"Education is Part of FAME's Name"
The Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME) is not only about medicine and healthcare. As our name suggests, education is in our DNA! Whether it is weekly training sessions for the nurses and doctors or our volunteer program, where western-trained medical professionals from overseas work alongside our Tanzanian medical team sharing knowledge and expertise, FAME is an institution committed to lifelong learning.
A few weeks ago, FAME faced a unique situation. Rebecca*, a 13-year-old student, came in with severe appendicitis, just one day before her government-mandated national examinations. Missing this examination would mean she would have to repeat a year of school.
FAME believes that the long-term benefits of quality secondary education for girls are indisputable and the benefits to a community are immeasurable. In rural Tanzania, there are many formidable barriers blocking girls from fully participating in or completing their education. With Tanzania having one of the lowest secondary education enrollment rates in Africa, at 32% (UNESCO), FAME did everything possible to ensure this girl did not miss her exams.
This is Rebecca’s incredible story of resilience in times of great turmoil and FAME’s fight to ensure that no one should have to choose between their health and their education.
PART 1: PASTOR LEAH, REBECCA’S MOTHER
Pastor Leah sits in a reflective and prayerful mood beside her daughter Rebecca’s hospital bed. Rebecca was admitted to FAME the previous night, presenting with abdominal pain and vomiting, symptoms she had been suffering from for a week. Her local clinic had diagnosed her with stomach ulcers and prescribed antacids, but her condition worsened.
“Yesterday evening, after a week, Rebecca’s condition got worse. On top of the one-sided abdominal pain and vomiting, her eyes were turning yellow. I am a pastor, so I dropped to my knees and said a prayer. I asked God to save her life. Then, because God helps those who help themselves, I called a taxi and brought her to FAME.”
After receiving and ultrasound and CT scan at FAME, Rebecca was diagnosed with appendicitis; however, she also had a large abscess, which had to be drained and treated with antibiotics before surgery to remove the appendix would be possible. Rebecca was taken to the operating room for the procedure.
“The drainage of the abscess would typically be done under sedation. Rebecca didn't want that; she wanted to be alert for the exam in the morning. The doctors were very kind to her and told her they would use local anesthesia to ensure that she was alert and awake once medicine wore off.”
Rebecca planned to go to school for her exams the following morning, but sadly she was too weak. “The school is only four miles from FAME, so she thought it was doable. But when she got up, she was frail. The dirt road from FAME to the main road is full of potholes, so it would not be an easy drive either. She was in no condition to go.”
Rebecca was devastated.
“The nurses were just as heartbroken as she was. The nurse supervisor said she would call the head doctor and see if the school could send the exams to the hospital."
PART 2: DR. GABRIEL PAUL KISSIMA, HEAD DOCTOR
“Nurse supervisor, Hosiana, called me and said that Rebecca was facing missing her national examinations and asked if I could help in any way. I immediately sprung into action and called her school to inform them of the situation and request that they send the examination to her at FAME. They declined.”
Determined and undeterred, Dr. Gabriel reached out to the DEO, who turned out to be a former FAME patient. He confirmed that the government exempted students in extraordinary circumstances, and Rebecca’s case qualified. He was gong to send an officer to ascertain that Rebecca was strong enough to sit for her examination despite being ill.
The DEO officers came to FAME, and after a meeting with Rebecca, her mother and the FAME medical team, they agreed to let her sit for her examinations at FAME. They assigned an exam officer to sit with her throughout the assessment and every morning the officer would bring the test, ensuring that the whole process was done by the book and adhered to strict government testing rules.
“We are all so happy that everything worked out. It was a group effort from the FAME staff, who took the initiative to go the extra mile for Rebecca. She is a bright and determined girl and I’m sure she will succeed.”
PART 3: REBECCA, PATIENT & STUDENT
Nurse Amana Amini walks Rebecca to the exam room, giving her a pep talk along the way!
“When I started getting sick a week before my examination, I thought it was because of stress. I had been studying very hard and staying up late most nights to get more study time."
"After the fourth day of being ill, I started to panic. There was a real possibility that I might be too sick to do the exam, which worried me. Missing it meant that I would have to repeat the class. All my friends would go to the next class and I would be left with the younger kids who would catch up with me, making me the oldest in the class! So I was determined to do it, come rain or shine.”
“As my mum was waiting for the taxi to take us to FAME, she was kneeling, praying fervently that I would be healed and that God would save my life, but I asked her to pray so that I could be able to do the exams instead! If any interventions were taking place, I wanted them geared towards me sitting for these tests I have been preparing for, for a long time.”
“After my procedure at FAME, I woke up the next morning ready to go to school, but I was too weak and tired. I cried bitterly as I felt my mind was sharp and ready for the assessment, but my body was failing me!”
She had worked hard for half a year to prepare, late-night and early-morning studying, all of which now proved useless. Then she received the good news, that she would be doing her examinations at FAME and that a room in the ward had been converted into an exam room. The nurses helped Rebecca on the walk every day from her hospital bed to the examination room, giving her pep talks along the way.
“I am so happy. And so thankful. I can't believe this is happening! From the bottom of my heart, I thank the FAME team for making this work.”
“The exams have been okay, nothing I haven't read before. I expect a passing grade! The exams are two and a half hours each, but I don't struggle sitting up and writing the exam, as there is no pain.”
“We couldn’t believe it. We were so happy! I asked one of the nurses why the team fought so hard for Rebecca to be able to do her exams. I said, ‘you don’t know her! She’s just another patient!’ And she said ‘education is part of FAME’s name and is just as important as healthcare.’ And I told her, ‘a place that cares about my daughter’s health AND education? What more can I ask for? What more could I pray for? You are who you say you are and for that, my family is eternally grateful.”
This Thanksgiving, we at FAME are thankful for stories like Rebecca's, and we are grateful to our friends and supporters whose generosity and constant support are the reason we are able to provide patient-centered care in rural Tanzania. Despite the challenges facing the world today, your support has been unwavering.
Thanks for always being with us.
Happy Thanksgiving from our FAME Family to Yours!
*While the patient’s name has been changed to protect privacy, permission was secured to share their photos and story with FAME supporters and to raise awareness of available medical care at FAME Medical