Sikonge Hospital Exemption Programme - A Personal Story

Zacharia and Mwaka got sick with malaria but got free treatment at Sikonge Mission Hospital through the exemption program supported by Moravian brothers and sisters in UK.

Agnes cannot stand on her legs, so she moves around on all fours with flip-flops on her hands. She was born that way just as she has only been able to speak more than a few words with great difficulty. Today she is a grown woman and mother of five children - two girls and three boys from two to twelve years old. She lives in the outskirts of the village of Sikonge in Tanzania together with her husband Daniel. Daniel can only walk slowly with his homemade walking stick after he got into an accident with a cow when he worked as a shepherd. The family struggles to make ends meet but gets by through a combination of Agnes begging at the village market and their small rice field.

Football and sweet tea

One day in November 2024 Agnes and Daniel noticed that their ten-year-old son Zacharia was laying on his mat inside their small hut not playing football outside as usual. His younger sister Mwaka did not want any sweet cardamom tea although she usually loves it. An hour later both children had burning hot foreheads and glassy eyes - they were sick with a high fever. The family had no money and did not know what to do. A neighbour told them that Sikonge Mission Hospital has a programme that gives free treatment. They took the children to hospital. A nurse checked the children's vital signs to check how serious their conditions were. There was no immediate danger, so she took them to the social worker. The social worker talked to Daniel about the family's living standard and their social network. The discussion was based upon the hospital's policy and criteria for exemption, but as usual the social worker got the needed information through friendly conversation. In this case, he did not have to talk to Daniel for more than a few minutes and also looked at the children's clothes before granting full exemption. One of the hospital's doctors examined Zacharia and Mwaka, did some tests and soon the laboratory sent the results back to the doctor: both children had malaria. The doctor started the treatment right away. After less than a week Zacharia was back to kicking the homemade ball made of bamboo-strings around, while Mwaka drank her favourite sweet cardamom tea - both healthy again.

The Programme

Sikonge Mission Hospital is owned by the Moravian Church in Western Tanzania. The exemption programme is supported by The British Mission Board and Young Peoples Missionary Association. The programme gives free procedures and admission to all pregnant women, children under five years, and persons with epilepsy, sickle cell, leprosy or mental illness. Besides those groups, the programme gives free treatment to individuals that cannot pay due to poverty.

Support

You can support the Sikonge Hospital Exemption Programme by donating through your local YPMA representative or by sending donations to Moravian Church House in London.

Mia Toldam Korsgard

Missionary, Sikonge Mission Hospital, Moravian Church Western Tanzania

Mia is engaged by the Danish Mission Board and based in Denmark but visits Sikonge frequently to maintain the Programme.