The Songambele Story
1994
The Songambele Dispensary opens in a rented room in the midst of small shops in a new area of Nkololo village. As a small clinic, the dispensary treated a low volume of patients.
1996
After two years of building, Father Paul opens a new 14-room dispensary on St. Peter's Church property in the Nkololo village.
1997
With help from locals, Fr. Pauls begins laying foundation for a 14-bed maternity and 30-bed inpatient ward.
1998
Songambele opens a Class B Basic medical laboratory to serve the new dispensary.
1999
The maternity and inpatient wards open with a 48-bed capacity. The wards begin treating patients.
2008
Fr. Paul opens an 82-bed girls' dormitory in Nkololo at the local school. Additional, the Roads to Life Tanzania, Inc. organization gains status as an official 503(c)(3) charity, and is established as a fundraising arm for work at St. Peters Parish
2009
The Songambele Dispensary purchases a Toyota Cruiser to be used as an ambulance.
2011
With approval from the Ministry of Health, the Songambele Dispensary is re-titled Songambele Health Center, with 28 trained staff members.
​
A new 1296 sq ft. lab and 830 sq ft veranda/waiting area open with improved equipment.
​
Southern Ellis, Master of Architect student from Texas A&M, visits to finalize his drawings for the pending surgical ward.
2012
New first class, state-of-the-art laboratory is granted B2 status. No other health center or hospital in the region has ever been granted this status.
The Songambele Laboratory is registered by the Lake Zone Blood Transfusion Center and becomes the only lab in the extensive Shinyanga and Simiyu Region to ever be allowed to give blood transfusions. Transfusions are a crucial method for treating malaria, the most common cause of death in the area.
2013
Songambele building crew begins construction for two new surgical theaters and 8 more rooms in the clinic.
2014
Songambele opens a fully equipped Operating Suite.
2016
The two new surgical wards open with an additional 26-bed medical ward. Patients can now undergo various procedures, most importantly C-sections, hernia removals, and appendectomies.
​
The Songambele Health Center purchases a local patient transport Bajaj (three-wheeler) for local patient transport.
​
Songambele opens a Clinic Testing Center for HIV.
2017
Songambele purchases and begins using its first x-ray machine for more accurate diagnoses and surgical approaches.
​
With donations from a private donor, The Health Center begins digging foundation for a new Intensive Care Unit.
​
The Songambele builders completed the Mortuary building in October.
2018
The Intensive care unit is completed and ICU equipment purchased. An administration building built and opened, laundry facility and 2 HE washers and solar water heaters are installed.
Songambele opens an imaging pavilion.
We Need Your Support Today!
