulled down, flea markets, vegetable markets have all disappeared. This exercise has left thousands and thousands of people homeless, without food and without work. Many of these people were self employed, a thing that was advocated for by the same government under the name of "black empowerment." Now the same government is condemning it. People were given loans to establish these small enterprises, but today all is pulled to the ground by bulldozers. In spite of fuel shortage there is enough fuel to pull down peoples homes.

Who once visited Zimbabwe will be shocked to see what has happened: There are no flea markets, no stone carvings along the roads, no flowers being sold on the streets. People have been chased from towns to go back to the rural homes, but also in the villages nobody is allowed to be seen selling their tomatoes, green vegetables, fruits, sugar cane, sweet potatoes etc. The small market near the Hospital has been cleaned up. People who used to sell to travelers on the buses are no more doing it.  The people who do not have villages anymore have been put in a Transit Camp – refugee camp – awaiting to be relocated. Mothers and children, old and disabled are sleeping in the open a situation described as deploring, appalling and shocking. Here this is a cold season temperatures can go even to zero, and people are just left like that, some sitting on their little belongings. In this "Operation restore order" seven people have since died, three of these are children. One was crushed by a bulldozer while destroying the shanty home and nobody can say anything. Many have been psychologically traumatized. Currently the politicians are busy country wide addressing rallies making empty promises, a strategy to keep the folks under control.

You must have a question that I did not answer: But the people what are they doing? Why cannot they rebel? We have no leader to mobilize us. Who lifts up the head is crushed. The opposition is just as good for nothing, each fears for own life. The church is as well silent; it is afraid of martyrdom. The International community is also brain washed by the cunning regime. The UN Habitat Officer came and the report is not yet released. The lady was carried to places chosen by the government officials. The unemployment is above 70% and the inflation is going back to 300%, if not even more. The bank governor had managed to pull down the inflation to 126% from 600%, but now all is on rampage again. The basic commodities are so expensive. We dying a silent death. The sick are coming to die on our Hospital beds with very little that we can offer them. Drugs are hardly available and are not accessible by the poor communities.

After having said all this-what do I expect you to do for us? Share the burden with us, pray to God that he comes to our rescue. The people of Israel called on to God and he heard their cry. The God of justice shall bring justice to the poor that are trampled upon unmercifully every day and exploited. Our President brought us freedom in the 1980s, but now is oppressing us because power is sweet.

Pray and pray for us.

Elizabeth Tarira

June 15, 2005

Dear Darrell,

I would have liked to answer you immediately but as you know the phone are not always functioning.

The major construction of the dam that uses machines is completed. Now what is remaining is work that is to be done by the tractor and by hands — construction of the spill way, making drainages etc. When the rains come, water will be harnessed but, it will not be reaching the Hospital as yet. More expensive things are yet to be done. Reticulation, purifying of water and the pumps etc.

Here, things are not well at all. All markets have been destroyed in a clean-up operation. In towns and even at St Albert's, there are no people sitting at the township selling their things. Houses not approved by the councils in towns and townships have been pulled down. The small enterprises are no more. There is true suffering of the poor people. This time it's also cold. I just have no words. All I can do is cry with these people. You would not recognize Harare if you come now. Not even the flowers are being sold at Avondale and any other places.

Cheerio, Darrell. Greetings from all of us here.

Elizabeth

For more about the Zimbabwe government's clean-up operation, see:

Zimbabwe police demolish township
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4092632.stm

Bishop condemns Harare evictions
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4085340.stm

Hard times for Zimbabwe's new homeless
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4077152.stm

Desperation on the streets
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4586559.stm

May 13, 2005

Dear Darrell, Barbara, Alicia and Matthew,

Thank you for your E-mail. We are still alive in spite of so many difficulties. I delayed in answering you because I wanted to update you on the dam story. As I mentioned earlier the devil seem to be sitting on the project—I am almost tempted to believe it. Work remaining needs only 9 working hours, but the machines just cannot be repaired. The same cry of spare parts is our ruin!

Today, work has resumed after quite a while. Another excavator, the fifth, was delivered yesterday and hopefully the filling will be completed in two-days time. The spillway will be constructed after paying off all the outstanding bills. This work has been a complicated delivery. At the site there are three machines broken-down awaiting spare parts from South Africa.

The crop has been a complete right-off in most parts of the country. We are having patients who refuse to go home because there is nothing to eat at home. We are forced to persuade them to go somehow. The Hospital cannot be a home.

O my God! as am writing I see from the window one of the machines entering the Hospital premises. Another break-down, I suppose. I just cannot go and find out otherwise I will collapse. They have just informed me that it needs some pressure. What a nightmare!! To think that one has to go to Harare get a spare part, if is available, and come back to St Albert's can cause a heart attack. I am tired of this same work since September 2004. The work was scheduled to be complete by December 2004 and now we are in May 2005. Once the water is harnessed, the next step will be how to get it to the Hospital—3 kms of distance, purification etc. I am convinced that God will intervene as usual.

Darrell how far is that book of yours? Has it been superseded by the new job? I hope that we will be able to read it some time before we depart from this world.

Oh! I forgot to tell you the drama of Tonderai and Simba—those two brothers. The father is not able to look after them anymore. The second wife who had offered to look after the children ran away—she was neglected by the man. She sold the clothes of the children and went away. What a second trauma for these unfortunate children. They tried to run away from the father but were intercepted by police when they reached Mazoe on the bus to St Albert's. They were taken back. Till now we have not located were they are. I want them back at St Albert's. We will help one of the distant relatives who works at the Hospital to look after them. I am afraid that they will end up being street kids, sniffing glue, etc. What a tragedy for these children. Tears are dropping on my laptop as I write, and I am sure that this will also happen to you when you read this heart rending story. We saved these children to suffer!!

Greetings from ambuya Muchena and the children. They brought me 2 sugar canes.

With love Elizabeth

Note: Ambuy (grandmother) Muchena is pictured on the Home page and in the Virtual Tour. The story of Simba and Tonderai is briefly told in the Virtual Tour, with follow-up in Elizabeth’s Feb. 2001 email below.

April 26, 2005

Elizabeth sent a short email:

Greetings. Sorry for the silence. We are virtually cut off from the world. There is no communication. The phones are not working and the satellite dish is also not working for everybody in the country [I believe this refers to the loss of television reception]. You can imagine what frustration we are in. The dam is still being constructed. The devil is sitting on it. Greetings to all.

With love, Elizabeth

Note: Mail may still get through to St. Albert's. Cards or letters will lift the spirits of Elizabeth, Neela and the others at the hospital during this difficult time. Postage is $.80 for the first ounce. Please send them to:

Elizabeth Tarira, MD
St Albert's Mission Hospital
Private Bag 9021
Centenary
Zimbabwe

February 24, 2005

Several months had passed before I received an email from Elizabeth, as she had gone to Italy in mid-December and returned to St. Albert's in mid-February. While in Italy, she did some fund-raising for the dam. She wrote to say that she had received a number of checks that had been sent to her from donors in the U.S.A., and that the dam was proceeding well. "In the little water captured there are some fish!" She also added: "From next week I shall be the acting Provincial Medical Director for 6 weeks. The PMD is going for a short course in Kenya, so I have to work in [the town of] Bindura."

20 Dec. 2004

In December, the Office of University Relations at Ohio State University held a Christmas fund-raiser for St. Albert's (as well as for a local elementary school and the office custodian). Friends from outside the office also contributed. In all, the office raised $700 for the hospital. I emailed Elizabeth to tell her the news, and this was her response (I worked for Ohio State's Office of University Relations from 1990-2001. They are friends and good people, and I, too,thank them for their extraordinary contribution):

Dear Darrell,

I just do not have words. How can I thank our wonderful friends The Public Relations Office of Ohio State University and colleagues. This was an overwhelming response 700 dollars is a lot of money. On our side this will translate into millions of Zimbabwe dollars.

What I will do as soon as the money is reflected in the account, I will go and buy pipes and put them aside so that as soon as the water will be harnessed we start laying them down. Once they are bought I shall send you a photo and the invoice of the purchase.

This news was a true resuscitating medicine. I was so down this morning wondering how this whole project will finish. Now I have the courage and feel that God is on our side. You gave me good news. Beit Trust representative in Zimbabwe wrote an E-mail yesterday enquiring of how the work was going. Anyway I had the adventures of Pinocchio to tell him. I hope that they too will help later on in the next year. Big reservours are needed. The work is going on though at a slow pace. I sometimes forget that am in Africa! were there is no hurry Hakuna Matata. I want to work with targets, but when these are not met I become very frustrated.

Words are not enough to thank our dear friends at Ohio State University for working so hard for such a noble cause. Water is life. A Hospital without water is near to a disaster place. We all are looking forward in having plenty of water by the year 2005.

I have printed the photo you sent. Though it took me 30 minutes to download it, it was worth while to have the patience. I was also happy to see your face after such a long time.

Did I tell you that I saw the website while I was in Harare? It has been done professionally. Compliments to you Darrell, you wrote everything just as it is here. We should be counting you as one of the St Albert's Hospital Staff a true ambassador of St Albert's Hospital. You live and share our anxieties as well as concerns. Keep it up.

May I take the opportunity of wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Pass on also our compliments of the Season to our friends at Ohio State University.

With lots of love from St Albert's Staff
Elizabeth

9 December 2004

Dear friends,

Just a line to say thank you for the pipes to carry water to the Hospital. Your envelopes did arrive intact and that one from Richard G. Convey my sincere thanksto Richard. It takes time to have the mail send by post. I only have his internet address but am not connected. Last night we had a storm and the water almost washed away the bit of wall of the dam that is being built. We have to call on all the angels and saints that tonight it does not rain again. This would be a disaster. The precious water is flowing away, not being captured.

Wishing you all the best.
Elizabeth

2 Dec. 2004

Dear Friends of St. Albert's,

The posting of the St. Albert's website is attracting interest in helping us with our current project, building a dam to provide the hospital with water that is needed because our bore holes have run dry. There is a danger that if the dam is not constructed, we will be forced to close the hospital. This is causing some people to ask what will happen to the donated money if the hospital does close.

Well, the closure of the Hospital will be the last resort. God and all the Angels will have failed us. I firmly believe that this cannot happen. The dam will be finished, may be not at the targeted time as to capture the water of this rain season. Do you still remember that the Wall of China was built by hands of the people? If need be, I will engage people with naked hands to complete the job. Then of course I will have to pay them.

All that is needed now is to pile up the soil for the dam wall. It will be rammed with heavy hammers. The crucial work of filling the core trench has been done, so no damage can occur except that the water will flow away. The boulder in the core trench could not be blasted by a dynamite by order of a Harare Engineer, but when he saw that the work would take two-three years he gave instructions that it be blasted by a dynamite. This was done and now the wall has to be raised and water will be captured.

The Hospital cannot be closed even if it has no water. Big tanks of water can be ferried to the Hospital by a tractor from the nearby dams. This is not ideal for a Hospital but as a temporal measure some services can be rendered while the work goes on. I have called on some German water expert to look at the state of the boreholes. They might be able to re-sucitate one or two so that we can have a little water. About the monies in the event of closure of the Hospital, I will buy pipes, engine, meters, valves etc. these do not get rotten, as soon as the work will be completed these can be fitted in. Well, I am totally convinced that God is on our side, so do not get anxious. The project will be completed. It will be costing a bit more, but with friends like you backing us up, we will make it. I on my part will struggle. St Albert's will have plenty of water!! Help me have courage to go ahead.

Your friend (shamwari in my language),
Elizabeth Tarira

29 Nov. 2004

Dear Darrell and Barbara,

Thanks so much for the three mails that reached me intact. You must have received my mail of last week. The construction of the dam is moving at a very slow pace. The indegenous company is proving to be inefficient and with our hyperinflation enviroment the work becomes difficult. the costs are escalating on a daily basis. The fuel increases together with everything. The hiring of machinery is back forwarded to the client. I shall do my best to fight this trend.

Hoping that you are all keeping fine. My family is busy preparing a celebration for my award. This will be done at my village. I wish you could hear the tam tam of the drums.

Wishing you all the best.
Elizabeth

25 Nov. 2004

Dear Darrell,

That is a great news! The website is up. Congratulations for the great work. Here the phones are just mad. One minute you find a line and most of the time there is nothing. So I have to be short.

I do not see the hour to go to Harare so that I can peruse the internet. It is hard for me to leave this place because of the dam construction. Soon we shall be filling up the core trench with buckets and basins. The equipment being used is just rotten if this word can be used. In short we have to construct a dam using our hands because all the machenary is out of order. Our indegenous firms are failing to repair the equipment. Spares are rare and the costs are so high. The diesel has gone up following the market trend, so the construction will also go up.

I am failing to stop telling you our adventures. Just to remove a boulder from the trench it took two full months!! I have to pay for work done 9 hours a day-this work could have been done in two days if it was blasted. Cheers! my Blood Pressure might shoot up.

Greetings,
Elizabeth

22 Oct. 2004

Dear Darrell and Barbara
I am so happy about the website for St Albert’s Mission Hospital. Having more friends world-wide is good for us. When it is ready, let me know, so that when I am in Harare I can get connected to the Internet. The phones of St. Albert’s are so poor, and that is why I cannot connect there. I have to be brief to dispatch this email.

Greetings to all.
With best regards,
Elizabeth

16 Oct. 2004

Dear Darrell and Barbara,
The dam is being built just behind the field of the hospital about 2 and a half kms away. We have hired a constructor of dams and we have also engaged an engineer to supervise the work. The dam can be completed by the end of December if I get enough funds. Otherwise it will be left halfway and be completed when I get money but by January the work must be completed.

This is called testing the Divine providence. All I know is that God will assist.

Greetings from all of us. I saw Ambuya Muchena yesterday. She has not been well for the last 3 months, but now is better. The children are OK. One wants to be a doctor and is doing well at school. All are greeting you.

Elizabeth

11 Oct. 2004

Dear Darrell,
Sorry that the phones are on strike. So I have to be short. The bore holes dried up. Each year the situation is getting worse and worse.

The dam costs a lot of money. US$269,230. Who can have such money if not only God. Italian friends and you and others have so far raised US$154,246. The balance to be raised is US$114,984. I am confident that God will rescue us some how. I only have to survive and see the work completed. God will take care of us. The $400 contribution from Richard has also been included in the raised money.

Take care. Greet Barbara and the two children.
Elizabeth

8 Oct. 2004

Dear Darrell and Barbara,
Just a line to say thank you so much. Your note Barbara arrived safely. I can tell that Darrell is so busy because he does not jot us a mail anymore. Take care of your health as well. The work will never finish but the health does deteriorate if not cared for.

Here we are so busy. I am not sleeping anymore because of worry. I am risking closing the Hospital for lack of water. So I have embarked on an enormous project without enough money. I am trusting only in the Providence. It is a small dam I am constructing but it is costing quite a lot. Z$1 750 000 000. One billion seven hundred and fifty million is a lot for a Hospital. We pay every month about Z$12 million only for electricity.

Thanks your contribution will go for water. This is our top priority now. The HIV/AIDS program is going on well. CAFOD continues to support us. The orphans whom we are sending to school are 350.

Best regards to you all. Greetings from all of us here.
Elizabeth et al

17 Sept. 2004

Dear Darrell,
Its a long time since we last communicated. I hope that you are well. I hear that you are working too hard. Give yourself time to rest and relax sometimes.

Please convey my sincere thanks to Helen for the beautiful card she sent. The contents as well. We are truly thankful to her. Did you get in touch with Richard? Please inform him that the laminated AWARD -Woman of the year 2004 has arrived. It is really beautiful. I shall be giving you more news. Today the phones are on strike so I risk not to be able to dispatch the email.

Take care Darrell.

With lots of love from all of us here. I have not yet seen Ambuya Muchena for a while now. Its because I am out most of the time.
Elizabeth and All

From a letter sent by post.

7 Feb. 2004

Dear Darrell,
Greetings from St. Albert’s. We are back to the Stone Age. No phones, no electricity, no food, etc. Well, we are still surviving. Send me your email so that when the phones are in order I can contact you. I might also contact you while in Harare.

Ambuya Muchena and the kids are fine. They are all sending their love and greetings. Ambuya has another small baby to look after. It is two years or less.

I am in a hurry. I am off to Italy for 2 weeks. I shall be back on the 26 Feb. Going for a conference to raise money for drugs. We have started treating mothers who are HIV-positive and are already sick. We got funding not from the Global Fund to treat 100 mothers and ten staff with antiretrovirals [i.e., anti-HIV drugs]. The choice is hard to make who to leave, especially the couples. God will send us more drugs so we can help many. We have two on treatment but soon they will be 110. The drugs arrived today and part of the lab equipment.

Greetings to your Barbara, Matthew and Alicia.
Elizabeth

6 Aug. 2003

Dear Darrell and Barbara,
I was happy to hear that Darrell had taken a brief vacation. This is good for your health. I in part destroyed my health in the past and I cannot regain it anymore. Do you know that I suffered from a lung Tuberculosis twice? I used to work too much, eating little, etc. Even now I am still careless!! The demand is beyond what I can do at times. Take care of your health.

Thank you in anticipation for your unfailing support. Do you know that we are having queues at all the banks. There is no money. The inflation is at 360% now. We are suffering. We remain with our needy people, side by side. The presence is enough.

Greetings from all of us,
Elizabeth

10 July 2003

Dear Darrell and Barbara,
Sorry, I am in a hurry today.

For the switchboard, I am looking at about US$400-500. This is in addition to the Z$400,000 that I have already. Do you know that a loaf of bread is at Z$1,000. This is equivalent to US$2.20. I think that for the time being we better shelf everything and just pray to God that He comes to our rescue. I wish I could do something!

CRS stands for Catholic Relief Service; this is an American organization distributing the soy blend on behalf of the World Food Program. Keep well. As soon as I receive the envelope I will get in touch with you by email. The whole of next week I shall be away for a workshop on Disease Surveillance. I have to tell you more our about our PMTCT program which we started in 2001. PMTCT is Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of (HIV/AIDS).

Many greetings to all of you.
Elizabeth

18 June 2003

Dear Barbara and Darrell,
Greetings from St. Albert’s. I hope that this note finds you well. Yes, I have been silent for a while. I am very busy. The hospital is still full of malaria patients and I am also busy trying to source money for water. Till now I have not yet received any positive reply.

Here, life continues to be tougher and tougher. Things are so expensive. Everything is beyond the reach of an ordinary person. Bread is costing Z$650 dollars per loaf. All the filling stations are dry. The commodity is costing Z$1500-2000 per liter. The rate of inflation that has reached almost 300%.

With best regards,
Elizabeth

6 May 2003

Dear Barbara and Darrell,
Just a line to say that my uncle finally completed his journey here on earth. He died and was buried with a lot of honour from his faithful.

Thanks for never forgetting St. Albert’s. I have just received the first envelope. Surely this will help us at the hospital. Keep on creating more friends for us. Greetings from all of us and the Ambuya Muchena. The other day I saw Sekuru Muchena here. The kids are all fine and going to school.

With best regards,
Elizabeth

29 March 2003

Dear Darrell,
Healthwise, I am fine. Thank you, Darrell, some two students sent me 10 and 25 dollars for our programs. Here, as usual, the phones were out of order for the past 5 weeks. No spares in the country for repairs. The lightening struck the phone booster. I wish you all the best. If I am silent it is because I cannot communicate. Greetings and prayers from all of us here.

With best regards,
Elizabeth

3 Feb. 2003

Dear Darrell,
I would have liked to write a long message but I am just short of time. I am preparing a presentation on Voluntary testing and counseling in the prevention and transmission of HIV from mother to child. Our inflation is over 200% now.

Greetings to all of you.
Elizabeth

27 Jan. 2003

Dear Darrell,
Greetings from all of us here. Please convey my sincere thanks to your mother-in-law Helen who did send us $20. That was very generous of her. Surely the money will be used for a good cause. You and Barbara must have talked to her about our work and infinite needs.

Wishing you all the best.
Elizabeth

19 Jan. 2003

I was preparing to give a talk about St. Albert’s to a group of medical students, and I emailed Elizabeth to ask her what advice she would have for them. This was her reply.

Dear Darrell,
Thanks for you giving us all those nice compliments which we actually do not deserve. I think that when you talk of St. Albert’s just put forward what the spirit moves you to say, that will be the right thing.

On my part, to the young doctors, tell them to be human to their patients. It is not the good pass that matters but the holistic service given to a patient who is a human being not a number or a diagnosis. The doctor should try his/her best to put self in the shoes of the sick person before him.

The young doctors not to rely on diagnosis given by the machines in case they happen to go and work in places without sophisticated equipment. They would work frustrated. Here, we are bound to be resourceful and to have a lot of patience. We share the suffering with our clients. Only our presence can also assure the sick that we care even if at times we do not have anything in terms of drugs, technology, etc.

I will send you a small list of our requirements. Neela will give it to me. Yes, sorry I forgot to tell you that your friend Stilwell did send us 25 USD and I have posted a letter of thanks to them and also to the John Kent family. We pray for them. Convey our thanks and gratitude in case the letter does not arrive. Here the post and telecommunication people are on strike.

Wishing you all the best,
Elizabeth

17 Jan. 2003

Dear Darrell,
Greetings from all of us here at St. Albert’s.

Well the period you came maybe we did not have bedridden patients. As you know, all terminally ill patients, especially HIV/AIDS patients, we send for home care. We cannot afford to keep a lot of patients in the hospital. Nowadays, quite many are coming to die in the hospital since there is a food crisis in the homes. Over 6,000,000 people are facing starvation. Sorry I cannot elaborate on this because I feel exhausted. I have just returned from Harare. I do not have the strength as before. But I am quite alright and feeling great, if not exhausted. Greetings to all of you. Thanks for the 100 dollars. It went for the ICU.

With love,
Elizabeth

3 Dec. 2002

Dear Barbara and Darrell,
Thanks very much for your contribution to our plight. We need so many things in the hospital, so be assured that the money will be put in for a noble cause and especially the disadvantaged.

I shall get in touch with you as soon as I am back. I shall be away for 12-12 days attending to my only uncle who is very sick. Thanks for the beautiful card. Today I saw the children of Ambuya Muchena, they had come to collect the uniforms which we bought for them. The school year starts on the 14th of Jan, 2003. All the best. 

With lots of love from all of us here,
Elizabeth

12 Nov. 2002

Dear Darrell,
Thanks for your note. Yes all is well though we are suffering quite a lot. The majority of the people are in a desolate state. We lack the basic commodities and we have no drugs to treat our patients. The staple food is not available and people are surviving on roots, leaves, etc and some are dying in the homes. We are in a real mess.

Yes, you can send a cheque for Ambuya Muchena, I have just handed her the equivalent of 50 dollars you had sent in May while I was away. Ambuya Muchena and her kids are fine. They have beautiful tomatoes and onions; they brought me some. The kids are doing well at school. One of the small girls is determined to become a doctor. I hope that she keeps up that spirit. How is your family? At St.Albert’s we are find healthwise. Greetings from Neela, Julia, Stella, Melania, Christina, Tapiwa and Epiphania.

With best regards,
Elizabeth

April 30, 2001

Dear Darrell,

These days we have the malaria in full swing. We are truly busy. Rows of people in a coma, the post-effects of the floods, the political upheavals, and the fuel crisis is even worse than when you left our country.

Did I tell you that Simba and Tonderai were taken by their real father? Poor man, he was in tears when he came, but the children looked happy to go with him. Simba was showing the father what he could do with the stump. The man was carry Simba around here and introducing himself as the father of the children and thanking all of them for the care that had been rendered.

By the way, the boys were ill-treated by the mother and the lover. The real father of the boys is married to another woman. The two were separated. Since the children were small, the woman was given custody of the two, but she did not love them, even though they were her own children. The heart of man can be really devious. I wish that the children are happy. I will follow-up when possible.

With best regards,
Elizabeth

March 28, 2001

Dear Darrell

I hope this finds you well. Greetings from Ambuya Muchena. She was here after meeting with a small accident. She fell and broke her thumb. We have put it in a small plaster. The floods have subsided, and we have not yet experienced an outbreak of disease. The neighboring district of Mount Darwin has cholera, so we are in for it also very soon.

The company of Bo S. has managed to raise US$1,815 for the orphans. That was very generous of them, indeed. For this year, we are covered for these expenses.

Hoping to see you in the near future.

With best regards,
Elizabeth

March 2, 2001

Dear Darrell,

Greetings from St. Albert’s Hospital. It is still raining cats and dogs. The floods are worsening in Muzarabani. The poor people will remain poor indeed. About 700 families have lost their mud houses and livestock. We are expecting health problems soon.

Greetings from all of us here.

Best regards,
Elizabeth

I received the following note from Elizabeth on February 27, 2001. It came following a cyclone that swept over Mozambique and into Zimbabwe.

Dear Darrell,
Yes the valley has been hit by the floods. Quite a good destruction occurred. Those fragile huts were swept away, some just collapsed. Yesterday I went round in the army helicopter with the Minister of Lands and Agriculture to see the affected areas. It was my first time to fly on a helicopter. I do not know yet what the post-disaster will be like. We are anticipating cholera, malaria and diarrhoeal outbreaks. We keep our fingers crossed. It is obvious that people are hungry also. With the excessive rains our road was not possible to use. Patients were being left at the 2 km peg because the public transport could not get to us. I had to down my stethoscope and put on an overall to go and repair the road together with those women from the township who sell vegetables and fruits.

The political situation is escalating. A doctor and three nurses at Mount Darwin hospital and one of my nurses at David Nelson clinic have been driven away from the workplace by the war veterans. 5 workers at the Post and tele communication have also been chased away. It is difficult now to have telephones repaired. For the past 6 days phones were down. If one is not of the ruling party in this part of the country it is a risk. Luck enough we here have nothing to do with politics because our mission is to provide service only. To work is getting harder and harder with very few drugs.

I have sent Simba and Tonderai (the two small brothers) to live with a relative who happens to work in the hospital. Poor man, he is already having 7 children to look after. He now has 9, plus an old father-in-law in frail health. I just could not keep the two children in the hospital. With suspected cholera, dysentery etc, the hospital has become a risky place for them. Nosocomial diseases are difficult to treat.

Greetings to your family.
Elizabeth and all

February 5, 2001

Dear Darrell,

Greetings from St. Albert’s. How are you and your family? We are all fine. In two months or so, we will begin a program for prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child.

I talked to Ambuya Muchena today. The lady is looking after seven orphaned grandchildren. Her children died of AIDS. To the grandchildren, she is always telling them the consequences of the deadly disease if they engage in sex. She has shown the children people dying from AIDS in the village. She also had asked me to test the children to ascertain that they are AIDS free. She had asked her daughter to stop breast feeding the two small girls when they were only two months old. I do admire that woman. She has knowledge, but she cannot document it on her own.

Sorry that I am in a hurry and will continue later.

With best regards,
Elizabeth

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