Young Leaders in Diabetes YLD – Tanzania special
As many of you know the 1st
African Diabetes Congress and the YLD’s attendance at the congress was a
resounding success, which has caused a multiplier of enthusiasm and hard work in
improving the lives of Young People, affected by Diabetes Worldwide.
On the 21st July the African Diabetes
Youth Programme being run by the Tanzanian Diabetes Association and IDF Young
Leader Michael Sorenson from Denmark.
This programme brought
together 43 young people between 15 and 21 years, 22 nurses and 21 doctors from
Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Guinea and Congo. The programme
focused on diabetes management, peer-to-peer support and education, how to build
awareness, and the principles of good leadership.
19 IDF YLD arrived in Arusha
on the 22nd July and joined the program for the last two days. For
most of the Young Leaders, this was their first time in an African country as
well as their first reunion with their fellow young leaders, formed at the
World Diabetes Congress in Dubai last December.
However, just like in Dubai the introduction of the YLD to the
congress helped to light up proceedings and provided many of the African Youth
with knowledge, experience and inspiration.
Marie Helene from IDF Global
mentioned that “The African Youth Program was a great opportunity for the YLD
to meet with youth in Arusha and to share regional experiences and knowledge”
as more people began to arrive on the first day, the greater the level of
sharing, and the greater the impact for the program!
In addition, like the
congress in Dubai, all attendees realised that there were huge differences in
the issues facing people with diabetes worldwide, but there was also similarities.
Interestingly, like in Dubai the biggest issue raised was a lack of education.
These shared issues provided
a powerful bond between the IDF young leaders and will hopefully ensure that
further work will be done to support the African Youth, providing them with
hope and a reason to become more involved and continue to ask for support and
advice from the YLD moving forward.
As the first IDF Youth
congress since Dubai, it will be interesting to see how many of the program
will work toward becoming a part of the YLD in Melbourne.
As he joined the group between sessions, Professor Jean-Claude
Mbanya, President of the International Diabetes Federation said "It is a
pleasure to see the enthusiasm shown by the Young Leaders in Diabetes. I
am confident that the Congress and the Youth Programme will help them
understand the reality of having diabetes in Africa and to evaluate the
challenges faced by people here".
This was surely the case and
after the conclusion of the African Diabetes Youth Program, both the African
Youth and the IDF Young Leaders attended the opening ceremony of the first IDF
African Congress.
It was a powerful and
emotional affair, as many of the African Youth addressed the Tanzanian Vice
President to ask for a continuation in the free insulin they need to survive.
Young Leader Rachel Lamb from
Australia commented “The Opening Ceremony was another
amazing, exhausting, confronting day at the African Diabetes Congress (ADC). The
congress sessions are so informative, but a lot of the stories, stats and
scenarios are pretty foreign, scary & hard to hear. For example, patients
here in Africa wishing they had AIDS instead of diabetes so the government
would provide free medication. Having their parents wait/hope for them to die
so the cost of their insulin won't drain the family finances, which are already
below modest. The cost of their diabetes supplies being equal to, or exceeding
that of the WHOLE family's yearly income or having people in their village shun
them, because a common misconception is that their condition is the result of
witchcraft. As I'm sure you can imagine, a lot of the IDF YLD are finding these
scenarios confronting. How do you feel when you hear stories like this? Can you
relate? Do you sympathise? Does it make you want to take action?”
The answer left many of the young leaders realising
the significance of the International Diabetes Federation’s phrase “Act on
Diabetes Now”!
The program also was also an
ability for Sir Michael Hirst, IDF President-Elect to give a brief of the
program over the next few days and for Isabella Platon, Head of Communications
at IDF Global, to give insight to the young leaders, on the importance of good
communication and how to work with the IDF to achieve the communication side of
your projects.
Once the African Youth had
left the IDF young leaders were given a unique experience, since Dubai, to
discuss the program and highlight any challenges or solutions they have moving
forward. Ironically, the main issue highlighted was a need for further
communication via the forum and the website. These have been highlighted as key
objectives over the coming months with forum manager Jan already implementing a
notification system so you will now be notified of new posts on the forum via
email. Since Dubai the forum has once again sparked back to life so
congratulations Jan.
The YLD had the opportunity
to go to the Mount Meru Hospital for the Diabetes Clinic day. The YLD had the opportunity to meet with the
people living with Diabetes in Arusha and share experiences. For many of the YLD this was a great
experience in the fact of experiencing what it would be like to live with
Diabetes in Africa. A special thank you
to Abbott Diabetes Care South Africa for the sponsorship of the trip to Mount
Meru hospital as well as for the t-shirts that the YLD wore to both the
hospital and the opening ceremony.
The young leaders that were
in Tanzania we had many discussions on the way forward with the program –
minutes were taken at all the meeting and will be circulated to all the YLD
through the forum by the 3 September 2012 – a big thank you to Krystal Boyea
for taking the minutes and to Pauline for being the official photographer for
the IDF YLD in Tanzania.
Finally, I want to say huge
thanks to Debbie Jones, Lorne Abramson, John Sjolund, Paul Madden, IDF Africa and all the YLD for all the
incredible hard work they put into the IDF YLD program in Tanzania. Once again
you have helped to change the lives of many for the better. What’s more, you
have instilled in them that this program is more than just providing a solution
to the issues facing people with diabetes on a domestic level, but it is a
program to improve the lives of young people affected by diabetes worldwide
especially where it is needed the most.
Thank you to this amazing much of Young people who, as Krystal from Barbados (Bermuda;) said, my Diabetic Family for all the hard work and great humility that was shown in Arusha. You all made it such a worth while experience and of course was great to see you all again.
