At the June 2 meeting of the Highlands Hope Nurse-Counsellor Network, three members attended from Tanwat Company Hospital with 12 from Consolata Hospital in Ikonda. Two members were unable to attend.

The main item on the agenda was a lengthy discussion about the need for a coordinator for the Network.

A new chairperson was elected, Evangelista Kayombo, the assitant matron at Ikonda, and Betty Liduke, Director of the TANWAT HIV Care and Treatment Centre, was appointed as the first HH Coordinator.

The Ikonda site has been selected to be the headquaters for the HH Nurse-Counsellor Network and the nurse-counselors have decided to pay for transportation expenses for those who will be coming for meetings, as well as for office expenses, through a fund to which each member agreed to contribute 30,000 Tsh as a first investment.

The HH nurse-counselors expressed thanks to HH Canadian friends for their contribution to the computer skills training classes at Ikonda.

They also were happy to hear about the team from Canadian Friends of Highlands Hope coming to Tanzania in July. They invited the Canadians to join them for lunch or dinner at Ikonda with the nurse-counselors, before traveling on to Bulongwa. A computer class will be held on the Monday that the Canadian friends are expected to visit, starting at 3:00 p.m.

The members also discussed setting up the HH office and decided that a printer would be a priority purchase for them.

Drafting of the constitution and by-laws for the group is continuing and should be ready for the next meeting of the Network to be held on the 1st of September, 2007.

The nurse-counselors see that in future all health workers should be involved in the HH network as this will help all be more strong.

with files from Betty Liduke