What inspired you to travel abroad?
During my semester break, I knew I wanted to do something meaningful. A friend of mine also spent time at a hospital abroad, and while he shared some experiences with me, I knew I wanted to do something similar.
Attending a class in university called "Health & Sociology" that mainly introduced the concepts of health inequity and societal aspects of health, it was clear to me that I want to visit a developing country with a completely different culture.
Why did you choose International Medical Aid (IMA)?
I found out about IMA on GoAbroad.com. Skimming through various posts about good experiences with IMA, I found the organization very trustworthy.
Moreover, by following IMA on Instagram I was able to get a more insightful overview about their organization, their staff, and other students that interned at IMA in Kenya.
The regular content on Instagram made me even more secure about the organization and their posts on their activities and programs were instantly appealing to me.
What was your favorite part about Kenya?
I have never been to Africa before, so I was very excited about going to Kenya. I loved the positive vibes locals were spreading. Everyone was very supportive and tried to make us feel at home.
Moreover, traveling on the weekends gave us the opportunity to see cultures outside Mombasa. Going to Watamu and Malindi showed us other sides of the country, which was a lot of fun.
Besides, I loved learning a bit of Swahili to appropriately say "hello" or "thank you" when interacting with local medical staff.
Women's Hygiene Session at a High School
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
I loved my other teammates. Without them, it would not have been the same. Although we were only together for a short time, sharing all the experiences with the others at dinner and hanging out on the weekend really welded us together.
If someone faced a difficult situation in the hospital, everyone would talk about that with them, and support and discuss. Without the exchange and interaction with the other interns, the time abroad would not have been the same.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
Local staff supported us perfectly. We had regular face-to-face meetings in our living room to share our experience in the hospital or share any concerns or wishes we have during the remaining time.
We also were offered lectures, to broaden our medical knowledge. IMA staff was always available via WhatsApp any time of the day, and in case of emergency, they were immediately able to help. Local staff also included us in local activities—e.g. through team-building days or to workouts at local fitness centers.
Did your program provide specific pre-departure Covid support? If yes, tell us what kind of support you received.
Yes, Covid updates about Kenya were sent before departure via email. Important side notes about requirements for entering the country and helpful links to government websites were provided, too.
Above that, IMA posted regular updates about the Covid situation on their own website, too. We were also advised to bring enough personal protective equipment for the program, like gloves or face masks.
How did your program help you stay (and feel) safe abroad amidst the ongoing pandemic?
IMA always guaranteed instant medical support. When feeling sick, we were instantly supported by the IMA staff and offered instant medical support.
In the case of an emergency, IMA staff did bring us to a private hospital and even stayed with us if necessary to support us in any way—especially in regards to potential language barriers.
We never felt alone, when not feeling well.
In front of the hospital entrance
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
If I could go again, I would go for more than two weeks. If so, I would then like to rotate in other departments since I was only situated at the Gender-Based Violence Center during my time in Kenya.
If I stayed longer, I would have liked to see other departments, too, to make my learning even more comprehensive through getting to know other medical fields that I am not experienced yet.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
In the mornings, I usually accompanied an IMA staff member to spin class. Coming home, I had a quick breakfast before we got picked-up to go to the hospital at 7:30 AM.
Arriving at the Gender-Based-Violence Center, I usually helped the nurses’ assistant in preparing and cleaning everything for the upcoming appointments. Afterwards, I always shadowed the nurse and helped her with anything she needed support with.
At 1:00 PM we were picked up by the IMA staff and brought back to the IMA housing. If we decided to stay for an afternoon shift to shadow medical staff in another department, we got picked up later. If we were free on afternoons, IMA always organized a local excursion.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
During my free time, I always accompanied an IMA staff member to spinning classes. I love doing sports in my free time and thus I was very happy to also be able to do this in Kenya—it is a very important activity to manage my stress in daily life.
Going to spin class in Mombasa also made me feel at home by being integrated in activities with locals.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
We had a huge house with rooms being shared by two people maximum. There was a nice garden and pool area, and shared rooms like living or dining rooms.
The best thing about the accommodation was the living room. After dinner we always met there and watched movies together, played games, or were just talking and eating snacks.
Of course, the pool at the accommodation was pretty cool to relax in on the weekends. There was enough space in the front yard that enabled me to do some functional workouts in the sun.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Although the IMA internship is a very enriching experience, one might also face quite challenging situations. You may see people suffer or even die, and you will need to understand that given the lack of proper resources, medical support might not always be as advanced as one might experience it from one's home country.
Of course, this can be burdensome, sometimes. However, this will make you appreciate even more the phenomenal work the medical staff in Kenya is achieving. With minimal resources, they still maximize the outcomes every single day.
Women's Hygiene Session at a High School
Would you recommend International Medical Aid? Why?
Yes, I would definitely recommend International Medical Aid. Going to a country in East Africa alone as a girl might make you think of potential risks.
The IMA program was perfectly organized, from airport pick-up to daily face-to-face meetings with IMA staff to check for any problems or need for support.
If you were interested in anything else or wanted to get additional insights, IMA always tried to arrange something for you.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The best benefit of going abroad is your personal growth. Visiting completely different countries with different cultures and trying to integrate yourself into it—e.g. by interning at a hospital—you learn how to be independent, strong, adaptable, and respectful.
Moreover, getting to know new people with different backgrounds, different personalities, and different views on the world will always broaden your horizon.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
My stay in Kenya has impacted my thinking patterns a lot. I value the organized way everything is handled back in Germany and the many resources that we can fall back on, and other countries cannot.
Even more, I highly value the personal support I received from my family in personal situations—they helped me know that I will never be alone.
Seeing many children getting abused by their family members, many street kids in urgent need of medical support but having no one to take them to the clinic on time, has made me really appreciate and recognize that it is not normal to always be able to count on support and help, when needed.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel to me means that one is enriched with various new impressions and experiences, when coming home. For me, meaningful travel helps you to broaden your perspective within many aspects of life, and not just getting to know new places as with being on holiday, only.
Meaningful travel makes you realize how the world is working, how other people on this planet handle their daily life, and realizing—and also understanding—how cultural and geographical aspects alter humans perceptions and their way of living.
Coming home from a meaningful trip, you will understand this huge world with its many diverse populations a bit better, and in return, learn how to respect and understand things outside what you know better.
