Volunteer Tanzania

1- How were the local ABV Coordinator and the support provided in-country? *

Volunteer Tanzania, The local ABV Coordinator was very helpful in assisting us to adjust to life in Tanzania. He was able to answer any questions that we had and provided us with directions and support when requested. We were given a tour of Arusha on the first day for us to get familiar with the city and to purchase anything we needed. We were also shown how to get to the hospital using the local public transport. We felt that we were well supported throughout the trip and that our ABV coordinator was reachable if we had any issues.

2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced? *

What I found most surprising was the resilience of the local people, especially patients and staff at the hospital. Everyone had a can-do attitude despite having very limited resources and facilities. Nobody was willing to give up on patients easily and they worked really hard to achieve what is best for the patients under the circumstances. I was also surprised by the sense of community among the people even in a town such as Arusha. I felt that people had a common bond and was supporting each other the best they could with what they had. Their attitude towards life and how they were content with what they had was truly inspirational.

3- What was most difficult to experience? *

What we found most difficult to deal with was the lack of resources and facilities in the hospital and some aspects of the workplace culture. Seeing patients becoming sick from easily preventable conditions and patients not being able to afford medications or get access to certain facilities was very difficult to experience. I also found that some aspects of workplace culture such as mistreatment of vulnerable patients in certain situations and the lack of informed consent from patients for medical procedures and treatments sometimes distressing. It was also difficult seeing certain procedures leading to poor outcomes for the patients due to the lack of resources and facilities compared with how they would be dealt with in my own country.

4- Any tips for future volunteers… (Clothing, travel, personal items, donations)  *

In terms of tips for future volunteers, I would recommend taking a lot of medical equipment for your own use if you are working at a hospital. It depends on your experience level and what you are wanting to get out of the experience. For us, because we took a lot of sterile gloves, non-sterile gloves, sterile gowns, masks, etc we were able to assist in a lot of procedures including delivering babies, inserting cannulas, drawing blood, inserting urinary catheters and even assisting in Caesarean sections. If we didn’t bring this equipment with us, we would not have been able to gain as much hands-on experience as we did. I would also recommend taking a lot of hand sanitizer with you as the hospital generally do not have hand sanitizer for us to use. Be sure to take some form of malaria prophylaxis and insect repellent. In terms of clothing, I would recommend taking scrubs to wear to the hospital and a lab coat to wear on top. Also, make sure to take your CV and some documentation to indicate that you are a student at a particular university/college. We did not take this with us and we had to go into a lot of trouble to get this documentation from home while we were there.

Volunteering Tanzania

5- Other things volunteers should know: *

Be prepared to experience the unexpected. Don’t expect for staff at the hospital to include you in anything or offer you to join in on anything. You have to take the initiative and ask if you want to do a certain thing. Generally, all staff are very friendly and will let you do anything if you ask them first. I always found it best to ask them to show you first how to do a certain thing, especially if it is something that you have not done before. Be careful with needles and sharp objects, a lot of the hospital staff are very casual about the use of sharps and make sure you dispose of them properly. Always make sure you have personal protective equipment when handling bodily fluids, even if other staff doesn’t seem to use them. Use hand sanitizer as much as possible. Don’t attempt anything that you feel is unsafe or seem very risky.

6- Personal Paragraph (ABV Program Testimonial): *

Personally, I found this program to be very worthwhile as this trip turned out to be one the best experiences of my life. It was very eye-opening and gave me a boost of motivation to continue my studies and inspiration for my future career. As a fourth-year medical student, I was able to gain a lot of hands-on experience from this program and put a lot of things I had learned in my medical studies into practice. On a personal level, this trip made me re-evaluate my values and goals in life and I feel that I now have a much better understanding of who I am as a person and my role in society. This trip inspired me to continue to volunteer in the future and to understand to provide assistance in a way that is of most benefit to the people on the ground. I would certainly recommend ABV to anyone who is planning on volunteering as I believe that they provided me with the best support to get the most out of this experience.

7- How would you describe your accommodation, meals, security (e: host family, on-site, shared) *

The accommodation at the Hostel was better than I expected. We were provided with a bedroom with a bunk bed and attached bathroom with a flushable toilet. The beds were comfortable and there were mosquito nets for us to use. There were a shared living space and an outdoor seating space including a pool. Apart from a few bugs in our room (don’t leave trash or food in the room), the whole house was clean and inviting. The hostel had high walls and two locked gates, to which we were given a key. We felt very secure inside and had no issues leaving our belonging in the hostel throughout the day when we were at the hospital. The food was also much better than expected. We had a lovely lady who came and cooked our meals. For breakfast, we usually had boiled eggs or an omelet with toast most days. For dinner, we had some form of casserole with meat and vegetable or beans with either rice or chapati. The food was tasty and clean and we had no problems with it.

8- What was your favorite memory of this trip? *

I have many fond memories of this trip. One of the highlights would be when I assisted deliver my first baby. I was quite stressful at the time but reflecting back it was one of the most treasured memories that I have from the trip. I still remember the smile and the sign of relief on the mother’s face when she saw her child for the first time. Both the baby and the mother had no complications from the delivery and was able to go home the next day. This was such a pleasant experience and I will never forget it. Other fond memories including going on safari and seeing lions, cheetahs, and giraffes in wild for the first time and seeing mount Kilimanjaro up close.

9- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling? *

ABV USA support was very good prior to travel. They provided us with adequate information on what to take and what we should be prepared for. They provided specific information regarding what to do in the event of an emergency and who we should contact. They were easily contactable through email and quickly responded to any questions we had throughout the planning stage.

10– Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers? *

Yes, I am happy to speak with other potential ABV that want to volunteer Tanzania and answer any questions they might have regarding the program.

1- How was the local ABV Coordinator and the support provided in-country?
Nelson was always very available, answered all questions, tried to make my stay as pleasant as possible. Nelson willingly drove us wherever we needed to go, had his helpers show us how to use the daladala. Nelson provided information and help in arranging weekend activities, such as going on safari

2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?
How close I got to the people, the people at both the hospital and my co-volunteers. I didn’t think I could become such close intimate friends with people in just 3 short weeks. Also, the beauty of the country and people. I was expecting poverty, I have seen it in many other emerging nations, but this was beyond even that.

3- What was most difficult to experience?
Adjusting to the food, the type, quality, and amount. The work was exhausting, but very rewarding. Daladalas were an experience, and I actually felt they were part of the fun, but some people may have difficulty with them

4- Any tips for future volunteers… (Clothing, travel, personal items, donations)
Try to learn as much Swahili as possible before coming. It will help immeasurably, and the local people appreciate it so much that you have made the effort to learn their language. Be prepared for raw poverty. But also be prepared for the most beautiful friendly people in the world.

5- Personal Paragraph (ABV Program Testimonial):
Bring flashlights (torches) mosquito repellant. Protein bars. The local groceries are extremely limited. Do a safari if at all possible! They are fantastic! Plan on leaving your heart here. Africa is addictive. The weather her is very temperate. Not really too cold or too hot. But girls, do bring clothes where you dress very modestly. Girls in jeans are rare. Bring more skirts, long pants, etc.

6- How would you describe your accommodation, meals, security (e: host family, on-site, shared)
My experience in Arusha was life-changing. I am older, 64 years old, and a very savvy traveller, been all over the world, Viet Nam, Cambodia, South America, Mexico, Thailand, China. Nothing is like Africa. It will intoxicate you, it will enchant you, it will break your heart to see the poverty. The people in Arusha are the most friendly and kind people I have ever met.

7- What was your favorite memory of this trip?
The accommodation was minimal at best. I was not expecting much, and got even less. Nelson, the ABV coordinator, was very friendly, very helpful and accommodating, would do anything we asked. But the cleanliness level left a lot to be desired. The food also challenging. When we complained to ABV, that was quickly improved. Several of us lost quite a bit of weight in the beginning. There is no real kitchen available for preparing our own meals. The refrigerator at first did not keep things cold, and then froze everything solid. It was really unuseable. The only things we had that we could cook with was a toaster and a microwave.

8- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling?
Working at the hospital. I loved working in the mother/baby ward and became very attached to the mothers, and the director of this ward, Alodia. Going on safari. Go to Ngorogoro crater. Laughing and crying, and sharing experiences with my co-volunteers The open heartedness of the people.

9 – Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?
Very helpful. When we did have problems in Arusha, they addressed the problems immediately. It was unclear before going that we were staying in a hostel. Many tourists also were in the home, coming and going at all times. I wish that had been more clear before leaving. ABV: all Arusha volunteers stay at a hostel.

10 – Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?
Absolutely. This was one of the best experiences in my long life. I would do it again in a heartbeat. In fact, I’m going to, I will return to Africa hopefully next year. I would love to share my experiences with anybody