Sports Volunteering in Zanzibar

I am beyond grateful for my 1-month volunteer experience with African Impact in Cape Town. From the moment I arrived, the warmth and professionalism of the team made it unforgettable. When I first arrived at the airport, Thulani, the program manager, was already waiting, and ready to give us an engaging introduction to the history and scenery of Cape Town. After a 20+ min drive we arrived at The Lenox hostel. The Lenox became my home for the month, and the staff made sure it felt that way. Everyone was very kind and welcoming at all time. I got a bunk bed in a shared room with four amazing fellow volunteers from different countries. The room was very spacious and comfortable. The facilities were bright and welcoming, with breathtaking views of Lion’s Head and Table Mountain from the lounge balcony. I joined the Early Education program, which I highly recommend if you love working with children and creating engaging learning experiences. Through this program I worked with four different nonprofits located in Khayelitsha, their work is centered around fostering children and youth development. Our schedule was almost the same every day; breakfast with all the volunteers, then going out to support an org. in the morning, coming back to the Lenox for lunch (amazing fresh and delicious food by the way) and then going back to support another org. in the afternoon. Our day concluded around 5 pm, after documenting our experiences, and preparing for the next day. Then dinner time, a great time to get to know the other volunteers and share stories. The rest of the afternoon was free time for us to unwind and enjoy visiting places around Cape Town or do a sightseeing activity planned by the staff. The most rewarding part was getting to work directly with nonprofits like Ikasi Soccer School and foster care homes like Fikelele. My favorite task while on project was to sing and play with the kids. Witnessing the impact of our efforts and the joy on the children’s faces are core memories from this experience. I don’t think I can put into words how fulfilling this experience was for me. This experience taught me so much about collaboration, creativity, and the joy of giving back. Volunteering with African Impact was life changing. It’s a core memory filled with friendships, personal growth, and unforgettable moments. I wholeheartedly recommend this experience to anyone looking to make a difference while exploring the vibrant culture of Cape Town.

African Impact responded to this reviewDecember 30, 2024

Love your video Maria! Really captures the essence of volunteering with us in Cape Town :)

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.

My time in Livingstone, Zambia was unforgettable! I volunteered at the teaching project during school holidays. African Impact organised a holiday club for the children in Libuyu for keeping them busy during school holidays and keeping them off the streets. The children were divided in two groups: 1-4th grade and 5-7th grade. However, the groups were very big (40 children each) it was really fun to work with the children. Annie, the teaching and sports coordinator, did such a good job! During the first days you can choose to assist her to get introduced and used to the teaching methods, and if you're ready for it you can take up more responsibilities. There is also the opportunity to switch between teaching and sports. The sports project is organised together with a local staff memeber, Chiza, who is doing an amazing job with the children. Everyday there is another subject, for instance history, geography, maths, english, eco-art, etc. In the afternoon, there is a wide range of community projects and Sjeel, the project manager, makes sure that you can get a taste of each of them. If you have any preferences you can just let her know. I really enjoyed reading club, art club and the stretching exercises we've implemented at the old people's home. During the weekends you're free to do some travelling or activities. The staff of the hostel will give you the information you need and will help you by booking these activities as well. A visit to Victoria Falls is obviously a must do, and they arrange a free shuttle every morning. The volunteering staff as well as the hostel staff are such lovely people and I'm so glad I got the chance to get in touch with them all. Same for the volunteers! Everyone comes with the same goal and mindset, so you will definitely make some friends from all around the world. This is definitely a life-changing experience!

My experience was amazing! Wish i could stay longer. Everybody (Staff) was so nice and caring. I felt welcomed all the time and the projects were amazing! Kanga ladies is a very heart warming experience. For people that love the beach and love teaching, is the perfect combination.

I was on the community project for two weeks at Antelope Park. It was my second time here at Antelope Park, last year I was on the lion project but this time I wanted to try something different. The community project was amazing and I got to do so many different things, teaching at Julena, a remote school in a rural area was without a doubt my favourite! Interacting with the children, cooking traditional foods when on home visits, helping out at the orphanage, just a few examples of the everyday life on the project. I loved meeting people from around the world and especially the community staff members were so nice and made the whole experience even more fun! I really enjoyed my time here on the project and I really look forward to coming back once more!

I had a great experience here in Livingstone at the backpackers. The volunteering was fun and I learned a lot more about myself. Also the weekend activities are amazing. the backpackers is a great place to meet new people from all over the world.

We had an amazing two week stay in Antelope Park, volunteering on the Community and Lion project. Early starts and long days but it was a once in a lifetime experience. Our community work was a huge reality check, and I have learned so much from that.

I had a really good time here in Zambia. The combination of the projects and free time is very good. I met a lot of good friends here who made it even better. The accommodation is awesome and also the food.

I really enjoyed my stay in Zambia. I have been here for three weeks and every single day was different, but perfect. I will definitely do something like this again. The people were so nice and the project was also very nice.

It was my first volunteering experience and before coming here I had some apprehension about living and working with strangers. To day is my last day and I want to tell you how much I am grateful for what I learned here and for the kindness and involvement of the managers and the community. THANK YOU

i had a very good experience. in two weeks I've managed to improve my English and teach English to nursery and adult students. i also learned the local language and met amazing people that always smile and welcome you. if i had known how fast this experiance will go i would register for more time . it was very fun to live with a lot of people from all of the world and to meet a lot of cultures. i highly recommend to come and volunteer here in jambiani zanzibar.

For the past 2 weeks with African Impact, I've had an amazing experience teaching, caring and learning from everyone around me... not sure if my future vacations will ever be the same again! Congratulations African Impact for such an important mission you're accomplishing in this continent!

I have had the most amazing time in the most stunning place with the best people. A truly fantastic experience, i would not change a moment of it. I have especially enjoyed being a part of the community, and exploring a different way of living.

This was an amazing experience and i loved interacting with the children as they are so grateful for what they have. In the two weeks I was here on the teaching project i had formed such A Close bond with the kids and wish i had stayed for longer as time flies so fast. The staff at the backpackers are so kind and the food tastes amazing. Would definitely recommend the teaching project as it so diverse and amazing.

It was my first time in Zanzibar and also my first time volunteering. I did not know what to expect from this experience before leaving. When I arrived I immediately had an amazing impression of the group (staff and volunteer). It has been a fantastic experience, and I'm looking forward to come back next year. I always felt very involved in teaching and I definitely loved it. My students have always been so interested in learning. This experience gave me the possibility to give a lot, but I strongly think that you receive more than you give.

My time in Tanzania and on project has been amazing. I was a little apprehensive before I arrived as to how easy it would be to settle into the projects, but after the first day, with people helping me out, I felt right at home. The people, the accommodation and the experience have all been fantastic.

My time with African Impact in Moshi has been so amazing. Everyday i'm here, it gets better and better!! The people I have met, and the friendships I have made, will stay with me for a long time. This is the first volunteering placement that I have ever done, I therefore was unsure on what to expect when coming here. My expectations have been surpassed so much, and the way the project is managed is so effective. All staff are so personable, and make you feel like part of the family (A really super cool one!). I have been in Moshi for 1 month, and it will be so hard to leave. All projects that I have worked with have been so inspiring. African Impact's work is appreciated by all recipients so much, and is so much part of the local community. - leading to some amazing friendships. I would recommend coming to Moshi so much, it has really changed my outlook on so many things and I shall certainly be returning!! Thank you to the amazing staff and team, I will miss you all.

African Impact is such a wonderful organization. I feel so at home here and am incredibly fortunate to have been a part of yalls family for the past few weeks. I would like to say thank you for your patience, friendliness, and humble nature. Every morning, I was greeted with warm smiles and "Mambo's" which made the Tanzanian Community feel like family. I cannot express how grateful I feel for having been given this opportunity. Ahsante Sana

I had a wonderful time here in Moshi! The staff were friendly and welcoming and all my volunteer peers were amazing also! I loved how much free time we had and it was so rewarding when you were teaching the students your own planned lesson! I had so much fun!

I have had a amazing time here. Everything was taken care of and the project was wonderful. Helping the people and becoming a part of the community was so grateful and the people were so kind and eager to learn.