Here at STEMM, we have had an amazing and eventful year with several longstanding projects reaching completion, some new people, and many projects which have made a tangible difference in Tanzania in general, and Mbuguni, in particular. Here are a few areas where we have seen progress at STEMM, thus far, in 2024:

For the first time in three years, the Tanzanian Board of STEMM has hired a new full-time In Country Director to administrate our beautiful campus in Mbuguni, Tanzania.

Yananayi Chipangura (affectionately known as Dr. Yani) was chosen by the Board of Directors following her graduation from Medical School and internship at Mr. Meru Medical Center in Arusha, where she was well-known to the Medical side of our organization. as a talented young doctor, with international experience and dynamic people skills.

On June 10th, ten area university students took off from Eppley Airfield in Omaha, bound for Tanzania to use their interest in medicine to help serve in a medically underserved area of the world, Pohama, Tanzania.

The day after they landed, they loaded up in a bus to drive five hours to this remote location. In the process, they lived in tents for the next four days and braved challenging conditions, including chilly nights, and a different style of living than their norm— food, lodging, music, all very different…

STEMM has been doing medical outreaches in Tanzania since 1997, and we are about to undertake another. We conducted our first medical outreach to Pohama, in the Singita region of Tanzania, in the summer of 2023. In that two day outreach, we saw 1800 patients, many of whom had never seen a doctor before. This year, in three days, we hope to minister to 3000 people. Some potential follow ups from last year, many, likely, new patients.

A thirty minute drive from STEMM over rough roads through thorny thickets you find yourself in a wide open plain surrounded by the quiet peace of grazing goats, mud homes, and acacia trees as; you will also find the wonderful and kind hearted Nakweni people. A rural scattering of homes of the Maasai tribe who have been settled there for over 40 years. Although their lives are marked by a tranquil and simple beauty, there are many challenges they face, especially access to essential services such as healthcare.

As you may have heard, there was a team of medial professional and students visiting Tanzania during the month of June and this story will tell you more about their trip - but the important thing right now is to sincerely thank those of you that contributed financially to this endeavor.

It was clear that Steve and STEMM had positively impacted the whole area. It was a truly humbling experience. I still look at the pictures and tell the stories regularly. It had a profound effect on my. It really was a blessing. I thought I was just going to work, but it turned out to be a life changing learning experience. It taught me about gratitude, selflessness, commitment, and community. At the end, Steve thanked me for my work, but truly I was the thankful one.