Medicine Volunteering in Zanzibar

Traveling to Stone, Zanzibar was a life-changing experience. Go Volunteer Africa gave me the opportunity to take a career break. I worked on a vulnerable children caring project in Zanzibar to help an Educate centre (an early childhood school) with its daily activities. I got to do what I love and the experience was amazing. The opportunity was simply what I was looking for! Not only did my work help young children in need but I forged lasting relationships with the school staff, Go Volunteer Africa staff, other volunteers, and my host family. I definitely recommend this project.

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.

All we could say about Go Volunteer Africa is wow and thank you for making our Christmas holiday memorable and awesome! As a family, we were so confused in the beginning, we had lots of interests and we wanted to volunteer in Rwanda, see gorillas in Uganda, go to the coast in Kenya and spend some time in Zanzibar too. We wanted to use various companies and we didn’t want to put all our eggs in one basket. Although GVA offers products and services in all the countries, we had not used it before and since its African based, we had some doubts. We were skeptical due to the fact some offers were extremely too low-cost compared to other providers, for instance Mombasa and Zanzibar. However we gave them a benefit of doubt and decided to book the first 2 destinations with them and that is Rwanda and Uganda Safari. Once we booked their program to Kigali. We received all information within three days and they gave us access to talk to local coordinator in Kigali who was awesome and helpful. Our experience in Rwanda was excellent and rewarding, the challenge was the language barrier with locals who some still use French (the country has just transited to English), but my brother Allen who speaks French was always at hand to help out and our Coordinator. After the one week, we proceeded to Uganda, the road trip was one of the best, multiple stops as we requested, our guide James was also very professional and knowledgeable and this was life assuring. Our week in Uganda was also good and full of experiences; although Rwanda seemed more organized than Uganda but it was no doubt that we wanted to travel with them to Mombsa (Kenya) at the coast and Zanzibar (Tanzania) for our sisters’ birthday. They arranged the bus tickets for Kenya from Uganda, train trip from Nairobi city to Mombasa, arranged all our hotels, sightsee activities and we were glad to be offered a night at their guest house for free when we missed our train back to Nairobi to catch the Arusha bus. These guys are awesome- Jim and your team at Go Volunteer may God bless you. Although we had not planned to spend a full day in Arusha, “OPP” the “GVA Man of Arusha” as he prefers to call himself, who received us in Arusha advised us to spend a day in the city and also visit Moshi town, where we got the bus to Darasalm and then Zanzibar. At every stop, these guys had someone to meet us, greet us, arrange stuff and wish us a safe trip, they are well connected throughout. Zanzibar and Rwanda were a little more expensive than earlier anticipated, but everything went well. As a family, we highly recommend them and our parents are looking forward for their trip to Mauritius. On a personal note, I will be joining their program to Senegal next summer! The experience we had volunteering and traveling around East Africa with Go Volunteer Africa far exceeded our expectations. Kudos!

I had a fantastic experience, there wasn't anything that the staff didn't want to help with and the guides were amazing at their job. I feel that with a few simple changes the experience would be even better. Improve lounge area to make a better social and comfort area. Base alcohol consumption on age.

Being at Dumela for just 2 weeks when the volunteerships are created for longer stays, I obviously didn't get the full experience. That being said I had an amazing time, staff are great and helpful. was great, lodge comfortable

I'll start by saying that you have the most patient, professional, welcoming and caring employees I've ever met. Unfortunately, we had a particularly bad volunteer with us during our time, who took a particular disliking to me (for reasons I will never know) and was exceptionally rude, nasty and abhorrent at times to mostly myself and others, particularly Caroline and Francis. I am a very patient person, just as they are, but she was a real test to that, I am proud of all of us that despite her attempts to rubbish everything about the project and be aggressive and insulting to us we did not rise to her provocation, we simply ignored it, and continued to enjoy our time. It became very clear early on that her expectation of the experience was way beyond what any company would be able to provide for her, and her reaction to that was to simply be aggressive and awful to others, which was never going to fix anything. There was no engagement from her, there was no respect for the fact that this is a project, not a resort, and that when you are in the presence of wild animals, you may not always find them, because they are not here to serve you. There was no respect for other people and there comfort, and no respect for the fact that this is not a "Come look at cats every day'. This is a wildlife project, you are so lucky to see what you see, across all taxon, and you are here to work and give back, not the other way around. Caroline went so far as to allow her to break rules such as staying away from base during the week and not take part in working activities because of the manual labor, and still she was not satisfied, her contribution to the project overall was monetary, that's it, the rest of the time she complained that it wasn't good enough, despite people bending over backwards to provide for her. It was incredibly sad to see, but I believe this is a very sad and unfulfilled person whom isn't satisfied no matter what, it's simply a shame that we had to be exposed to her. Your guides are exceptionally knowledgeable and accommodating to all interests, we saw big cats almost every day, and when we didn't, the majority of us were simply pleased to be present in this incredible landscape, myself and a fellow volunteer were particularly interested in birds, which we understood was not everyone's interest, so we only asked that we be allowed to spend a few seconds looking should a particular species make itself visible to us, we didn't take pictures, we didn't waste time looking for things that weren't there, we were simply happy to check off a few from our list while we could, the rest of the volunteers, bar one, were more than happy to accommodate that. Just as we were happy to accommodate anything they requested. Our primary focus was the big 5, as that was everyone's focus, and we saw everything, more than I expect a lot of people have seen during their time here, it was incredible. I never felt in danger while I was here, I am fully aware that the guides have spent their lives in this landscape, and know better than anyone what is safe and what is not. As well as where these animals like to be and what they like to eat. They worked so hard to provide for everyone, which sadly for a select 2 was never good enough, because they simply did not appreciate the meaning of the word "wildlife". For myself, I was awestruck by their dedication to the landscape around them, and the species that dwell within it, I learned things I never expected to learn, and I'm coming away a more knowledgeable, well rounded person from my experience. You have two excellent chefs in your employ, who sadly were also subject to insult from our unsatisfied guest about the budget being too tight, their food apparently being "disgusting" and uncooked, it's not true at all. The rest of us are in complete understanding that there is a budget, and a finite amount of food here at any one time. I never went hungry, I was always satisfied, and I was always grateful for their effort. I even went as far as to say the food is better than at Eagle View, because it is! Ben and Michael are a credit to your project, they are warm, welcoming and provide excellent meals three times a day, I was hoping to lose weight while I was here, that has definitely not happened! I have identified certain needs for the project during my time here, things you need that I understand you don't necessarily have the budget for or access to, it's my intention when I return to England to write a proposal to my superiors to provide you with what you need, because you more than deserve to have the right equipment and plenty of it to do your work, because the work you do here is incredibly important, and it should continue for as long as it possibly can. In conclusion, my only complaint from this project is having to endure the abuse I endured from someone whom is quite possibly the worst person I have ever met during my 26 years on the earth, despite my attempts to reconcile and ask what the problem was, I never got an answer, I simply got further abuse, and we were all subjected to blatant lies being made up about ours and her conduct in an attempt justify her behavior towards us. However, that is not something that is in your control, and I understand that, I was sad to learn that this isn't necessarily uncommon either, you deserve volunteers who are here because they believe in the heart and soul of the project, not ones who are here because they think it's a cheaper way to have a safari holiday. Despite that, I've had an incredible two weeks, I am so glad I chose this project, I've met some of the most amazing people, seen and heard and learned things I never expected to, and I'm leaving a better person than when I came. I really appreciate Caroline being so comforting when Elle got to me and made me cry, and telling me how much she appreciated my patience and understanding. She is a manager worthy of the name, I know very few people in her position who would have handled the situation so well. I implore you to please take in the feedback from the other volunteers that have been here for this time, and be careful when considering hers, because knowing her as I do I believe a lot of what she will tell you will be fabricated to try and justify her cause for being so aggressive to us and perhaps even to you. This project is exactly as described, and her own ignorance of not reading any literature before she came meant she lacked preparedness and had no intention of admitting that in fact she was the problem, not myself, Caroline, Francis, Collins, Ben, Mike or any of the other volunteers. Finally, I will be coming back to this project, and I intend to send as many people as I can in my profession. As an ecologist, I have been utterly amazed by the conservancy and the people working within it, and I will continue to support the project in any way I can for as long as I possibly can using my skills and connections. Asante Sana, you have literally changed my life.

I had the time of my life at AP! I met loads of new friends and the experience with the lions was insane. I’m coming back here one day! The people working at AP was so much fun to hang out with. To experience the African life was so much fun.

My experience in Zambia with African impact was more than i could have ever asked for. The team here was outstanding and made my experience in Africa very welcoming and friendly. Overall the medical project was brilliant and is a very much needed project in this community.

I expected to see a few animals and meet some nice folks and find something to do that will help preserve endangered animals. What I got was more animals in 24 hours than I've seen in a lifetime. I came when the animal were birthing and saw baby giraffe, elephant, lion, hyena, cheetah, wart hog, and even the hyena pups were adorable. These babies would have been extinct if this conservancy hadnt been available to them.

My experience with African Impact went beyond my expectations. Amazing Staff and Volunteers, meaningful communal activities and great social events! The guides on drives were interesting and informative. Our Photography coordinator Sam was Amazing and taught us a lot from his experience. Thank you so much for everything and see you next time!

Volunteering at African Impact Naboisho is an insightful and rewarding opportunity to learn about and contribute to one of Africa's leading conservation efforts. The daily game drives are spectacular!

My stay in Antelope Park has been great. It has been interesting to work with animals such as lions and elephants. The work does include cleaning a lot of enclosures and preparing meat for the lions, but that is just part of the experience. You also get to know a lot of new people from all over the world. The staff here is very friendly and knowledgeable as well.

It was an amazing experience to meet new people from all over the world! I haven’t expected that you can get so close to people that you only know for 2 or 4 weeks! It‘s incredible! Also the locals here are absolutely amazing, always in a good mood and friendly! Hakuna Matata, you know ;) It was such an honor for me being the teacher of kids and adults aswell, and I really hope that I have the chance to meet my students again some day! In general I can say: will never forget this 4 weeks in Zanzibar and the people I met! Thanks for all african impact!

I went to the Safari Stables on placement as part of my veterinary degree to learn more about the keeping and husbandry of horses. I had the most amazing experience which included being within feet of giraffe and zebra on horseback, an overnight safari, an incredible horse swim and of course getting to look after the ponies at antelope park. I also got the opportunity to walk with the lion cubs and with the orphaned elephants as well as visiting a wildlife orphanage. I can honestly say the whole trip was the best experience of my life the activities were incredible, the people were so friendly and the cause this all goes towards is so worthwhile. I cannot wait until I get the opportunity to volunteer at Antelope Park again and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone.

If you are reading this I hope it means you are excited to volunteer with African Impact. My experience was outstanding in so many ways. It was not so great in others but overall it gets a big thumbs up. If you keep in mind that this is a volunteer experience and not a luxury vacation than you will be fine. There is definitely a lack of comforts and plans and time schedules change on the fly, but the overall picture is that you are helping out in a great way. I highly recommend adding antelope park to your schedule if you are looking for semi-rustic volunteer experience and are happy with less than perfect accommodations (ie. cold showers) while you are abroad. Make sure you review your program details fully and prepare yourself for the opportunities that await.

Dumela lodge is truly one of the best wildlife based centres for conservation and knowledge. Among the many things I ve seen here I now have a much wider scope of understanding with the rhino situation. African impact helped me make an impact on wildlife and helped make an impact on me.

Enjoyed every minute at the dumela lodge. I have seen every animal I wanted to see. Even an Aardvark whites absolutely amazing. Klasserie is one of the most incredible things I have ever seen in my life and I will definitely go back to this place. The hard work that everybody is doing here is amazing and I think it s good tat the community is involved too.

The most incredible 5 weeks. So much happening, so well organised and so much on offer. Rosa and Abbie were both brilliant and there was an amazing feel about the place. Came for 4 weeks and stayed an extra week, best decision. The option of Victoria Falls was fantastic and park life was so much fun. Lion walks and elephant herds were incredible and the setting of the place was beautiful. The only problem is once you go you will never want to leave.

Even though I was only here for 3 weeks, I've had the experience of a lifetime. I have been incredibly lucky to have learned so much about so many species, and to have even seen some very special animals (leopards, aardvarks, and wild dogs). The guides are always on board to teach you anything you'd like to know and if they don't know the answer, they make an effort to go out and find out for/with you. The schedule each week was always jammed pack full of interesting drives, conservation work, and the occasional class at the local schools so it lets those, like myself, who are only here for a short while experience as much of the conservation project as possible. It always felt very well organised and thought out which made a huge difference. It enabled you to just focus on the work you were doing and to leave feeling like you made as much of an impact as you could. After all, it is called African Impact.

I worked for the Happy Africa Foundation and its partner African Impact in Moshi, Tanzania, and it was the best summer I've ever had. It was not only such fun and enjoyable experience, but also a great opportunity to learn about development and NGO management. During my placement I lived in the volunteer house with others. Because we lived and spent so much time together, we got very close and became like a big family. Unlike government funded programmes like ICS, volunteers come from all over the world, which makes it so interesting to get to know other volunteers as they all have different cultures and stories. This is one of many things I miss about my time in Moshi. I had such a great time in just talking to other volunteers, sometimes sitting around a bonfire, watching the sky full of stars! The weekend trips are also one of my highlights. They had a variety of trips and tours with reasonable price you can do over the weekends. I've done most of the tours, and they were all incredible. Watching a family of lions, crossing the border betweenTanzania and Kenya with a kayak, snorkelling in the turquoise blue ocean of Zanzibar, climbing Kilimanjaro, swimming in a hidden hotspring… and the list goes on. The internship also offered me a great opportunity to deepen the understanding of development and NGO management. Working on the grass route level allowed me to observe how the community is changing, and how NGOs have been contributing towards its development. It was very interesting to learn how the team manages the projects, and being able to see how the projects are making impacts on the community even in a short term was amazing. Being a part of the Happy Africa Foundation team was probably one of the most fruitful experiences I’ve had during the internship. With them, I was able to learn fundraising strategies. As fundraising is perhaps the most important element in the development and charity sector, having an opportunity to learn about it was incredible. None of these experiences would have been great if it weren’t for the staff members of African Impact and the Happy Africa Foundation. They were always very friendly and supportive, which made it so much easier for me to adapt to the new environment and to understand my tasks. I couldn’t have asked for better people to work with.