With heart, skill and perseverance to become head of an eye clinic

Angelina Mtama's talent for surgery was already evident during her training as a cataract surgeon, which began a good five years ago as an assistant medical officer at Atiman Hospital in Sumbawanga, Tanzania. However, she was also an entrepreneur: she sold handbags - a sideline that doubled her salary.

Working closely with TanZanEye e.V., she helped to set up the new St. Aloyce Health Centre in Mpanda in 2022 and took up a permanent position there in the middle of the year. In the same year, she began performing operations in a small, converted patient room and, despite modest resources, Angelina quickly became the central figure in the eye department. With professional expertise and natural authority, she became the de facto head - a strong personality and an outstanding surgeon.

Her everyday life is characterised by challenges: few resources, a hard service, but always accompanied by an admirable zest for life. “Life is so difficult; why should I make it more so?” she often says - and laughs heartily.

Angelina goes above and beyond the call of duty: in addition to other outreach activities, she travels to the Kigoma region once a month with a FLAIR microscope in her luggage to perform eye operations - until a specialist ophthalmologist can complete his training there.

In the meantime, Angelina has become a permanent fixture in the region's healthcare system. The eye clinic in Mpanda is running successfully under her management - an impressive example of what determination and passion can achieve.

During cataract surgery

In an international expert discussion