Habari — Liz Pavlovich: Congratulations to Bugando Graduates!

On November 21, at a graduation ceremony that was both energetic and dignified, the number of doctors in the Lake Zone region of Tanzania grew by ten percent. It was a joyful day for the 15 million people in this region who rely on the healthcare system that the graduating doctors and other health professionals will serve. But more tangibly, it was a day that immortalized the hopes and dreams of dedicated young individuals.

This was Bugando University’s second graduation ceremony of MD students. In addition to the 24 MD graduates, 166 graduates from Bugando’s seven other health disciplines graduated in 2009: post-graduate MDs, nurses, nurse-anesthetists, assistant medical officers, radiographers, pharmacists and laboratory technologists.

When the graduates received their diplomas, proud friend or family members would run up to the stage, showering their loved ones with festive lay necklaces and gifts so that the graduates returned to their seats with arms full and the classic gowns rendered more colorful. The confidence and hope that the graduates’ mentors, educators, friends and family members have invested in the new health workers were palpable. This optimism filled the space like the band diddling on their electric instruments.

From under the graduation awnings situated on Bugando’s campus, the view was panoramic – the classrooms and hostel were 100 meters behind us, the graduates were seated adjacently, and Bugando’s world-class laboratory (nearly completed) provided the backdrop. The past, present and future of their careers – and the patients whom they will help – was in focus and resonated deeply with everyone that day.

So hongera sana, congratulations to all of the graduates! The effort and dedication to reach this pinnacle moment should be recognized and commended as a tremendous accomplishment.

Habari – News From Bugando – is a periodic blog posting by Liz Pavlovich, a Program Officer for the Touch Foundation who is based in Mwanza Tanzania. Since 2004, the Touch Foundation (www.touchfoundation.org) has been working with Tanzanian partners to address the health worker shortage by expanding the Bugando regional medical training college and teaching hospital. Bugando’s University is the second largest of five institutions training medical doctors in the country. It also trains health workers in seven other disciplines – post-graduate MDs, nurses, assistant medical officers, radiographers, pharmacists and laboratory technologists. The school is now training 900 students.