University of Sheffield 2016
My first day in the Work the World House was the perfect opportunity to make friends with the people I'd be living with for the next seven weeks. Beautiful surroundings, and a lovely house!
Arriving at the hospital for the first time and knowing that Work the World's wonderful Program Manager has organized your placement to the last detail is such a relief.
The neonatal ward is a busy place. As incubators are so expensive the rooms are heated to body temperature, with twenty cots containing tiny babies packed in there. Working with these incredibly sick babies was the most emotionally challenging part of my trip, but the exposure to this has helped me to develop both clinically and emotionally, and was an invaluable experience.
There are limited resources in Tanzania, but the staff in the hospital are incredible and can improvise using the materials they do have available to them, making their resources stretch further.
There are some beautiful islands and beaches around Dar, which are the perfect place to unwind after a day on placement.
Zanzibar Island is a must see! It is just two hours away on a ferry, and an ideal place for a long weekend away from the madness of Dar.
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Kidodi Village Health Centre - a tiny clinic with few inpatients beds, and a distinct lack of facilities, but is capable of serving and treating a village with a 30,000 population. Amazing.
I learned a very important life skill in the village, and was taught the art of tying a kanga to carry a child! Not sure how well I could replicate it now...
We were encouraged to embrace village culture, and spent the afternoons exploring the village and participating in activities our guide kindly planned for us; hiking, dancing, and visiting traditional healers were highlights.
We stayed with Mama Hamisi and her family whilst in the village, and felt very welcome. Despite already having five children of her own, and having the entire neighbourhood nipping in and out, she was still happy to look after us and cater for the three of us for the week. What a wonderful family, and the village atmosphere was so much fun to be part of.
Tanzania - you've been AMAZING! I couldn't have asked for a better experience, and I've definitely made friends for life. Massive thank you to our Program Manager, Mo, and Eliza the Assistant Program Manager. Without them we would have been lost!
