Culture Volunteering in Zanzibar

I can’t. Any individual component of the trip would have fully exceeded my expectations. If I had to pick one it would be the team and Africanimpact and the care and real difference they make. It’s intoxicating.

I signed up for this program thinking that I would be swimming with dolphins every day. Out of 12 excursions to monitor the dolphins, we were able to swim after the tourist boats left only 4 times, but it was amazing!

The Zanzibar Dolphin & Marine Conservation Project exceeded my expectations. We interacted with the Community at the Fish Market, teaching at the Conservation Club, working at Zala Park Community Garden, going to the local Football Finals and having a weekly dinner in the Village.

For me it was several things that will forever be with me even after my participation with program. It was the guidance and teaching of kids from another school abroad while doing a survey underwater that really stuck with me. I am beyond confident and reliable on my skills in the water and guiding others too and even though I was the youngest volunteer in the marine program, I felt like I was truly recognised not only as an authority figure but also as someone who has good talent in their passion even though the kids I taught were only 1-2 yrs younger than me from the UK. Besides that experience, being able to be with the dolphins, swim with them, study them and see them for who they truly are in their natural habitat is something I will never forget. I have always been a huge admirer and lover for animals and being able to help and study the dolphins to their benefit while still being able to interact with them is something that was precious and amazing to me. Thank you so much for this experience.

GoEco - Top Volunteer Organization responded to this reviewSeptember 26, 2024

Hey Ian / Allyson Thanks so much for sharing! It’s awesome to hear how much your confidence grew, especially guiding others underwater. Being recognized for your talents at such a young age is a huge accomplishment, and it sounds like you truly made an impact. And swimming with dolphins in their natural habitat? That’s the dream! We’re so happy you got to live out your passion for animals while doing something that matters. What an experience to remember! - GoEco Team

I had just an amazing time with lots of nice and unforgettable experiences. It was my first trip to a country in the global South. I volunteered in two projects. For one month, I assisted two primary schools and one school for adults to teach them in English and German. The other month I volunteered in a dolphin protection project, where i have learned a lot about the ocean. Espacially for people, who didn't travel in the global south yet, it is a good start because the team try to feel you as comfy as possible and are always there to help or give you tips and advice.

Before commencing my placement I had honestly mentally prepared myself for the “culture shock”. I was prepared to see poor conditions, limited resources and poor treatment of the women. However what I did not prepare myself for was the battle to assimilate and integrate into the team of nurses/midwives. In hindsight, and overall, my experience at the hospital was incredible and I was in no way ready to leave. However at times, especially in the first week, I was very ready to book the next plane home. The first two weeks proved to be the most difficult for me. As a young midwife, I am very used to being supported by senior midwives, I am also very used to midwifery as a group practice involving team work throughout the entire shift. Coming in to the hospital as a qualified midwife had its advantages but also its disadvantages. The advantages included having the appropriate midwifery knowledge and skills to (quite literally) throw on a pair of sterile gloves and accoucher a birth as I turned around to see the presenting part on view. It meant I could decrease the workload on the local nurses/midwives by attending full antenatal assessments of women and transferring them to antenatal ward as they silently progressed through the first stage of labour (I am still to this day in awe of Tanzanian women’s pain thresholds). It meant I could receive in caesarean sections and knew the policies around sterile fields, aseptic techniques and those associated with operating theatres. It meant I could prepare a woman for a caesarean section by cannulating and commencing an IV infusion of normal saline and putting in a indwelling urinary catheter. It meant I could give IM injections, IV medication and remove urinary catheters once the woman was 24hrs post-delivery. It meant I could perform solo (in one occasion) or work with the nurses/midwives in neonatal resuscitations and make important decisions re if a newborn should be transferred, if a woman should go for a caesarean section etc. All of these things I performed on a daily basis however it wasn’t until my third week that the nurses/midwives started trusting me and my practice, trusting that I was skilled enough to work alongside them. That’s where the disadvantages come in. Being qualified meant the nurses/midwives were very unaccepting (for the lack of a better word) of me. They, at first, didn’t believe or trust I was qualified and when I began to perform tasks and use skills they would continuously tell me my practice or judgment was wrong. They then talk about me in Swahili to their colleges making my self-confidence plummet through the floor. That’s when the desire to jump on the next plane home set in. However Pearl warned me of this, she reminded me that it wasn’t malicious it was their culture and I kept that in the back of my mind the entire time. In hindsight this questioning and feeling of being a poor practitioner did wonders for my self-confidence. Confidence not only in myself as a person, but in myself as a midwife. It, strangely enough, made my love for midwifery grow, it made me back myself, trust myself and become my own hype girl because I knew what I was doing was right and I knew I was doing it because I had a burning passion to empower women. Having been trained in a tertiary (level 6) hospital, I was accustomed to clean wards, single rooms, sterile/single use equipment and unlimited resources. Working at the hospital was a big shock to that system. Women labour side by side, sometimes two to a bed. In the Labour Ward there are three beds, no curtains or any attempt to provide privacy. The door is always open. Fetal heart rates are auscultated using a pinnard, ARM’s are performed with broken oxytocin vials. There is really adequate sterile equipment and women have to supply their own cord clamps, congas, sterile gloves, oxytocin, sutures, cotton and more. Although it was a shock and hurdle to practice in such conditions, it was something that I acclimatized too quite quickly and was able to provide the best possible care in the given situation. As mentioned, overall and in hindsight my time at the hospital was an incredible experience. It changed the way I viewed myself as a person, a midwife and a member of this world. It enhanced my love for midwifery and empowered me to use my love, skill, knowledge and now determination to return to a place like the hospital and work to make it better, for both the staff and patients. Walking into Siret Hostel on arrival day was such an overwhelmingly pleasant surprise. My boyfriend and I paid for the private room and it was decorated with so much love it felt like home the moment we entered. It was spacious enough for two people, had a wardrobe, four post double bed with mosquito net, a couch, a universal power board (life saver) and a place for us to store our empty suitcases. The lounge room and dining room at Siret were also decorated with so much love they felt very comfortable and homely. The area was spacious, there were comfortable couches, access to wide range of novels and other books, a very large fridge and freezer for us to use and a water filter. The highlight of my experience was my last shift at the hospital. My travel buddy/boyfriend who is a pre-med student was working in the Minor Theatre however there were no patients. Labour Ward was busy so he came over and experienced labour and birth for the first time. There was just myself and another nurse and within the space of an hour we had three births. The first was very straightforward and he stood and observed. He learnt how and when to give IM oxytocin, how to swaddle and weigh a newborn etc. Quickly after another baby was born, the nurse called me over as the baby was very evidently premature and required full resuscitation. As the nurse and I started compressions on this baby we hear a grunt and both look left to see another woman crowning, quite literally about to deliver. I leave the nurse with the resuscitation and smack on some sterile gloves, I tell Alex to draw up the oxytocin and lay out the congas and he does. The baby is quickly born and in perfect condition (thank goodness). Alex administers IM oxytocin (the first IM injection he’s ever given), and takes the baby to swaddle and weigh it while I deliver the placenta and ensure all blood/clots are expelled. Not many people in this world can say that they delivered a baby with their boyfriend but I can, and that’s something that will make me smile until the day I die. (The premature baby was successfully resuscitated and transferred to NICU at Mt Meru). Go in to this experience with enough knowledge in that you feel prepared, but enough ignorance that you make it the unique experience that it is for each individual. Be prepared, feel supported but remember, ignorance in bliss.

I wanted a chance to volunteer in a way that was totally different from my work. I got that, and I am thankful for the opportunity. Zanzibar is beautiful, the people I met were kind, and I had a wonderful time. The dolphin research was really wonderful to be a part of, and I also really enjoyed getting to know the local staff - really good people.

I wanted a chance to volunteer in a way that was totally different from my work. I got that, and I am thankful for the opportunity. Zanzibar is beautiful, the people I met were kind, and I had a wonderful time. The dolphin research was really wonderful to be a part of, and I also really enjoyed getting to know the local staff - really good people.

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to volunteer. When I read about African Impact and the Girl Empowerment program, I knew it was perfect for me. I was sure that I was going to have amazing trip, but I had no idea how much I would fall in love with Moshi and the people I met here. Not only did I learn about new culture, but I learned so many things about myself. No doubt this was the greatest experience of my life and I will come back next year. Thank you African Impact for this opportunity and for the amazing work you do.

As this was my first trip away from my country, it was definitely a difficult one. But the African Impact team of Zanzibar made the experience amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better project to get me out of my comfort zone and encourage me in my journey of experiencing a new culture. Thank you African impact, you all do an amazing job and I am in awe of what the Jambiani team do for their community. Jambiani will always have a special place in my heart.

My experience on the Moshi project was truly remarkable. It gave me the opportunity to connect with others, but also and possibly as important, it allowed me to connect with myself. I plan to join an AI project again in 2018. Thank you for doing the great work you are doing and inspiring us to join the effort.

Overall I had a great time. Did lots of fun things on the Island. Staff organised things well and were all easy going and friendly. People on Island are probably the most friendly people I've ever met which created a cool vibe. Would strongly recommend it!

The last couple of weeks have been two I will never forget. Although my stay was short, it had a bigger impact on me than I could have imagined. I came to the other side of the world, to experience a whole different world. It has been wonderful to be in touch with the community, and especially to get to know all the other amazing volunteers from all around the world. I've made friends who I will cherish. I fell in love with the beautiful Zanzibar and all the people who live in Jambiani. I will look back on this trip with a big smile. I made memories I will still be telling my grandchildren about. I am forever grateful.

It is not possible to summarize the amazing time I have had here teaching in Jambiani. I would recommend this experience to anyone - it has been a pleasure to be part of such an incredible project in an incredible place.

i think it is a good experience to be q volunteer you can have q good interaction and relation with the village it is very different than you co;e just for holidays with this option you can chill have holidays and serve for pepole they need help,

I strongly believe in education, which is power that builds hope and identity. Every child and every person deserves it: education and attitude create opportunity. After being a volunteer on the teaching project here in Zanzibar, I've got the proof of that. I met wonderful people, and I can say that this experience changed my life. I thank you all the staff of African Impact for doing such a good job. I had the best time of my life.

Moshi African Impact was welcoming, ethical and gave an amazing opportunity to engage and add to the local community. The range of projects on offer was great and catered to the varied talents and preferences of the volunteers present I really appreciate the support from the project co-ordinators at all times, so that we delivered safe and valued education and care to the community. I and my daughter learnt so much from all the locals and other volunteers about Tanzania, other cultures, teaching and ourselves. Thank you - I want to come back soon

Over my time here i have be pleasantly surprised with how much i have enjoyed this experience. Though tried after my three week stay, i will miss everyone and everything about this place. thank you ....

This was one of the best experiences of my life. The people, the programs, the staff, the food, everything was amazing. I am only here for two weeks and I'm so sad to be leaving. The trip has made me fall in love with African culture, African people, the Swahili language and the people I volunteered with. It was an honor to volunteer with African Impact....

My time volunteering with African impact was extremely meaningful and empowering. Through community involvement and volunteer work, I was able to make a difference in the community. I greatly appreciate my experience and the help of the African Impact team!