| As she watched Tatu run with the other children, it | | | | continued working with Tatu and set up a 'washing |
| was at this moment she knew the reason for her visit | | | | feet' scheme by supplying her family with anti bacterial |
| to Africa. | | | | soap and a towel, along with antiseptic cream and |
| Gwen Jones, 27, NZ, volunteered with GVN in | | | | Band-aids. She also incorporated healthy eating and |
| Tanzania for 6 weeks. She is a qualified | | | | some stretches in Tatu's daily routine at school. Tatu is |
| Physiotherapist who spent her time abroad working in | | | | a very smart girl who is only in a mentally disabled |
| a school for children with disabilities. She donated her | | | | class due to her physical disability. |
| time and skills along with a big box of school supplies | | | | Gwen took Tatu into the Muhumbili Government |
| from play-doh to puzzle books. "I knew I was going to | | | | hospital to meet a doctor and discuss future options |
| be placed in a disabled school but had no idea what | | | | and also to access her medical records. As her case |
| disabilities they had and how severely affected they | | | | was very unique the doctor did some x rays and |
| were" said Gwen. | | | | blood tests to confirm she would be safe for an |
| As she began to play soccer with the children she | | | | operation. During Gwen's visit to the local hospital she |
| was mesmerised by a little girl running along late to | | | | was shocked by the conditions. "There were three |
| school. She was six years old and very skinny. As she | | | | patients per bed, children in intensive care got a bed to |
| ran with the other children she would fall flat face in | | | | themselves and there was one cylinder of oxygen for |
| the dirt but would always brush herself back up with a | | | | all patients in the room to share around. This was |
| smile on her face. This girl was Tatu Shabani and she | | | | enough to see that I needed to look abroad to get the |
| has bilateral club feet, a condition developed in utero | | | | best results for Tatu," said Gwen. |
| where both feet turn inwards. Although she suffers | | | | The time had come to leave Tanzania behind, Gwen |
| this condition Tatu has learnt to walk on the outsides | | | | was still holding on to high hope that something more |
| of her inwardly rotated feet. | | | | could be done to save Tatu. Once she arrived home |
| "I decided that Tatu was the reason I'd taken this | | | | she received an e-mail from Moira Kelly of the |
| volunteer placement. You cannot help everyone you | | | | Children's First Foundation, a charity that specialises in |
| meet or nearly as many people as you wish you could, | | | | flying children from third world nations to Australia for |
| but Tatu is someone my medical knowledge can | | | | surgery. The moment she read the e-mail her heart |
| make a difference for that will have a huge impact on | | | | leapt. The organisation accepted Tatu's case and is |
| her life and open future opportunities," said Gwen. She | | | | planning to fly her out to Australia in January 2007 for |
| bonded with Tatu instantly and made a promise to | | | | surgery. The surgical and travel costs are all covered |
| herself and Tatu's family that she would do her utmost | | | | by the organisation. Tatu will stay in a children's farm |
| to follow through Tatu's medical needs at whatever | | | | where she is clothed, cared for, and loved. Once |
| cost. "Tatu loved to be picked up and cuddled, she | | | | comfortably rehabilitated, Tatu will receive her surgery |
| would cling to me like a koala bear on a gum tree and | | | | in a private hospital with Gwen by her side to take |
| would be happy to stay there if I didn't sit her down at | | | | care of her, before returning back home to her family |
| her desk," said Gwen. | | | | in Tanzania. |
| Tatu was born with this condition and although she has | | | | Gwen has always been drawn in by the needy in |
| had an operation at the age of 1 to try to correct her | | | | Africa. At the age of 11, Gwen fundraised money for |
| feet, due to the lack of resources and poor follow-up, | | | | World Vision's Forty-hour Famine. When she was |
| the surgery failed. Tatu is the youngest of her 3 | | | | young she also managed to convince her family to |
| siblings who are all healthy. As they each grow up | | | | sponsor a child in Tanzania. This is also the forth year |
| together, at some stage in Tatu's growth her feet will | | | | in a row now that Gwen will participate in the Oxfam |
| no longer be able to hold her body weight. Her steps in | | | | Trail-walker Race, and before arriving at her |
| adulthood will be painful. | | | | placement in Tanzania she participated on the Mount |
| "With poor access to wheelchairs and lack of | | | | Kilimanjaro hike. Through every single activity she has |
| resources, Tatu's future looks no brighter than the | | | | done to help those in need, Gwen has been |
| beggar I saw at Karikoo markets walking on his | | | | determined and kept faith. Gwen volunteered with the |
| knees," said Gwen. | | | | Global Volunteer Network, a non-government |
| Gwen was determined to extended her helping hand | | | | organization based in New Zealand, which connects |
| out further. In her spare time outside of working with | | | | people to communities in need. |
| the other children she began to contact hospitals and | | | | Faith is the substance for things hoped for, and through |
| medical professionals to see if she could gain some | | | | the desperate times, Gwen held on to her faith and |
| tips for Physio treatment, and gain further advice to | | | | made great efforts to keep her promise to the family |
| help Tatu's condition. She sent out lots of e-mails and | | | | of Tatu Shabani, and she has succeeded. |
| waited in faith that something would come up. Gwen | | | | |