Dental Surgeon and Orthodontist, Dr. Deborah Tuzo, Director of AHEAD Bermuda, will be leading a team of 10 volunteers on another trip to Tanzania this July, the purpose of which is to assist young Tanzanians to become more self sufficient.

The volunteers? work will include providing gutter piping for Mzenga Girls School, assisting in establishing an immunisation programme in the Kisarawe District as well as equipping the Masaki hospital and helping them to develop their policies and procedures. Volunteers will also be teaching sewing, reviewing agricultural techniques and giving lessons in entrepreneurial skills to teenagers.

In 2004 a donation from Pembroke Rotary and Saltus Senior School provided funds which allowed AHEAD Bermuda to build dormitories and a water catchment system for The Girls Mzenga School in Kisarawe, Tanzania. This meant that the girls were safe and no longer had to walk long distances in search of water.

This summer a second donation from Pembroke Rotary of $3,000 will help AHEAD Bermuda to build dormitories for the Chanzinge Girls School, also in Kisarawe, Tanzania. This school needs dormitories for female students whose homes are far away. The girls are currently forced to find housing in the village and are often violated. They are prevented from completing school due to pregnancy and, even worse, are often infected with HIV.

AHEAD Inc. was founded 20 years ago by Dr. and Mrs. Irving Williams, to provide primary health care in the rural areas of Tanzania primarily through an immunisation programme. AHEAD Inc. (Adventures in Health, Education and Agricultural Development) is a non profit organisation based in Rockville, Maryland and their mission is ?to work with under served communities in developing countries to improve the quality of life by implementing programmes that lead to self-reliance.

AHEAD Bermuda is the Mid-Atlantic network organisation for AHEAD Inc and was started in 2002 by Dr.Tuzo who after doing her Masters in public health developed an interest in international health. In 2001 she accepted an invitation from the Williams to work with the AHEAD programme for the summer.

?It was an awesome and inspirational trip that motivated me to try to do as much as possible for Tanzanians in rural areas,? she said of her first trip to Tanzania when she noticed they had limited access to basic health care and clean water.

The achievements of AHEAD Bermuda in Tanzania include hospital ward renovation, providing educational scholarships for Tanzanian high school students, working in dental education, AIDS prevention, education in primary and secondary schools and much more.

The AHEAD Bermuda volunteers go to Tanzania every two years to do charity work. . Led by Dr. Tuzo,19 Bermudian volunteers went in 2004 and worked in various fields including, medical, dental, education and construction.

Tracy Wicks, 21, will be a returning AHEAD Bermuda volunteer to Tanzania this summer. Miss Wicks volunteered in July 2004 and ?loved it.? She taught basic computer skills and will do so again this summer along with sewing and jewellery making.

When asked what prompted her to volunteer for work in Africa, Miss Wicks said: ?it?s something I have wanted to do for a long time, anyway I can help I want to.

?It is a beautiful country, the people are awesome, so welcoming and friendly.?

She noticed that the children paid great attention in class, even in classes as big as 100.

?The kids were just so eager to be there,? she said.