Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre

Today was the most fantastic day! I spoke with two nutrition PhD's who studied in the states at the TFNC. The most exciting part of this tid-bit of information: they knew what a dietitian was! They completely understood the frustration I have been experiencing of having to explain what I am training to do, what I have been doing in the past year, and how it more than their secondary education of what a balanced meal is. As a matter of fact, they valued my profession and wanted to expand and strengthen the clinical dietetic field in Tanzania.


TFNC is an awesome organization and was well worth the 16 hours on a hot sweaty bus (that happened to show us this African tele-novela style movie that rocked). They are comparable to a WIC clinic in the area of nutrition education; however, there is no food assistance involved. Tanzania does not have a nutrition field as it is now. There are very few hospitals that have 'nutritionists' (this is the title that this country uses for these professionals although it makes me cringe knowing its meaning in the states). There is one school in the country that teaches human nutrition. Within three years, you can get a Tanzanian degree and become a nutritionist. It takes four years (of undergraduate college) to become an M.D. If a doctor wants to specialize, he will get a master's degree or a PhD later. Now I understand why the doctors I spoke to thought I was some sort of genius with my physiology (one of the Tanzanian master's degree specialties) degree and my nutrition degree. 


In between appointments, I went back to my room to work on the computer. The housekeeper came in to tidy up the room and commented on how happy I looked. She asked what my work was and so I showed her my new pamphlets and the work on the computer. She said she wanted to have a job she liked that much and wondered if there were 'vacancies'. It really got me thinking about her opportunities for education. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a student loan program available to her so that she could fund her education? More thought needs to be put into that one ;)


I also got to meet up with some Unicef workers. One works in the emergency preparation department, and one works in the nutrition department! The nutrition worker has the same background as me minus the internship, so he completely understood my frustrations I've had here (although I've still had a positive experience thus far). I learned that Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center is the only hospitals with a nutritionist that is trying to form a nutrition department. It is a brand new (baby) field here, but the awareness of its importance is growing. How exciting!