The year 2022 was dominated by our Incinerator project. In 2021, Bishop Raphael of the Anglican Diocese of Ruvuma, the hospital's sponsor, approached us with a critical requirement: the Tanzanian government mandated that all hospitals must dispose of their waste exclusively through waste incineration plants. In Tanzania, there is no established waste collection system, and before our project, local residents faced significant challenges disposing of waste from wards and operating theaters. Waste was either burned in open fires, posing severe health risks, or buried in the ground. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, proper disposal of (contaminated) hospital waste became immensely important to contain diseases. However, the region's structural weaknesses made constructing a waste incineration plant seem like an unattainable goal for the hospital.
Our former board members, Andreas Esser, Tanja Hart, and Claudia Schiffner, explored various options and received a decisive tip from our association member Tim Tartler, who connected us with Technology Without Borders. With their assistance, the board planned the project and set a donation target of €9,000 based on cost estimates. It was crucial for us to build the waste incineration plant using local labor and materials, supporting the local economy and enabling workers to acquire new skills for future maintenance and repairs. This approach ensured the project's sustainability and support for the surrounding community.
Tanja created flyers, Claudia managed social media posts, and together with three association members, they set up a stand at a village flea market in Rhineland-Palatinate. Andreas handled the administration of incoming donations. In spring 2022, local workers built the base plate. By August 2022, two technicians from Technology Without Borders arrived in Liuli. Together with local workers and materials, they constructed the new waste incinerator for St. Anne's Hospital in just over a month, adhering closely to the schedule.
The incinerator was officially handed over to the hospital in September 2022. In October 2022, after reaching the donation target, we officially announced the project's completion.
Our heartfelt thanks go to Technology Without Borders, the local workers in Liuli, Tim Tartler, our former board members Andreas, Tanja, and Claudia, and all our members and donors. Together, we have made this important and health-protective project possible for the people of Liuli.
EN 
DE