To Zanzibar the Hard Way

There is nothing to worry about. I know many people in Kipumbwe,’ says Mr. Iddy, looking at us the way you look at a child who is worried about their first night away from home, ‘I will come with you. Everything will be fine, yes?’

After a month in Pangani spent teaching English and slowing down to the rural pace of life, my wife Jane and I feel ready for a change of scene. Pangani is a lazy fishing town on the Tanzanian coast, with a beautiful beach that welcomes the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. On a clear day you can catch a glimpse of Zanzibar, perched on the horizon. Most tourists fly there from the mainland or take the big fast ferry from Dar es Salaam but those options are too expensive for us. Mr. Iddy, our Pangani expert on everything, recommends the sailing boat from Kipumbwe, a remote village further down the coast. Read more

Lending a Helping Hand

Imagine leaving the workplace for two weeks to devote your time, knowledge, and skills to transform hundreds of lives. It all began from a patient’s idea, using the right tools and a big heart. Offering dental services to patients and practitioners in Ethiopia – a country with only 48 dentists for a population of 80 million – Dr. Paul Sclodnick reveals the most rewarding experience of a lifetime. The encounter made him appreciate the practice of dentistry at a whole new level.

Q1: What drew you to Ethiopia?
I have a patient who is very involved with an organization called Global Reach Children’s Fund. They’re building an orphanage in Ethiopia called Faith Village. This was their first medical and dental mission to Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries in the world. I was a little apprehensive about going to Africa, since I’ve never been there and I expected it to be very different. Its people have a very healthy, traditional diet, but lately there has been a growing market for soft drinks, because of Western influence. The result is a proliferation of decaying, bad teeth. Read more

Curls For A Cause

Supporting the Stephen Lewis Foundation by addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, Chiggy’s Touch Salon offered tasty treats, wine for guests, art pieces for purchase and African beats that completed the atmospheric background on April 25th, 2009. This event also marked the second anniversary for the Yorkville salon. Read more