October 2024 – Mission to Tanzania

From September 30 to October 9, 2024, SwissABILITY organized a double mission aimed at orthopedic professionals in Tanzania, in two different locations: the Mwanza Prosthetics and Orthotics Workshop (MPOW), in Mwanza, and the Desire Charitable Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre (DCHRC), in Kibaha.

This mission had the goal of promoting low-cost technological innovations in the rehabilitation field, targeting a wide range of professionals from all over the country. Through our valuable Tanzanian technical trainers, Nsengiyumva Magogwa and Claude Mushi, we were able to train 32 orthopedic professionals.

Through these two trainings, we have been able to deeply change the lives of many people with disabilities. We have offered them not only physical support, but also the chance to take back their lives, with the concrete possibility of regaining their independence and their daily lives.

During the two trainings in Mwanza and Kibaha, we were able to manufacture nine prostheses for eight patients, including one case of bilateral amputation. In addition to this important immediate achievement, we also laid the groundwork for long-term impact by organizing widespread distribution of materials for the production of another 650 prostheses throughout the country.

In addition, From October 3-5, SwissABILITY further consolidated its presence in Tanzania by participating in the fifth conference organized by the Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists of Tanzania APOT. SwissABILITY had the valuable opportunity to deliver the panel “Transtibial prosthesis management using Monolimb technology technique” during the first day of the conference.

The partnership between SwissABILITY and APOT, which has been established over time, is invaluable to us, enabling us to contribute together to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities in Tanzania. We are deeply grateful for the trust shown and look forward to this relationship continuing to grow in the years to come.

We are in Tanzania, determined to stay. SwissABILITY’s goal is to make a difference, every day, for the thousands of amputees who still live without a prosthesis and without any perspective.