Marangu is a lush green rural Tanzanian town tucked in the shadows of the mighty Mt. Kilimanjaro. MEDLIFE conducted clinics there in 2016. Many of the houses were very poorly constructed and offered little shelter from monsoons.
One particular case was brought to our attention when during a mobile clinic, an 84 year-old woman wrapped in colorful cloth came in named Elianasia, nicknamed Bibi, and asked us for help with her bathroom.
MEDLIFE staff followed her through the jungle to see her bathroom. It was hard for Elianasia to walk so far, her leg was causing her pain. She lived all alone, all of her children had gone seperate ways and were not caring for her. Her husband died tragically in 1962. When staff saw the rest of her house, they were surprised she was only asking for a bathroom.
Her kitchen was a fireplace sheltered by some wood poles and tattered rags, the bathroom was a hole in the ground covered by a small wooden board, which was being slowly devoured by ants and appeared it may collapse into the hole next time it was used. She did not have a room anywhere that could provide shelter from the rain. During monsoon season, she slept on a wet bed and tried to cook in the rain.
“I will be very happy if you can provide for me a house where I can stay,” said Elianasia. “I am praying for you, so that god may bless you in everything that you do, thank you very much.”
In 2017 the project was completed, thanks to a generous donation from Goodlife Travels.
MEDLIFE founder and CEO Nick Ellis, MEDprograms director Angie Vidal, and MEDLIFE Tanzania Director Neema Lyimo visited and found Bibi living happily in her new home.
