Tanzania Cleft Team to Visit Wales - A Partnership Taking Shape

When CLEFT announced its support for a new twinning project between the Welsh Centre for Cleft Lip and Palate in Swansea and Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania back in September 2025, it was billed as an exciting new chapter. What wasn't yet visible was just how much effort would be required to turn that vision into reality.

Fast forward to April 2026, and seven Tanzanian clinicians are confirmed, flights and visas secured, and Wales is getting ready to welcome its new colleagues. That confirmation alone represents months of determined work behind the scenes.

The team travelling from Tanzania are: Francis Tegete (cleft surgeon), Hosiana Athanase (anaesthetist), Florentina Mashuda (paediatrician), Halima Shemsi (audiologist), Claudia Lugira (nutritionist), Gaspar Mshana (social welfare), and Gustave Buname (ENT surgeon).

Getting here wasn't simple. Securing UK visas for seven international clinicians is no small undertaking. Each team member had to travel to Dar Es Salaam for visa interviews - a significant commitment in itself. Meanwhile, project lead Matt Fell has put in countless hours with colleagues in Wales coordinating every detail, chasing every loose end, and keeping the whole operation on track.

The visit itself runs from 10–17th June 2026 and is funded by a grant received from the Welsh Government's Wales and Africa scheme. The itinerary is packed. The team will be welcomed at Heathrow before travelling on to Wales, where a full programme of clinical activity, education, and cultural exchange awaits.

Two public-facing events offer those connected to the cleft community the chance to get involved:

Thursday 11th June - Education Day, Morriston Hospital, Swansea. This day will focus on genetics research, a priority identified by the Tanzanian team themselves. Hugh Brewster and the Transforming Cleft team are flying in from Toronto, Canada to lead the day, alongside Professor Sarah Lewis, lead molecular geneticist for the Cleft Collective, coming from Bristol.

Saturday 13th June - Cultural Celebration, Forage Farm Shop, Cowbridge (3pm–6pm). A family-friendly afternoon of Tanzanian and Welsh music, food, and art. Tickets are £5 for adults, £3 for children aged 10–18, and free for under 10s. Places are limited to 100, so early booking is encouraged.

Beyond the events, the visit has a serious long-term purpose. Planned outcomes include co-developed training materials, a joint CPD framework, clinical data collection plans, and the groundwork for research abstracts to be submitted to the 2027 European Cleft Conference in Barcelona. This is about building something that lasts.

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