December 22, 2004
Aid to Africa: Medical student visit to Zavora

Just getting our feet wet...

A group of 8 CMF (Christian Medical Fellowship) medical students from the Nelson Mandela Medical School in Durban, SA visited DFL’s Clinic in Zavora, Mozambique during their summer holiday. They were accompanied by 2 DFL members, Professor Steve Reid of the School for Rural Health at the same university, Dr Janet Giddy, Head of HIV/AIDS at McCord’s Hospital in Durban. Mrs Anisha Houston, a lecturer in Emergency Care at the Medical School and 2 DFL staff members accompanied the group and took care of the logistical challenges and pre-visit arrangements.

The group of 8 medical students, 3 nurses, 3 medical doctors, translators and missionaries

The students gained valuable exposure to the harsh reality of providing health care in under-resourced, poverty-stricken, deep rural areas of Africa. They assisted the DFL voluntary nurses to attend to the primary health care needs of the patients that presented at the clinic. Some patients arrived at the waiting area as early as 3 am, traveling distances as far as 30 km and more. The students also assisted the dentist, Dr Walter Klenner (DFL member), in the oral health clinic.

Dr. Walter Klenner and one of his patients.

Most of the conditions that the patients presented with were in some way or another linked to poverty with mal-nutrition, malaria and parasite infections being most common. HIV/AIDS did not seem to be prominent among the patients that came to the clinic. The 2 snake-bite patients who were assisted made most students more careful when using the primitive bathroom facilities at night!

Our shower cubicle

The students were divided into groups and took turns to present health education lectures to appreciating audiences in remote areas around the clinic. In some areas the “roads” were simply a footpath. At one such occasion the “heavens opened up” and the team saw what was meant with “the rainy season in Mozambique”!! The teams were received with singing and after the lectures and served with lovely local dishes like a coconut and masava leaf stew and fresh coconut milk to quench the thirst.

The team rushed to the nearest house while trying to prevent the equipment from being damaged. In the confusion of bush, rain and mud the team broke up and hid in different houses. They re-grouped after realising that the rain would probably carry on for a long time and had to leave in order to avoid getting stuck with the vehicles.

Mr. Heinrich Botes takes the daily morning devotion before the clinic starts

Mrs Houston trained the nurses at the district hospital in Ilharime on how to resuscitate a new born child. This strengthened the existing good relationship of DFL with the government health services and government officials.

The local ambulance. The patient is lying at the back under the shade cloth...

Students from South Africa were amazed to see how some patients were transported on donkey carts in rural Mozambique while others had to be carried in blankets, like the brave young Felismina. The timeous treatment she received from the DFL volunteers probably prevented the amputation of both her legs. She was lovingly cared for by the DFL nurses (Tineke Jager, Helena Slundt and Ronel Bodenstein) at the DFL clinic before she was moved to a community volunteer. Felismina is now cared for by Lydia, DFL’s first home based carer in Zavora. Lydia was trained by the DFL nurses to dress the severe wounds on both her legs. During a visit to Lydia’s home, Prof Reid, who did a supervision visit, was moved when he saw how Felismina was cared for by fellow community members.

Felismina being carried to the vehicle approximately 1km away. We took her to the DFL clinic in order to provide her with better care.

Tineke de Jager takes care of the extremely painful feet of Felismina.

Zavora is situated on a beautiful part of the coast and the students made the best of the opportunity, swimming and snorkelling in the warm Indian Ocean. The last supper at Zavora will always be remembered for the lovely fish dish that Anisha prepared while the visit to Maputo rounded off a great experience.

The group arrived back safely in South Africa on 16 December, tired but happy! Many realised that South Africans have much to be grateful about: one being that we have no pothole problem…

People listening to a talk on basic hygiene and community health presented by the medical students

The medical students also did surveys in nearby villages

During one of the outreaches we visited this newly started church in the bush to do presentations on life support, hygiene and community health..

A community health lecture in the local church of Zavora

Enjoying a local dish, ªchiguinhaª, a mixture of graded coconut and casava leaves. It was accompanied by papaya and coconut juice.

Nomsa, a 5 th year medical student and Felsimina on their way to the clinic

The feet of Felismina

Getting ready to move to the next appointment

A mother in a nearby village is asked some questions about the history of health problems in her family

The home of Felismina

Special care had to be taken when explaining medical terms and procedures

One of the oldest buildings in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique

The Inharime hospital, took DFL on a quick tour around the wards. Dr. Eva is the Director of Health for the district Inharime.


Our toilet


The DFL clinic placed under the cashew nut tree to withstand some of the heat experienced along the coastline of Mozambique.



^The local baker who was bitten by a snake just before we arrived there.

Our accommodation mostly withstood the rain (with the exception of one tent)

A traditional house

Due to the sand, the roads get washed away quickly.

Parked outside in the ªlobbyª


Dr. Steve Reid, professor at the university of Natal working in the DFL clinic


After rain, the roads become slippery

A training session interrupted by a heavy downpoor of rain

Sometimes we traveled on mere footpaths

A training course underneath some trees, a few minutes before we had a heavy shower of rains

Anisha (right)and the translator Eddeo

The maternity ward in Inharime

Anisha presents the training course at the hospital in Inharime



The market place in Inharime


Anisha and one of the participating trainees. All outreqaches and work had to be accompanied by translators.

An elder of the local missionary church, ready to have his last tooth removed...

Inharime, the nearest town to DFLªs clinic in Zavora