Meserani Snake Park is located in Tanzania, East Africa.
The snake park is located 25km west of Arusha on the route to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater.
Meserani Snake Park provides a free medical health clinic, with over a 1000 patients per month and rising. The clinic treats many medical emergencies, a common issue is treatment for infections and snakebites.
The clinic employs two-full time nurses. The clinic is open 24 /7, 365 days a year.
The owner operators of Meserani Snake Park Berry and Lynn Bale pay for all the salaries and medical supplies.
A physician assistant and a paramedic, both from Prineville, became friends with Wade Bale and learned about the Meserani Snake Park. They visited the facility two years’ ago and agreed with the Bales that a new clinic was needed to better serve the area, as the existing facility was much too small, not adequately supplied and too far away from the Snake Park itself. Upon returning to Central Oregon, these two, along with Wade Bale, his wife, Susan, and others who had also visited the Snake Park, formed Mbuyu Charities. The word comes from the local dialect, meaning “Baobab,” a tree that is plentiful in the area. This tree is often called “The Tree of Life,” and it is the goal of the organization to be able to provide hope and life to people living in the Meserani region.
Thanks to generous contributors, the Bales were presented with a $4,000 gift to begin construction of a new clinic. Since Berry Bale is also an engineer, plans were formulated and construction began quickly, using the Maasai as laborers. Nevertheless, this first influx of funds covers only about 1/3 of the total cost of construction.
The current clinic is now housing five orphans as well as caring for close to 50 patients a day. This is a project that needs to be finished, not only to provide for better and more centrally located medical care, but so that the old clinic can be transformed into an orphanage.
Mbuyu Charities sent a team of medical professional to Tanzania, please view the video’s right here. Part 1 Part 2
The Tanzania trip was very successful, they treated over 1000 patients and one baby Elephant.
Through your support Meserani Snake Park has been able to move forward and provide the local people with a better quality of life.
Meserani Snake Park and Mbuyu Charities is greatly thankful.
This is a story of a young man who has made such a difference to the local people in East Africa.
Max Griffiths had a dream and that dream has come true. This is his story.
“I once heard a wise man say that Africa was like water in the desert – once you’ve had a taste you’ll just keep coming back for more.
It’s true. I first came to Africa in 2000, and have been every year since then, spending months on the continent in stints ranging from a couple of weeks to six months, mostly in Tanzania. My thirst shows no sign of being quenched.
I’m now sat at home in my East London flat, looking at my various videos and photos of my time in Africa, and there’s an aching in my body to return to the dusty plains. It’s got me thinking about what exactly is it that keeps me heading back… After all I live in a tent in Tanzania, water is sparse, dangerous animals are common (well more so than in London Bridge), and it’s almost impossible to get a proper pint of ale.
It’s these things that make Africa appealing (well, all except the proper pint of ale). I love waking up in a tent every morning, my front room dotted with acacia trees and wild guinea fowl; the conserving of water and the environment generates a community spirit which you’ve not had in London since (I imagine) World War II; knowing there’s dangerous animals around makes me look at the environment more closely and understand it too. These are brilliant aspects of Africa, guaranteed to put a smile on my face, but it’s not what makes me tick.
The majority of my time in Africa has been spent doing development work, largely in an education center in Meserani, Tanzania. Back in three months in 2005 we turned a dusty bit of land into an education center. I could go on telling you that three years on it’s a huge success story, that we’ve given free education to nearly 2,000 local residents, helped them get jobs and provide for the future. But my mind doesn’t think like that, it thinks about the other few thousand residents who haven’t taken up the courses – through choice or barrier, it thinks about what courses we could be offering – in western medicine for cattle, in environmental preservation. It thinks about how we could help the incredible local clinic run by Meserani Snake Park (easily the best example of a successful development project I’ve ever seen), how we could provide the victims of the increasing AIDS epidemic, how we can help all those pastoral Maasai continue their lifestyles which make them happy. And when I think about all this, I think it’s all possible, every bit of it. There’s not a dash of doubt that ever crosses my mind and that’s because in Africa, ironically, things can and will happen faster and with greater effect than in the West. There’s no cynicism, there’s little bureaucracy, and there’s a whole heap of determination (although sometimes you will find that resting under a tree). That’s what makes me keep coming back – it’s that there’s an air of possibility in Africa, that good change can come, and that with a bit of diligence and determination then it will do.”
I have visited the Education Center at Meserani.. To see Max’s dream become a reality is magnificent. Max’s efforts have made such an impact on the local people. It has given them opportunity, hope, and a knew outlook on life. All ages attend the Meserani Education Center. One man that attends is in his 80’s right down to your pre-school children, all free of charge.
Well done Max and your team. If everyone thought like you do. The world would be a better place.
I wanted to share with you this amazing story of a Maasai Warrior who survived one of the most deadly snakes in the world, The Black Mamba.
Mesearni Snake Park is located in East Africa, Tanzania, 25km west of a town called Arusha. At the snake park they provide a free medical clinic. The snake park treats everything from your common cold to the more serious cases such as snake bites. Currently the Snake Park Medical Clinic treats over 1000 patients per month and climbing.
This particular day a young Maasai warrior, Ernest was herding his cows when one of his cows ran away. Ernest went to bring his cow back to the herd when he was struck by the ferocious Black Mamba.
He amazingly managed to do the right thing and not panic, which is probably one of the reasons he managed to survive.
With a snake bite if you panic, your heart will race faster, which will then make your blood pump quicker through your body, so the poison will travel faster.
Ernest then sat under a tree and tied a tourniquet around his leg to stop the poison spreading around his body. With most snake bites a pressure bandage is advised, not a tourniquet, however in this case it was a very good thing.
He sat calmly while his friend went off for help. Ernest’s friend arrived with a motor bike and drove him to the Snake Park Clinic. The time between being bitten and arriving a the clinic was 6 hours.
Because of the venom and the tourniquet his leg went numb and the poor guys foot dragged along the tarmac, which also caused fairly serious inquiry to his foot.
So you can imagine the serious condition Ernest was in when he arrived at the clinic.
Most Black Mamba bites in Tanzania are fatal. Thanks to Ernest’s quick thinking, his friends help and the great work at the Meserani Snake Parks Clinic he is one of the few to survive. It took 9 ampules of anti-venom to pull him through his terrifying experience with the Black Mamba.
Ernest spent 2 weeks at the Snake Park Clinic and made a full recovery. If you would like to hear Ernest’s story please visit Meserani Snake Park and watch his video.
Here is a copy of the documented notes of the treatment that was provided for Ernest.
All treatment provided at the Meserani Snake Parks Medical Clinic is free of charge.
Meserani Snake Park
NYAMAZELA TRADING COMPANY (T) LTD
P.O. Box 13669,MERU. ARUSHA.
TANZANIAEAST AFRICA
Mobile Phone B.J. 0754 445911,Lynn0754 440800,Deon0754 302179
E – Mailsnakepark @ habari.co.tz
PATIENT NAME: ERNEST OLODI
ADDRESS: KISONGO
SEX: MALE
AGE: 19 YRS
Bitten by Black Mamba
Bitten on 23/04/08 at 11am and arrive at 05:00pm on 23/04/08.
Treatment: 5:00pm INJ. Celestone 1 ml intramuscularly start and
People run the London Marathon for all sorts of reasons, some run for fun, some run for a challenge to themselves and some run for charity.
This is exactly what Chris decided to do run the London Marathon to raise money for the Orphans at Meserani Snake Park
Chris had visited the Snake Park while he was on safari in Tanzania, and saw all the great projects that are in progress to help the community in Maasai Land Tanzania.
At Meserani Snake Park there is an Orphanage, so any help is most appreciated .
Here is Chris’s Marathon Report.
Job done, I surprised myself by finishing without stopping. I had only run two miles in the last month as I had various calf injuries so had to rest my legs and then tough it out. I finished in 4hrs 37mins (an hour later than originally planned when training) but am paying for it now as my legs are very sore, walking is difficult and I can only come down stairs walking backwardsI should be fine soon. . And not a single blister thanks to 1000 mile socks.
It was a lovely day and really enjoyable.As well as 35,000+ runners there were thousands of supporters along the way and it was very rare that there wasn’t someone cheering us on.As well as people there were lots of different musicians playing along the way including brass bands, rock groups, Japanese drummers, Caribbean steel bands and many others.And in-between these there were local radio stations and disc jockeys playing pop music using speakers that were as big as me! Very noisy!
The weather was good most of the time, nice and cool.It did rain for about 30 minutes and later we had 5 minutes of hail stones.
There were all sorts of people from all over the world running for so many different charities.I saw two wombles (as they went past me!), a pie, three Batmans, nurses, many policemen, a camel and many others.
I saw the Maasai warriors on the way round and passed them on Tower Bridge.They were very popular with the crowd.
Overall a wonderful day with so much goodwill between crowds, runners and each other; it is a shame that people can’t always be like this.
My running shirt and marathon number will soon be winging their way to Tanzania where they will probably join various T shirts on display on the thatched ceiling of a lounge area in the overland camp at Messerani Snake Park.
I have attached some photos but have reduced them in size so they should download easily.
Thanks for all those who sponsored me on behalf of the orphanage building.——————–
I hope that you find this interesting.
Running done, I now have to chase family and friends who sponsored me and get the money together, something that is often harder and more time consuming than the run!
Bye for now.
Rgds
Chris Harper.
Well done to you again Chris and Congratulations on finishing the Marathon, and thank you also for thinking of the Orphans at the Snake Park. You have a big heart.
The twins aged 18 months weighed a mere 3.5 kgs each when they arrived at the clinic. I have twin girls, and they weighed 9 kgs and where 11 months old. What a huge difference.
The twins where immediately put onto drips as they where so dehydrated. They stayed at the clinic for 2 weeks, by the time they left they where nearly 13kgs.
The twins where so shy as they had never seen a Muzungu before, that is what they call a white person. After a week they warmed up to me, as I went to visit them often. I went through all my twins clothes and my clothes and took back some outfits for them. She was over the moon. When I went back the next day, she had dressed up her grand children in the clothes, and she had put a pair of socks on that I had given her.
We had a lot of laughs together, we couldn’t understand a word each of us where saying, but we got by with a lot of sign language. It was very funny.
I took my camera and asked if she would let me take their photo, she said yes, so I took some photo’s of them together and showed her on the digital camera, she laughed and laughed. I then printed a photo off for her and laminated it and took it back to her. You should have seen the look on her face, so grateful. This was the first and probably the last picture she will ever have of herself and her family. The Maasai women are such shy gentle people, they don’t like getting photo’s taken. The older girl in the picture above is her daughter, she had 13 children. One daughter had died from aids, which is why she was caring for her grand children.
After a week at the clinic I went to visit them one day and she was pointing to the children showing me some spots on their skin, I was pretty sure it was chicken pocks, so I dabbed some calamine lotion on the children. Later on that night at the snake park their was a nurse staying, she was on safari and said she would go and have a look at them, sure enough it was chicken pocks, I was very tempted to take my twins over so they could get the chicken pocks and get it over and done with.
The Meserani Snake Park Clinic has approximately 1000 patients through the door each month, from your common cold to more serious issues, such as snake bites. All medical care is free of charge.
Meserani Snake Park is in the process of building a knew clinic, as the clinic also acts as an orphanage.
The new clinic will be a double story building, to accommodate volunteer doctors and nurses. The clinic will have separate men’s and women’s quarters. I can see after the new clinic is built that the orphanage will expand as well.
So the family left after 2 weeks, fit and healthy and still wearing the socks I had given her 2 weeks earlier. Thanks to the Meserani Snake Parks clinic, these people do have a chance. I haven’t seen the family back at the medical clinic, which is a great sign everything is going well for them.
Meserani Snake Park is located in Tanzania, East Africa.
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