HEALTHCARE PROGRAMS
Mobile Medical Clinic (2021-Present)
We met Dr. Shemaghembe in 2015 when he was still working for the Tanzanian government. We started supporting with much needed-supplies for the government-run mobile medical program. We supplied them with a pop-up tent for use in the field, along with an ultrasound machine, baby weighing-scale and other medical supplies. The mobile clinic was only part of their program, and on those days, the doctor would load up supplies at the static clinic in the morning, and then go out into the field, central to where the Maasai were presently living depending on the season, to administer services for the day. He noticed that he would reach a lot more people this way, when bringing the services directly to the patient. Unfortunately, in Tanzania, all government employees must retire once they reach age 60. Judy, founder of Maasai Partners, thought it was a shame for the Maasai to lose such a valuable asset to the health of this community, and so she reached out to Dr. Shemaghembe well in advance of his retirement to see if he wanted to continue his life’s work with sponsorship from Maasai Partners. Because he was passionate about this work and the impact he was having as one single individual, he happily agreed. He created a Tanzanian nonprofit called CHAEC—Community Health Access and Environmental Conservation—so that we could fund his work directly. He is so passionate about his work that he refuses to even take a salary, despite working 6 days a week, every week of the year.
In 2021, following the creation of CHAEC, Maasai Partners bought a Toyota Land Cruiser (and later a trailer that would act as a private examination room for patients) and started covering expenses like fuel, repairs for the vehicle, phone and bookkeeping costs. In exchange, Dr. Shemaghembe carried on completing his life’s work by happily expanding the mobile medical program to reach as many Maasai as possible.
Monitoring the growth of children is an important part of preventing malnourishment
Children receive Vitamin A supplementation in order to prevent deficiencies
IMPACT
When comparing Dr. Shemaghembe’s impact with that of the government in 2022, his mobile clinic administered 36,775 vaccines, mainly to children under 5 years old, which constituted 54% of all vaccinations given in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area that year. The government static health clinic staff administered the other 46% of vaccines. Dr. Shemaghembe has surpassed them each year since.
People receiving treatment at Nakuro Post
Leshengai giving a health education class
At each mobile clinic, a health class takes place. Topics covered include information about vaccines, the recommended vaccination schedule, mosquito net usage, hand washing, and many other health-promoting behaviors. These informative health classes are a critical part of the mobile clinic.
There is a photo of the recommended vaccine schedule posted right on the side of the CHAEC Land Cruiser
Government Health Cards for use at the Nainokanoka Health Clinic (2016-2018)
In order to give more Maasai means to use this center, from 2016-2018 we provided health cards for the poorest families in our three communities. For only $10, an amount the Tanzanian government was willing to match, a family of up to six would receive health care for an entire year. Through this program, we provided health care for at least 150 families before the government decided to unfortunately shut it down. We have found Dr. Shemaghembe’s mobile medical services to be much more reliable, since we are funding him directly. We are in the process of sponsoring another doctor to finish medical school, who has been voluntarily helping Dr. Shemaghembe with the mobile medical clinic for the past four years. Training this volunteer will help ensure continuity of the program over time. Read more about Leshengai below, under “The Way Forward.”
A photo of one of the blank cards for the government health program
FAME Medical Fund (2013 - 2015)
On occasion, in addition to sponsoring the mobile clinic, Maasai Partners has sent those who need more serious medical treatment hours away to FAME, a hospital in Karatu that was featured on 60 Minutes. The Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME) is a US nonprofit organization that reliably provides advanced health care in this part of the country. Because it is too far away for one-day travel, and additional lodging costs were a prohibitive barrier, Maasai Partners has provided money for transport, food and board and has referred hundreds of Tanzanians to FAME for health services and hospital care in this manner. We still refer patients to FAME on occasion, as well as other specialists in the region, on an as-needed basis as part of our mobile medical program.
Between these health options, Maasai Partners has tried to provide help to villagers who would otherwise suffer from disease and health misfortunes such as epilepsy, tuberculosis, HIV, broken bones and other ailments. Our partnerships with Dr. Shemaghembe, Nainokanoka and FAME have substantially changed the course of many lives in Alailelai ward and the conservation area in general.
FAME Medical Hospital
The Way Forward
Looking to the future, as more funding comes in, we plan to expand our mobile medical program. We have agreed to send another doctor to finish medical school in order for him to help Dr. Shemaghembe to cover more ground. Leshengai has been volunteering his time to the mobile medical clinic for 4 years now with no pay, and Dr. Shemaghembe is excited for us to help him finish his training and hire him on as an official CHAEC staff member. We are also hoping to raise enough funds to purchase a second vehicle, so that Dr. Shemaghembe can still work while his current vehicle is in the shop for frequent repairs and maintenance, as well as to allow Leshengai to help us expand the reach of the mobile clinic.
Leshengai (left) and Dr. Shemaghembe (right) discuss at a mobile medical clinic in February 2025
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