We Are TLM
Garden Market
We started off the month of July with a trip to the Handmade from Tanzania Garden Market where we sold crafts made by the parents (and sometimes children!) of Tumaini La Maisha as part of our parent’s skills programme! As well as crafts including clothing, masks, bags, jewellery and our Sammy Spider book, we had a ‘Kid’s Club’ {Idea thanks to our HOPAC heroes Rina and Aanika} where children at the market could make their own colours sand jars in exchange for a donation – check out the fun we had here! Take a look here at the Garden Market we took part in later on August 20th!
UCD Smurfit School zoom
On July 19th the ‘UCD Smurfit School College of Business students came together on zoom to present the results of their research for TLM on market potential and entry strategies for TLM innovations called CleverCancerCare applications – CleverChemo is an highly automated chemotherapy prescribing tool and CleverCharts is an innovative data sharing tool for use within and across paediatric cancer care sites. The students divided their efforts into 4 important areas namely: sales & marketing, market access, transformation, impact & sustainability and financial projections. The research outputs will support TLM’s ongoing efforts in the treatment of children with cancer. Well done to all involved!
Launch of HELPFUL
There is no better way to learn about early warning signs of childhood cancer than from the parents (and children!) themselves. Full video linked here.
HELPFUL warning signs, TLM’s clever acronym, and the parents’ accounts were brought to life by Elvis, Yvonne and the team at https://africanenotion.co.tz/.
Early awareness > earlier presentation > increased survival
H– headaches / signs of haemorrhage
E– eye changes/ new onset squint/ white pupil/ swelling
L– lumps or swellings (especially if painless)
P– pallor or fatigue/ weight-loss
F– fever (persistent/ unexplained)
U– unusual symptoms- intractable vomiting/ development changes
L– limb or bone pain/ easily breaking
Ladies Golf
11th of July – FOUUUUURRRR Thank you to everyone who took part in the Ladies Golf Open at Gymkhana Gold Club in Dar es Salaam. The event raised 5 million shillings for TLM children’s cancer services – asanteni sana!!⛳️⛳️⛳️
Pictured: Dr Trish and TLM Tanzania board member Philip Saliboko with Alfred Kinswaga chairman, Minister Damas Ndumbaro, Sue van Zyl Lady captain, Lucy and Sharphin from Serena and Victor from SUPERDOLL.
500km in four days for TLM
Darren Burke, Conor Casey and Niall Gavin cycled 500km in 4 days from July 29th to August 3rd around Connemara to fundraise for TLM! Talk about going the extra mile!! They have also absolutely smashed their fundraising target of €1,000 and raised €3,111 – congratulations lads – next stop Tanzania!
EZ Living Partnerships
On August 9th we launched our latest partnership with EZ Living in Ireland and unveiled an exciting collaboration we had been working on behind the scenes! The organisation has supported us in the past through the generous donations of new mattresses for every bed in the Upendo and Tumaini wards and Ujasiri House! This time around, they kindly offered to promote our mission on social media and raffle off a mattress in exchange for donations to TLM! Pop into EZ living stores around Ireland and pick up one of the beautiful masks that came straight from our parents’ skills shops at Ujasiri house!
This December, TLM has teamed up with EZ Living Furniture with a magical offer to have a personalized message for your children from Santa Clause himself, such as this one here. You can book to receive a personalized message here.
Mo Dewji Foundation Support
We were delighted to see Tumaini La Maisha founding board member and Board Chairperson Mr Gerald Mongella accept a cheque for 100m tsh from our dear friends at the Mo Dewji Foundation at Ujasiri House on August 3rd. Here is their lovely message to TLM: ‘Today, we donated 100 Million Tsh to Tumaini La Maisha. TLM provides FREE treatment and support for children diagnosed with cancer from across the country. We have supported TLM since 2013 and we continue to be amazed by TLM’s important, lifesaving work.’
Pictured: TLM Tanzania board member Gerald Mongella receiving a TZS 100million cheque from the Mo Dewji Foundation.
National Steering Group
In August, TLM was invited by the Ministry of Health to join the annual national steering group for Non- communicable diseases that was held in Arusha .
The Liquid Knife Study
On the 12th of August the AI REAL Steering Committee met to discuss the progress made during the first year of the ground breaking research. The members include: teams from Muhimbili National Hospital, Muhimbili University for Health and Allied Sciences, Seren lab, Oxford University and TLM who are working together to find a faster, safer and accurate way to diagnose children with lymphoma in Tanzania. Click here for details of the study.
Síne Vasquez Partnership
Another exciting partnership we unveiled in the quarter is with the wonderfully talented Síne Vasquez: specialist cancer physiotherapist and Jewellery Maker. Síne Vasquez generously chose to give back while launching her online fine jewellery website and store. Síne has committed to donating 10% of the sales of her beautiful bespoke pieces to Tumaini La Maisha. Her pieces are made using recycled gold, carefully sourced gemstones and favour sustainable production. She skilfully and thoughtfully uses traditional goldsmithing techniques to reflect the time and skill embedded in considered craftmanship that she believes to be our one true modern luxury. Take a look at Síne’s pieces here and support her beautiful work while giving back to Tumaini La Maisha – together we can!
September Childhood Cancer Month in short
- Piggy Bank Campaign launched: staff, volunteers and survivors visited schools all over Dar to ask schools to commit to raising funds and awareness for childhood cancer! As always, we are so grateful for the support and compassion shown by the students advocating for their peers in treatment!
- Here is a message from future teacher and childhood cancer survivor Kelvin.
- Social Media advocacy: we shared our HELPFUL early warning signs; Dr Trish went on Instagram live with Dr Niamh Lynch and Ciara Kelly; shared messages in English and Swahili across our social media; and engaged with our partners in Mo Dewji Foundation, MNH and MUHAS in spreading awareness. We were also treated to a September childhood cancer awareness month talk with Dr Lulu and MNH Paediatric Oncology colleagues. Together we can!
- MNH Staff Tshirt Day every Friday of September!! Take a look at the beautiful team in their new t-shirts!
- 8th of September TLM was invited to present to the membership of the Tanzanian Christian Medical Association at their annual conference in Dodoma. The National Children’s Cancer Network was outlined and staff from hospitals across the country were encouraged to join.
- 19th September TLM staff and children admitted to the Upendo Children’s Cancer ward at MNH were guests at the Rotary Dar es Salaam sunset ‘Family Sports Day’ at Readers Rabbits!
- We teamed up with MUHAS, MNH, GLOBAL HOPE and our friends in MO Dewji Foundation to walk for childhood cancer with survivors, staff, families and patients alike 25th September was a hot but memorable day – take a look at the fun here!
- On the same Day Dr Trish Presented at the World Pharmacy Day conference at the 57357 Cairo children’s Hospital, Egypt hosted by our friend Dr Sherif Kamal, explaining the vital role of our incredible pharamcists team of Ezekiel, Jackson, (Pharmacy Technician) and all the pharmacy interns who carefully manage all aspects of the chemotherapy service.
- Visits from Jema Foundation and Mo Dewji Foundation asanteni sana!
Spotlight on Direct Relief
Supporting our cold chain drug transportation around our 10 partner centres across Tanzania, drugs and consumables and staff training! Take a look at the beautiful pictures taken by Daniel Msrikale here – hats off to Pharmacist Ezekiel who looks at home in that (very!) cold room!! Thank you, Direct Relief! Full post here.
Support from The Lions Club
The Lions Clubs of Dar es Salaam have committed to supporting NHIF ‘toto’/ health insurance cards and birth certificates where needed for all childhood cancer patients. Children who receive cancer treatment should ideally be treated in centres close to their homes so that family life is as uninterrupted as possible. TLM continues to expand the number of hospitals across the country who participate in the National Children’s Cancer Network, NCCN, supporting free chemotherapy, central diagnostics at MNH, transport and remote specialist support. Free comprehensive treatment, while the norm at the MNH children’s oncology unit, is not available across the entire NCCN at this time and is not available to outpatient children at any site. In these cases, National Health Insurance (NHIF) Cards are often the only means to pay for treatment, the only means to survive. TLM’s dedicated social work support team procure these cards as soon as possible for each child. But this costs money – the Lions Club donations will save many young lives across the country. Sponsor NHIF, sponsor survival. Thank you, Lions!
Bid For Life 2
Bid for life 2 featured over 150 beautiful pieces of art from all over the world. Bidding for these pieces supports children’s cancer services in Tanzania and the little warriors we treat every day – Their Lives Matter! The bidding ended on October 31st.
Click here to see this years catalogue!
Staff of the Quarter
The people have spoken and the votes are in!!! The staff members of the quarter are……. Social Worker Blandina and Nutritionist Anna – congratulations to you both on your hard work and dedication and always putting children first – we are so proud of you both!!!!!!
Irish Blood Transfusion in Tanzania
Irish Blood Transfusion are off to Tanzania (virtually!) once again!
The IBTS trip to Tanzania is back!! They’ve asked staff, colleagues and friends to walk, skip, run, jump, swim or shimmy the 4882 miles to Tanzania and raise €4882 for Children’s Cancer Services in Tanzania. In 2020 the IBTS walked, run, swam, cycled and skipped over 9092.8km’s and raised over €10,466 for Children’s Cancer Services in Tanzania and www.wearetlm.org. This October, the IBTS Trip to Tanzania is back and the team have the runners on and are ready to take the meaningful steps to support the provision of free and curative treatment for Tanzanian children. As well as taking on the fitness challenges, those interested are encouraged to consider a Couch to 5km as part of their challenge – what better chance! Support their fundraising here! Are you a corporate who would like to take on a challenge? Get in touch!
G.E.M. Club! Many of you will know already that we are starting a new initiative – the G.E.M. Club (Give Every Month)!! As a thank you, every member of the G.E.M. Club receives a G.E.M. membership card, personalised receipt and a special ‘Inspirational Patient of the Month’ story so you can learn the true impact of your donation through the battles fought by some of the remarkable young patients we care for. Take a look at Dorcas’ story here, our first and a very special ‘Inspirational Patient of the Month’!! If you would consider giving even €10 a month, we would be most grateful and can assure you that the support adds up and makes a big difference for the little people we treat! Sign up here today to show your support!!
We Are TLM and we want to hear from you!