July 2019

From Tanzania to California: Our 2019 Dance Marathon Winner Trip Recap

After a few days of recovering from the end of my trip to Tanzania, I have had a bit of time to reflect on all my amazing experiences while there. Although there is no way I will be able to come even close to describing everything I took away from this trip, I will do my best to share what I can.

As I first walked off the airplane onto the tarmac at the Kilimanjaro airport after traveling over 20 hours, I was exhausted but filled with excitement to begin the trip. I had been thinking about how amazing this trip to Africa was going to be and I could not believe we had finally arrived!

After a good night’s sleep and a bit of recovery from the jetlag, we took a walking tour of Arusha and were able to visit many of the wonderful markets in the city. In the Arusha Central Market we got a taste of the fresh local produce and at the Maasai Market, as I walked from stall to stall, I saw the city’s rich culture. As we met many locals, I quickly learned how welcoming and kind everyone we came into contact was.

The next morning we got an early start and headed to a coffee farm called the Tengeru Cultural Tourism Program. Our wonderful guides, Ruben and Elisante, told us about the community projects their organization contributes to such as funding orphanages and planting trees to increase environmental conservation. We ended the day by hand-making our own coffee from scratch, including roasting the beans and grinding them up in a mortar and pestle! It was an extremely unique experience and great to see how they cared for their community.

On Monday morning, we visited the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation office in Arusha, Tanzania. After meeting all the staff, they gave us a presentation of the work they are doing and it was amazing to hear about the EGPAF sites in Tanzania and all of the regional projects they have in place. I then introduced myself to them and told them a bit about the Pediatric AIDS Coalition at UCLA and Dance Marathon. It was so interesting to hear the questions they had, as I did not realize how absurd a 26-hour Dance Marathon may sound to someone who has never heard of it. It was an honor to meet all these people that are so dedicated to healthcare and helping others as much as they can!

Our first site visit was at the Regional Health Management Center, where I learned that the mother-to-child transmission of HIV has dropped to 1%! This is an incredible feat and it was amazing to see how EGPAF’s efforts are leading to tangible results. We were also told that one of their newest buildings was made completely with EGPAF funds.

Next, we visited a group called Sanaa Walipo, which goes out into the community, specifically local markets or other populated areas, to educate people about HIV and TB while providing testing for TB as well.

Our third stop that day was at the St. Elizabeth Hospital where we were able to meet with a youth peer support group. They welcomed us with a song and told us about the activities they engage in to encourage each other to take their medications, fight the stigma, and gain confidence in themselves in the process.

Lastly, we visited Anna, who was once part of the peer group and is now a community leader and counselor. She shared her story with us about her HIV-positive status and was grateful to tell us that she is happily living with her husband and new baby boy, Elisha, who was born HIV-negative thanks to her medication.

Day 1 was full of incredible experiences and I could not believe I had two more days of this! My favorite part of the day was when we were leaving St. Elizabeth Hospital and two of the girls, Jane and Shannon, came running back to me to take a selfie. After just a short time with them, I really felt like we had connected and it warmed my heart to see that they felt the same.

The next morning we headed to Moshi and Kibosho and our first stop was the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center. We met with another youth group who shared many of their songs and games with us! These games were a bit different than what I was used to, as they had important messages about consistently taking their HIV medication, being trustworthy, and supporting each other. Their group leader, Angel, was such an inspiration.

Next we visited the Kibosho Hospital, where a mothers’ support group greeted us with a song and dance. They shared a skit with us that they prepared about going to the hospital, getting tested, and learning about their HIV-positive status. They shared that since their support group formed in 2016, all of their babies had been born HIV free!

Our third and final day was in Karatu, which was quite a drive from Arusha. There we met with another mothers’ support group who again shared with us their stories. They told us about a community fund they each contribute to in order to help the other women in times of need. They also explained that they will travel to the homes of other mothers in order to encourage them to take their medications, get regular check ups, and attend the support group. As we left the final site visit, they wrapped us in the traditional Maasai blankets as a thank you for the work we have been doing.

The second part of our trip consisted of a three day Safari in Tanzania! Our guide Jonathan led us through the Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater, and the Lake Manyara National Park! It was surreal driving through these parks and seeing the diverse wildlife living together in one place. We were able to see some pretty rare animals like cheetahs, a leopard, and a rhino! We also saw about 10 lion cubs all come together at one point, which I loved since cats are my favorite animal! There were more monkeys than I could have ever imagined at Lake Manyara and it was adorable to see them in groups of over 50 in the trees. My favorite part of the safari was definitely waking up for the sunrise in the middle of the Serengeti after spending the night in a tent where we could hear all the different animals! It was definitely an experience that I will never forget.

Lions

Giraffes

Elephants

Although the safari was unlike anything else, I still cannot seem to fully explain how impactful meeting everyone at the EGPAF sites was. Each of the site visits was incredibly meaningful in its own way and I cannot wait to share my experiences with everyone back at UCLA. Meeting all of the EGPAF staff in Arusha and seeing the work they are doing at numerous sites in Tanzania was eye-opening and really brought into perspective how important this cause is. Seeing how many difficulties the men, women, and children living with HIV face yet knowing how resilient they are and how much they want to help each other and others is truly inspiring. I cannot wait to go into next year even better educated and with a clear vision of the far-reaching impact EGPAF, the Pediatric AIDS Coalition at UCLA, and Dance Marathon have and hope to spread this important cause in any way I can. As I continue on my path to becoming a doctor, I will carry this experience with me and hope to one day contribute in an even greater way. Thank you to EGPAF for this incomparable experience and thank you for following along on my journey!