What inspired you to travel abroad?
I really wanted to get more experience within the psychology field and I read about other people going abroad and really enjoying their time away. I hadn't had much experience within the mental health field by that point and wanted to learn outside the classroom. I was finding it difficult to get volunteering opportunities within the UK and thought by interning abroad I'd be able to learn directly from professionals in a new environment and in a new context.
Why did you choose International Medical Aid (IMA)?
I chose IMA as I liked that so much money went back into the community. IMA were helpful from the beginning as they extended my payment deadline since I had to crowdfund to go on the trip.
They were also incredibly flexible during the pandemic. I was originally scheduled to go in September 2020 but had to push it back to May 2022 because of travel restrictions.
Spotted a pretty looking double rainbow while exploring the Shimba Hills in Kenya!
What was your favorite part about Kenya?
Definitely the people! They were incredibly welcoming, they were so willing to share their stories with us - there really was an instant sense of community and welcoming us into it.
Kenya also has so much natural beauty, my favorite part of the day was when the sun was setting. There would be times we'd be on our way back from some outreach work in the community and the skies would be the most beautiful shades of blue, orange & purple.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
It's hard to pin it down to one thing, above all it was the people I met at the hospital, both the patients and the staff. I remember visiting the psychology office for the first time and seeing some of the psychologists I had very briefly met the week prior. Instantly they took me under their wing, laughed with me, involved me in their cases, asking for my thoughts and sharing theirs with me. It was amazing learning with and from new people.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff were fabulous! They were so helpful with everything throughout our stay, the staff who looked after us at the residence were so accommodating, Chris & Josh are the best cooks ever and even made some ugali for us at our request!
All of the staff made our stay great in individual ways; Karen and Margaret were great to talk to and offer us any instant help, Christabel was the managerial superstar. Teddy, Felix & Javan were the best drivers ever & Benson was great at helping us brush up on our Swahili.
How did your program help you stay (and feel) safe abroad amidst the ongoing pandemic?
IMA were very flexible in rearranging my stay as I was originally meant to visit Mombasa in 2020, but they let me change this twice. It was very accommodating of them which was appreciated as there was a lot of uncertainty around travel restrictions. Whilst we were there we wore masks in/around the hospital and each washed our hands when we came home each day.
This is a map of the Coast General Teaching & Referral Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
To make more use of my time; to try new things outside of mental health. To see even more of Coast General and the rest of Mombasa. I would've loved to explore more, as much as I loved Nyali Centre, I'm sure there are places I would have loved even more! I would give myself more time too, 3 weeks felt too short.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
We would wake up around 7 or 8 am, have breakfast (it would be something different each day but my favorite was the pancakes). We'd then drive over to the hospital where we'd go to our allotted services and stay there until 12/1. We'd drive home, have lunch and then either have free time, a lecture or do some community outreach work, have some more free time then dinner.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
I loved going to the beach, hanging out by the pool or visiting Nyali Centre. We'd sometimes go out for dinner or for drinks in the local area which was really nice. We went on a sunset boat ride which was incredibly beautiful. I also enjoyed just relaxing in the sun or spending time at the residence with the other interns.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
Our accommodation was a large house, we had rooms which we shared with up to 3 people. We ate in a communal dining room and the food was served buffet style. I enjoyed everything about it really; it was very clean as the staff would clean our rooms each day, the grounds were beautiful, there were loads of flowers and trees.
Children’s Therapy Room at the Gender Based Violence & Recovery Centre at Coast General.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
It established new interests in community approaches to psychology and led to a new passion of liberation psychology. I'm beginning to question and challenge the systems I'm working in as healthcare professionals and understanding that some of these systems can be the cause of the issues our patients face.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
They should know that the residence is safe, the staff are lovely and it really does feel like a home away from home. They should be prepared to come with an open mind; to learning and to individual people. They should know and remember that they are going to a new country and should take the time to learn about that country (I'd really recommend downloading Duolingo and practicing Swahili).
Would you recommend International Medical Aid (IMA) to others? Why?
I would definitely recommend this programme. It is rare to find somewhere that both encourages you to learn new things but also challenges your assumptions and what you think you know. When you reflect and think back you'll realize just how much you've learnt and how you can apply it to your future work. It will change the trajectory of your life as a healthcare professional.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
I think it's the chance to meet new people from a different environment to the one you're used to. Being from London I'm used to being from a diverse environment, but this was a chance to be fully immersed in an environment completely different yet just as diverse as my own in terms of tribes, languages and individual tribal cultures.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means to be intentional in what you're doing when you visit another country. Your intentions should be pure and should always involve traveling with an open-mind. It doesn't mean traveling to fix or to take at the detriment of the indigenous people living there. It should contribute to their livelihoods but in a way that is co-produced by them as well.
