Medi Trip

engineering internship in Arusha, Tanzania. I was warmly welcomed by my supervisor, John, who made me feel comfortable from the start. On the first day, Asha gave me a clear orientation, explained everything about the placement and showed me how to use a mobile app to navigate the local public transport system easily. During my placement, I helped calculate material quantities for the next phase of the construction of St Elizabeth Hospital in Arusha. This included structural work, such as reinforcement and concrete, as well as finishing works involving materials such as paint and tiles. It was a valuable opportunity to apply my civil engineering knowledge to a real construction project and gain insight into the different stages of the building process. One of the highlights of my stay was meeting other volunteers from different backgrounds and countries. I made some great new friends and shared many enjoyable moments with them, which made the overall experience even more memorable. The biggest challenge was the limited availability of machinery and computers, which makes the work more difficult. However, it taught me to be flexible, resourceful and adaptable when working with limited resources. Overall, I had a good experience and appreciated the opportunity to see how a construction project is approached in a different country. Although the tasks were not always particularly varied or technically challenging, I gained useful insight into local working conditions and learned to adapt to limited resources. It was a valuable learning experience, both professionally and personally.

I've been a traveling Emergency Nurse for 6 years and it has been a goal of mine to volunteer in Africa for a while now. I looked at several companies that offer volunteering services but MediTrip by far exceeded all the other options. MediTrip was more than patient and helpful answering all my questions from day one. They were super helpful with the application process. They placed me in excellent housing where I got my own bedroom and bathroom with a staff member in the house for assistance at all times. They helped me with the orientation process at the hospital as well. I got to come volunteer during the daytime and saw other ways of doing medical procedures than they are done in the United States. It truly help broaden my mind with emergency medicine when materials aren't available. I would 100% recommend MediTrip not just in Tanzania but anywhere they operate their services.

From my very first interaction with Medi Trip and speaking with Pearl about what I wanted to gain out of my trip, until my very last day in Tanzania, I felt fully supported, completely safe, and genuinely cared for. It is clear that everyone involved in Medi Trip truly wants to change the world. Day by day, they create experiences that shift your perspective on life, teach you how different people see the world, and help you learn how to be a better person in the process. Not a day goes by now where I don’t mention my trip to Arusha and the time I spent with exceptional humans who all shared the exact same goal of making a positive change. During my 3-week nursing internship, I learned multiple lifelong skills that have fundamentally shaped my practice. Immersed in a resource-limited environment, I vastly improved my clinical adaptability, cross-cultural communication, and rapid triage assessment skills, while learning to navigate complex pathologies less common back home. The staff at the hospital were extremely friendly and wanted to learn as much from us as we did from them. Every single member of staff I came across was incredibly grateful for our presence, eager to learn about our culture, and fascinated by how the healthcare world differed across borders. A definitive highlight of my trip happened on a day when I was asked to support the junior doctors with learning catheter insertion, as I was already qualified to do this back home. In return—through what I believe was full trust built by constantly asking the doctors questions and showing genuine dedication—the doctors got to know me and wanted to say thank you. They asked if I wanted to stay in on an emergency C-section. That day, I got to experience the birth of a healthy little boy. I supported the mother, handed medical equipment to the lead doctor, and took part in a clinical milestone I will absolutely never forget. Coming back from the hospital each day was pure comfort. The accommodation felt so homely, the food was absolutely tasty every single day, and the welcome home each afternoon was incredibly warm and loving. From the moment I got home, all I wanted to do was return. I am still utterly grateful for the lessons I learned. I came home a better clinician and a better person, and for that, I will be forever grateful to Medi Trip.

Six weeks that changed my life — and a journey that continues When I first contacted Medi Trip about volunteering in Tanzania, I had no idea that I was about to embark on a journey that would change my life forever. From my very first conversation with Pearl, the founder and director, I felt something special. There was genuine warmth, openness, professionalism, and, above all, a sincere passion for making a difference. I felt confident that I had made the right choice. The preparation was excellent. All the information I received beforehand was accurate, clear, and complete. Arriving in a country and culture so different from your own can be overwhelming, but Medi Trip made the entire experience feel welcoming and well organised. The accommodation was comfortable, the Tanzanian staff were wonderful, and there was always someone available for guidance, questions, or support. But what makes Medi Trip truly special to me goes far beyond the practical arrangements. I originally came to Tanzania for six weeks of volunteering. Today, I am on my seventh trip, and what started as a volunteer experience has grown into something I could never have imagined. Those first six weeks opened my eyes, touched my heart, and ultimately changed the direction of my life. Through the experiences, people, and communities I encountered, I discovered a passion and purpose that I hadn't known existed within me. Over time, I have grown from being a volunteer into someone actively involved in philanthropic work, supporting vulnerable women, girls, and children in Tanzania. And throughout that entire journey, Medi Trip has remained by my side. That is something I value enormously. My official volunteering placement may have ended a long time ago, but the relationship never did. Pearl and her team continue to follow my work, offer guidance, provide assistance when needed, and genuinely care about what I am trying to achieve. Even now, during my extended stays in Tanzania, I am still welcomed into the Medi Trip hostel, where I feel very much at home. I have never felt that I was simply another volunteer passing through their programme. I have always felt seen, supported, encouraged, and valued as a person. What I particularly admire about Pearl is her vision of what meaningful volunteering and philanthropy should be. It is not simply about arriving somewhere with good intentions and wanting to help. It is about listening, learning, respecting local knowledge, building relationships, and understanding that sustainable change comes from working alongside communities rather than deciding what they need. That philosophy has deeply influenced the way I approach my own work today. Of course, volunteering in a different country comes with challenges. You encounter unfamiliar situations, cultural differences, and realities that can be difficult to understand. But those experiences are also part of what makes volunteering so valuable. Having an organisation behind you that understands these complexities and is willing to guide and support you makes an enormous difference. I can only speak from my own experience, but after seven trips and years of continued involvement, I feel I have come to know Medi Trip not just as a volunteer, but also through the relationships and work that have developed since. And I can say wholeheartedly that my trust in Pearl and her team has only grown stronger. I arrived in Tanzania hoping to contribute something meaningful during six weeks of volunteering. I never expected to find a new direction in life, a community that feels like family, and a purpose that continues to inspire me every single day. Six weeks changed my life. And under the wing of Medi Trip, I found my calling. For that, I will always be grateful. Thank you, Pearl, Emmanuel, and the entire Medi Trip family, for opening a door that I never knew would lead to so much. I cannot recommend Medi Trip highly enough to anyone who is willing to approach volunteering with an open mind, an open heart, and a genuine desire to learn as much as they hope to give.

My experience with Medi Trip in Arusha, Tanzania, was truly one of the most meaningful and memorable experiences of my personal and professional journey. From the beginning, Pearl was incredibly welcoming and genuinely committed to making my internship experience meaningful. Her warmth, guidance, and encouragement helped me adapt to a new country, culture, and community and made my time in Arusha particularly special. During my internship, I had the opportunity to contribute to nutrition and health education and engage with the local community. The experience gave me a much deeper understanding of how culture, resources, education, and everyday circumstances influence nutrition and health. It also strengthened my interest in public health nutrition and reinforced the importance of culturally appropriate health and nutrition education in improving the well-being of children and families. What made Medi Trip particularly special was that the experience went far beyond an internship. I was able to learn from the community, build meaningful relationships, and grow both personally and professionally. The memories and lessons I gained in Tanzania have stayed with me and continue to influence my work and interests in public health and nutrition. I am especially grateful to Pearl for her kindness and encouragement. She genuinely cares about the interns and the communities Medi Trip works with, and her personal commitment makes the experience truly meaningful. I would wholeheartedly recommend Medi Trip to anyone looking for an international internship where they can contribute, learn, develop professionally, and build a genuine connection with the local community. Thank you, Pearl and Medi Trip, for giving me an experience in Arusha that I will always cherish.

My experience with Medi Trip in Arusha, Tanzania, was truly one of the most meaningful and memorable experiences of my personal and professional journey. From the beginning, Pearl was incredibly welcoming and genuinely committed to making my internship experience meaningful. Her warmth, guidance, and encouragement helped me adapt to a new country, culture, and community and made my time in Arusha particularly special. During my internship, I had the opportunity to contribute to nutrition and health education and engage with the local community. The experience gave me a much deeper understanding of how culture, resources, education, and everyday circumstances influence nutrition and health. It also strengthened my interest in public health nutrition and reinforced the importance of culturally appropriate health and nutrition education in improving the well-being of children and families. What made Medi Trip particularly special was that the experience went far beyond an internship. I was able to learn from the community, build meaningful relationships, and grow both personally and professionally. The memories and lessons I gained in Tanzania have stayed with me and continue to influence my work and interests in public health and nutrition. I am especially grateful to Pearl for her kindness and encouragement. She genuinely cares about the interns and the communities Medi Trip works with, and her personal commitment makes the experience truly meaningful. I would wholeheartedly recommend Medi Trip to anyone looking for an international internship where they can contribute, learn, develop professionally, and build a genuine connection with the local community. Thank you, Pearl and Medi Trip, for giving me an experience in Arusha that I will always cherish.

I planned a trip to Arusha, Tanzania through Medi Trip primarily for my son, who is a Pre Med student at university. Medi Trip and Pearl, in particular, did a wonderful job making the arrangements and sending excellent and relevant information relating to the volunteer assignments. My volunteer assignment was with WEHAF--Women's Encouragement HIV-AIDS Foundation. The accommodations were great. The staff at the hostel was friendly and very helpful--everything was kept very clean and orderly. Careen with Medi Trip was available and extremely helpful in showing us how to travel to our assignments from the hostel and how to get around Arusha. When I was seeking recommendations for a safari, Pearl placed me in contact with a local safari operator, and we enjoyed an amazing three day/two night safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. I also sought recommendations for a hiking trip to Mount Kilimanjaro with a locally-owned guiding service. Pearl placed me in contact with Nyange Adventures, and they took very good care of my son and I as we climbed Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame Route. Praise Nyange is an amazing guide and environmentalist. His farm and tree planting operations were outstanding, and his team of guides and porters second to none. My son's volunteer assignment went extremely well. He was able to work with the anesthesiologists and anesthesia techs at the hospital in the general and OBGYN operating rooms. He witnessed and assisted in numerous operations and procedures over the course of the two weeks we volunteered in Arusha. He logged over 60 volunteer hours in just 8 work days! My experience with WEHAF was equally rewarding. I assisted Thedy Lengoje, and her team at WEHAF, with providing sorely needed assistance to widows (the majority of whom are HIV positive) from the community with food supplies, mattresses, beds, gas stoves, and other items needed to alleviate their difficult circumstances. I also helped complete the parking lot and perimeter wall painting at the "Mama Center", where women in the program go to learn how to sew and obtain other skills to be able to start their own small businesses. I did not think I would be doing manual labor during my assignment, but I saw a need and was given the freedom to complete those projects while I was in Arusha. The Medi Trip staff were professional and responsive to all my inquires leading up to our assignments. Travel and housing accommodations were both timely and comfortable. I cannot recommend Medi Trip enough. I am so pleased with the time my son and I spent in Tanzania and we will remember all the people with whom we came in contact (Pearl, Careen, Kombo, etc.) fondly and forever. Jambo!

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Loved this experience, 100% recommend for everyone to do a Meditrip. The first experience gave me the chance to develop my love of medicine and return to Africa to experience the amazing culture of Tanzania.

I have been with meditrip to Tanzania now twice and both of the times have been amazing! I had a good time talking to Pearl for the preparations and expectations. Pearl also was a great help with discussing a topic I could use to write my thesis. When I arrived the second time it really felt like coming home. I love the home feeling in the hostel. I also met the most amazing people in the hostel who are now some of my closes friends. In the hospital I had great guidance in Kaloleni Hospital. Overall I had the most amazing experience and I can't wait to go back!!