Public Healthcare Volunteering in Zambia with African Impact

I enjoyed my time with the African impact team in Livingstons, Zambia. The team are professional, supportive and friendly. They are willing at all times to help out both in terms of during project activities and during leisure time. They take their work extremely seriously and are passionate about what they do

This internship was absolutely incredible. I felt like I was doing valuable work in the communities and schools and was able to truly see the conditions and issues in Livingstone. The accommodations were good, despite load shedding. The only thing that could be improved is the depth of the medical orientation.

A well organized organization. Very well looked after with excellent food and lovely staff. The project itself was really good, good hands on experience and was nice to be working with the community. However I felt we could have spent more time on project.

This experience was something I will hold onto forever and will always be something I have the best memories of. Thank you to every single person on staff with AI for making volunteering possible and impactful. I can’t want to work with you guys again in the future!

Upon arriving in Livingstone, African Impact staff were very welcoming. They ensured that cultural awareness was observed and briefed us before we went out to project. African Impact has made my stay here in Zambia so enjoyable. They are one of the reasons I have come to call Zambia my home.

Overall, medical volunteering was wonderful. I learned so much about the culture and community dynamics. Home Based care was very rewarding in comparison to work in the clinic. I truly felt like I was making a difference when working with patients in their space. The afternoon, community project put me pretty far out of my comfort zone, but I ended up enjoying them overall. I was not really prepared to do lessons with kids who don’t always know exactly what I’m saying, but it all worked out. All of the employees at African Impact were outstanding and extremely welcoming. I met so many people who I adore throughout the experience!

I loved this experience it was amazing and unbelievable. The only thing is my fan did not work and was never adressed and i dont feel like the health care portion was well defined and it took a few days to adjust.

African Impact, Livingstone projects are truly amazing. They have well articulated goals and measurable end points. As far as volunteering, the projects are definitely reasonable. I was anticipating long days with minimal breaks. We never worked more than 8 hours in a day and always had a 2 hour lunch. It was truly a pleasure to get to work in the community. The community health workers are amazing. The AI staff is incredible. The Victoria falls backpackers is absolutely wonderful for accommodations.

Good variety of experiences for the university students I brought to volunteer as part of a course in global health. I would add a short session on packing the medical bags. Drivers are terrific! Be open to whatever opportunities you are offered!

I had quite literally the time of my life during my month here as a public health intern. I would definitely recommend one full month, if possible to any new volunteers. It takes several days to settle in, and several more to find your groove, but once you do, you'll be amazed at the huge variety of meaningful, impactful work you're able to do here. On any given day, I could be cleaning wounds in home-based care, supporting local 5-and-under clinics, teaching math or reading or rugby to after school clubs, and the list goes on. My primary focus here was as a public health intern where another volunteer and I worked under the guidance of staff to complete a pilot study on the local population. Fulfilling doesn't even begin to describe my experience. The only thing more enjoyable than my daily work was the incredible group of kind and selfless staff and volunteers that have become some of my best friends for life. I was nervous about what this experience would look like going in, and could not have been more pleasantly surprised.

My experience with African Impact in Livingstone has been unforgettable! The public health internship was a great opportunity to explore an area of health within the community and have opportunities for hands-on experience volunteering in local communities and clinics. As volunteers, we also had the opportunity to help in other community-based initiatives including education, sports, building and cleaning efforts. The staff were all very welcoming and readily available to answer any questions and concerns throughout my time in Zambia. I have met so many incredible people through this experience and have learned a lot about Zambian culture. I would recommend this experience to anyone who is keen on observing and experiencing new cultures as the experience has been very immersive. Thank you again African Impact!

If you have been yearning to do something bigger than yourself and want to throw yourself into new experiences, this is the absolute perfect place to start. Come with your full heart and expect to meet some amazing people and see some unexpected things.

I have had the most amazing experience with African Impact. From the staff, the other volunteers, the locals, everything about this place is magical. I was part of the medical team doing home based care and it was some of the most rewarding work I have done. In the afternoons I helped out with the reading club or the health club and the kids here in the schools are so eager to learn and absolutely lovely. In my spare time the activities that you can do around are abundant. I went on the safari in Chobe, Victoria falls, did karaoke at one of the local bars and so much more. I will never forget the connections I made with some of the most beautiful humans I have met. Zukomo!!

I highly recommended!! You will not want to leave no matter your duration. Be prepared to never want to leave. Embrace everything! The leader of my project personally prepared me for everything I could encounter.

A very welcoming atmosphere which made it easy to settle in. Loved the daily organisation of the projects with home based care in the morning and then a range of projects in the afternoon - this kept it interesting and each day brought something new and exciting. Home based care was really fulfilling and I felt like I made a real impact. The social aspect at the lodge was beyond what I expected - really loved all the organised activities but also the freedom to do what I wanted.

I had the best time in Zambia, I extended twice I really didn’t want to leave! The medical programme was interesting with a variety of patients, you are exposed to some big chronic wounds. I felt supported by the team who listened to feedback and implemented changes to better the programme. The hostel was a good size and had everything you needed, the pool was perfect. The staff put so much effort into making activities such as games nights and quizzes after projects and made them fun and inclusive for everyone. Big shout out to Malenga and Barbs, I feel I’m leaving behind a family and will miss everyone madly x

I came to Zambia to gain more medical experience and African Impact were more than accommodating. I've learnt so much about the culture and the surrounding communities. There were plenty of opportunities to feedback to staff on how we are finding the internship/projects, this helped us feel heard and included in the programmes. Furthermore, the staff at the lodge are beyond friendly and made us feel very welcome. I've felt very lucky to have this opportunity and had a brilliant time. I hope to come back soon to make more memories and help out in the communities further.

My experience in Zambia with African impact was amazing! Incredibly beautiful country, great projects and very lovely people. I would go back in an instant and do it all over again. The volunteer work is very satisfactory to do and well organized.

My time in Zambia was a fantastic experience. The 3.5 weeks have flown by. I did the medical project, something I can definitely recommend to people with a medical background. The staff is very friendly and helpful. You create intense friendships in a very short time. I loved every minute!

When I arrived I immediately felt very welcome. Everyone is so friendly and you can ask as many questions as you want. The volunteer house is really beautiful and such a nice place to stay. We have everything we need here, even more. It’s really nice that most of the staff live here as well. Because of the fact that I was on the medical project, I got to see a lot of different villages. I definitly think this is really valuable. We also get the chance to learn more about the culture, which is very nice and interesting. So one of my highlights was the full day home-based care in Natebe. It was amazing to see this village and to meet the patients and caregivers. Even though it’s sometimes heartbreaking to see the patients, it’s also very rewarding if you can help them. They are so grateful. Before I arrived, I didn’t really understand what we were supposed to do in the afternoon, but I really like the concept. It’s so nice that we get the chance to try all this different activities, which makes every day a whole new experience! I really loved the health club and the math club. The students attend these classes voluntarily and are highly motivated. They are so willing to learn and grow, which makes it very nice to teach them. In addition to volunteering, there was almost every night a fun activity to do. I liked the in-houses quizzes, the movie nights, the karaoke and of course the weekly trip to the fabric store and the tailor. These clothes are my most beautiful souvenirs. During the weekends we were able to explore Livingstone and to have so many once in a lifetime experiences. Visiting the Victoria falls (both in Zambia and Zimbabwe) and swimming in Angels pool, the overnight Chobe safari, the swing from the bridge, rafting on the Zambezi river, a visit to church on Sunday and so much more. I loved every single second of this adventure and I’ll never forget all the amazing people I met here. There are no words to describe how thankful I am for this incredible experience!