FAME Africa

02/17/2026

📢🌍 BIG NEWS, FAME FAMILY! 🌍📢
THE FAME TEAM IS COMING TO THE U.S.!

This May, FAME founders Dr. Frank and Susan are heading to the U.S. and we could not be more excited!

They’ll be traveling across the country, reconnecting with long-time supporters, meeting new friends to FAME and sharing all about our vital work in rural Northern Tanzania.

💛 Want to be part of the tour? You can host Dr. Frank and Susan for a small gathering or event in your home, workplace or community!

This is a special chance to bring friends, neighbors or colleagues together to learn more about FAME’s mission and the incredible impact happening every day because of supporters like you.

📩 Interested in hosting? Reach out to our U.S. team at rose@fameafrica.org so we can arrange a visit.

We can’t wait to see you, share incredible, life-saving stories and celebrate all that’s possible together.

✨ See you in May!

02/14/2026

Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️

Today we celebrate love expressed through compassion and care. This type of love is a healing love that we share every day through patient-centered care here at FAME.

We are deeply grateful to our donors, volunteers, partners, employees and all who support this mission; your kindness and commitment make hope and healing possible for so many families.

May your day be filled with joy, gratitude and love that continues to transform lives.

02/09/2026

Finding Friendship at FAME

Lizzy's eyes fluttered open, and a warm smile greeted her. "Welcome back, dear," her grandmother whispered, with joy. "You're at FAME hospital." Lizzy's mind was a haze, but her grandmother's words sparked a dark memory. "I considered myself dead, then I revived here at FAME," Lizzy said during the interview. "I was told I had lost consciousness for three days," she added.

A month ago, Lizzy was brought to FAME with 27 weeks pregnant and unconscious. Unable to regain consciousness, the FAME team helped her deliver her baby prematurely and weighing just 0.9 kg. Her baby spent a month in FAME's NICU, growing stronger every day. Today, he is being discharged at 1.45 kg.

A month's stay at the Maternity Center helped Lizzy build a relationship with other mothers – Pily (right) from Mto wa Mbu and Happy (left) from Ngorongoro. Like her, they had experienced the fear and worry that comes with having a premature baby. "When you're less worried due to the close care by the nurses and doctors, you find yourself comfortable and able to connect with others," Lizzy said. And so, the strangers who she was sharing a room with turned into sisters.

Back in her Maasai village, Lizzy would sing traditional songs, her voice soaring like an eagle. She cared for the family's cattle, embracing her heritage with pride. But it was at FAME that she discovered a new rhythm – one of friendship and resilience. "In the midst of fragility, we find our greatest strength," Lizzy said, her eyes shining with gratitude.

As she prepared to leave, her new friends wrapped her in a tight hug. They exchanged phone numbers and planned to keep in touch. Lizzy's story is a testament to the power of human connection. At FAME, we make it a family; we ensure a friendly atmosphere among us all; patients become friends, and strangers become family.

As Lizzy was exiting the door alongside her father-in-law, who came to pick her up, she knew that she would carry the memories of FAME's Maternity Center forever – a reminder that even in the darkest moments, friendship can bloom.

02/03/2026

Flashback to 2025: Where Care Met Compassion 💕

February's here, and we're keeping the momentum going! 💪

We're building on our accomplishments in 2025, a moving full speed ahead into 2026, driven by our mission to deliver patient-centered care in rural Tanzania 🌍

Because of your support, last year we were able to provide:

✨ 40,000+ patient visits

🏥 Nearly 5,000 admissions

🚑 Almost 2,000 emergency visits with almost 25% being critical cases

🔪 1,000+ surgeries

👶 1,300+ deliveries in our Maternity Center & 200+ babies cared for in our NICU

Stay tuned for our 2025 Annual Report, which will be packed with more highlights and stories of hope!

01/31/2026

When the Wild Strikes

FAME, nestled in the heart of Tanzania's breathtaking safari destinations, is no stranger to the power of the natural world. Surrounded by the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara and Tarangire safari parks, the community has grown accustomed to the occasional wildlife encounter. And when emergency strikes: a buffalo attacks, a leopard encounter, or something far quieter but just as dangerous—FAME's team is always ready.

One night, in a small village bordering Lake Manyara National Park, that danger arrived without warning. A young teenager, sleeping peacefully in her grandmother's hut, was jolted awake by a searing pain. A venomous snake had slipped in unnoticed and struck her hand in the dark. Confused and frightened, she woke her grandparents, symptoms quickly escalated: dizziness, vomiting, a racing heart, a hand swollen with agony.

She was rushed to a nearby dispensary, but it was immediately clear that she needed a higher level of care and was brought to FAME at 3 A.M. The diagnosis was a snake bite, vicious and unforgiving. Luckily, she was at the right place. Thanks to our partnership with Pflaster für Tansania e.V., FAME is fully prepared to respond to snake bites. Equipped with training and life-saving polyvalent snake antivenom, the FAME team is prepared with skills in snake identification, safe handling and evidence-based clinical management, ensuring patients like Suzy receive timely and effective care when every minute matters.

The following day, a venomous snake was spotted lurking around the girl's home, confirming the worst.

For a week, Suzy was admitted at FAME with severe symptoms from the bite. Eventually, she turned a corner and was discharged. And for the first time, she smiled! Her grandparents were overwhelmed with gratitude, their eyes shining with tears. "On our way here, I had no hope that Suzy would make it," her grandfather said, his voice cracking with emotion. "But you people, you've given us a second chance. You've saved our girl, and for that, we'll be forever grateful."

01/27/2026

A 4 A.M. Emergency 🚨

Linda (right) smiles as her young sister joyfully carries their belongings, taking her home from FAME one day after her surgery.

Linda's path to recovery was not an easy one. Diagnosed with a complication that had been causing her anemia for over a year, she had grappled with the decision to undergo surgery or not. But when she was rushed to FAME Hospital by her concerned neighbors at 4 a.m., Linda could not wait any longer. Something needed to change. Linda received four units of blood in FAME’s ER to stabilize her and was prepared for surgery the following day.

Dr. Mbilinyi, her attending surgeon explained, "her condition necessitated a surgery; otherwise, the condition would have continued to worsen. As a team, we encouraged her to proceed, as surgery was the most viable solution."

The procedure was a success, and Linda is now on the road to recovery. Her smiles on her way home are a reflection of her confidence in the care she received at FAME. "I'm looking forward to a future without suffering," she says.

01/23/2026

In the heart of rural Africa, a remarkable story of medical mastery unfolds. Dr. Emmanuel Mbilinyi, "Mr. Burr Hole," is rewriting the script for patients with life-threatening head injuries.

With precision in every incision, Dr. Mbilinyi navigates the intricate complexities of neurosurgery, performing burr hole procedures that save lives and restore hope.

His expertise, developed right here at FAME, is transforming lives – one surgery at a time.

Dive into the full story through the link below:
https://fameafrica.org/journal/2025/01/23-mr-burr-hole-the-opening-of-human-skull

01/20/2026

For months, Eli lived with persistent throat pain that made eating and speaking difficult. After multiple visits elsewhere without answers, he was referred to FAME Hospital where timely diagnosis, skilled surgical care and a prepared team made the difference.

Today, Eli is pain-free and back to providing for his family.

Stories like Eli’s reflect the growing role FAME’s surgery program plays in improving lives in rural northern Tanzania.

Full story click the link below:
https://fameafrica.org/journal/2026/20/01

01/15/2026

Empowering Traditional Birth Attendants: Strengthening the Bridge Between Communities and Safe Deliveries🌟

Across rural Tanzania, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) play a critical role in maternal health. Often the first, and sometimes only, point of contact for pregnant women, TBAs are deeply trusted members of their communities. Strengthening their connection to the formal health system is essential to improving outcomes for mothers and newborns.

Recently, FAME welcomed nine TBAs from surrounding rural communities to participate in a training program at our hospital campus. Focused on maternal nutrition, recognizing signs of high-risk pregnancies, and the importance of timely referral and hospital-based delivery, the program sought to reinforce the role of these community health workers as trusted advocates for safe care, helping them guide expectant mothers to health facilities when it matters most.

Participants also toured FAME Hospital, gaining firsthand exposure to the cutting-edge technologies that safeguard maternal and fetal well-being during delivery.

This experience helps demystify hospital care and builds confidence in referring women for facility-based services.

By equipping TBAs with practical knowledge and strong referral pathways, FAME is strengthening the bridge between communities and lifesaving care.

As we move into 2026, FAME is making even greater investments in expanding our education and training programs to include healthcare providers and community health workers from outside of FAME, strengthening the healthcare system and improving the health of the communities we serve 🏥

01/12/2026

01/09/2026

Gratitude & Forward Momentum 🌟

As we step into 2026 🎉 we are reflecting with deep gratitude on the partners who walked alongside us last year: on site, in clinics, in classrooms and in the community.

From program partners and funders to academic institutions and technical experts, these relationships strengthen our ability to deliver patient-centered care in rural Tanzania and to keep growing what is possible together. These collaborations have empowered us to reach more patients than ever before.

Thank you for your trust, your presence and your shared commitment to impact. We are excited for what lies ahead, together 🌍

University of Pennsylvania Build Health International The Meleka Foundation

01/05/2026

Unity is power 💪🏿: When Staff Vibe, Patients Thrive! 💖 One family, one love, rocking it 💕

We're thrilled to share how our FAME lab team crushed it together! 🤩 As we closed out 2025, our amazing staff played a secret friend game 🎁 and gave each other a big shoutout for a year of hard work and teamwork! 🤝

Together, we can make 2026 an even better and stronger year, ensuring patient-centered care to all!