The Weekly Question – which experiences would you recommend to Work the World students going on placement this year?

Friday, April 27th, 2012

Here we go with another Weekly Question blog including feedback from students on placement in Africa, Asia and South America right now!

Your overseas placement with Work the World will be an invaluable learning experience which develops your skills, confidence and knowledge in your chosen discipline, but it can’t be all work and no play! Doing your elective placement abroad should also be an amazing travel adventure you’ll never forget.

This week we asked students in each of our houses “which experiences would you suggest to Work the World students going on placement this year?”

wine tour mendoza1 150x150 The Weekly Question which experiences would you recommend to Work the World students going on placement this year?

Enjoying some Malbec!

In Argentina one of the top suggestions was hiring a two person bike and doing a wine tour. Ewa, James and Aurore who’ve all been on placement in Mendoza for a few weeks now said they would recommend that anyone going to Mendoza hires a two person bike and cycles their way around the vineyards of the region. We couldn’t work out whether it was for the beautiful scenery or the yummy Malbec!

(more…)

No Comments »

Tanzania – what’s on during your elective?

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

Tanzania is a great country to visit. Destinations like the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Mt Kilimanjaro, Lake Victoria and Zanzibar offer some of the most amazing travel opportunities across Africa and they are all in one country!

The climate is tropical, so some periods are hotter, wetter or more humid than others, but generally whichever month you travel to Tanzania there is something wonderful to see and do!

Dave 2010 173 150x150 Tanzania whats on during your elective?

Safari- available throughout the year

Scuba Diving 150x150 Tanzania whats on during your elective?

Scuba diving - available all year

(more…)

No Comments »

Clothes party success! Written by Jenny Gough

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

At the moment I am planning my elective placement to Dar es salaam as part of my Midwifery course. I am so excited to have this amazing opportunity but nervous that I now have less than six months to fund the trip!

I decided that I would hold a clothes party. I had been to one before that a friend held where people take along clothes and then other people rummage around and go home with other people’s clothes.

580373 10150915638030968 774750967 12576470 2012669849 n 150x150 Clothes party success! Written by Jenny Gough

Dig out old clothes, shoes, handbags - anything you don't want to raise funds for your elective!

I thought this was fantastic so I emailed friends and spoke to family and asked them would they be willing to donate any unwanted clothes, bags, shoes etc and I would charge a pound an item for clothing and then a donation of their choice for the rest. It became such a huge event that friends of friends were ringing saying they had clothes for me and would they be able to come. This got me thinking that there was no way I could fit everyone into my home. So I asked the local bowling club if I could borrow there club house for the evening. It had a bar so we had a great night. As it was to raise money they let me have the venue for FREE!!! Fantastic start I thought.

(more…)

No Comments »

The Weekly Question – how do you feel about safety and security on placement?

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

Very often students and their parents (OK, more often the parents!) contact us with concerns about safety and security in the countries we work in. We know that venturing to lands unknown can be daunting and often you just don’t know what to expect. That’s why we’re here to give you all the info, advice and guidance you need before you set off and while you’re away!

Ghandruk trek Nepal 150x150 The Weekly Question – how do you feel about safety and security on placement?

A stunning view on the Ghandruk trek, Nepal

Safety and security is of course a key priority for us too, which is why all of our destinations are in countries considered to be politically and economically stable by the Foreign Commonwealth Office.

(more…)

No Comments »

Work the World info session at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

Look out, Aberdeen!

Work The World is coming to visit!

Robert gordon uni logo1 Work the World info session at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

The info session will take place on 26 April 2012.

Robert Gordon University will be hosting an informational session for students interested in expanding their horizons with an overseas placement.

We will be gathering at the School of Health Sciences (at the Garthdee Campus) in Room H405 from 5-7 pm on 26 April, 2012 for a pizza, wine, and information session. We will be giving presentations about overseas placement opportunities and providing some refreshments so come and say hello!  There will be plenty of time for asking questions and hopefully we will have some past Work the World students attending to give you a real insight into working in a developing country.

Pop by our FaceBook Event Page to let us know if you’re coming and ask any burning questions you have before the session.

(more…)

No Comments »

Mothers day realities – when becoming a mum can kill you.

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

Mothering Sunday is a day I have always associated with flowers, chocolates and homemade cards… it marks the day I became a mum and is a time for celebration. For many women though, having a baby is not a celebration at all – it’s a death sentence.

Abby 2009 4 150x150 Mothers day realities – when becoming a mum can kill you.

Maternity practices are very different

MSF reported today that Mothering Sunday would have seen 1000 women die of maternal complications, most of which were preventable. They have released a report, Maternal Death: The Avoidable Crisis, which shows that women are continuing to die needlessly because they do not have access to the care that they need. 1000 every single day.

(more…)

No Comments »

Red ribbons…. Tanzania schools face criticism from campaigners

Monday, March 19th, 2012

Campaigners in Tanzania have criticised schools that make HIV-positive pupils wear a red ribbon on their uniforms.

Although headmasters say it is is simply done at parent’s requests to ensure students do not get involved in strenuous activities that may affect their health, campaigners say the the stigmatisation is against the law and revealing another persons health status is against the law.

According to UNAids, approximately 5% of the population live with the disease – about 1.4m people. The HIV and Aids Prevention and Control Act is in place to ensure they are protected, and campaigners say that anyone with concrete evidence of stigmatisation can to be taken to court and be sentenced for up to three years.

The school in question is based in Kibaha, a suburb of Dar es Salaam, but other schools support the labelling – some using tabs on collars to identify children with a disease. Mohammed Lukema, head of Kibaha Primary School, told the Telegraph that the idea “was raised by parents, teachers and school leavers and seems to have been happening for some time. The general feeling was that it wasn’t a good thing because life is hard enough for students living with HIV without making life harder for them at school.”

(more…)

No Comments »

State of the art midwifery equipment in Portsmouth vs back to basics care on your elective!

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

RCM reported today that the redevelopment at Bournemouth University’s midwifery campus in Portsmouth boasts the latest training equipment and high-tech audio-visual kit. Professor Gail Thomas, midwife and dean of health at the university, commented

Midwife 05 150x150 State of the art midwifery equipment in Portsmouth vs back to basics care on your elective!

New facilities at Bournemouth!

‘The developments at Portsmouth will enhance the experience of our east-based student midwives, providing them with high quality skills laboratories, lecture and seminar rooms and general learning space……the skills room contains a birthing bed, costing over £7000, a birthing couch, a profiling bed and a Resuscitaire, costing about £8500.’

(more…)

No Comments »

David evans blog

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

Due to low cancer awareness in developing countries, an estimated 80% of all patients with cancer have advanced stage disease at initial presentation. Even if detected at an earlier stage, however, there is inadequate access to treatment to cure or manage pain for cancer patients.

The need for radiotherapy is much greater in developing countries due to late-stage presentations and the types of cancer that predominate. Access to radiotherapy, however, is severely limited:

• While at least 55% of all cancers in Africa have an indication for radiotherapy, facilities are available in only 23 of Africa’s 53 countries, reaching less than 5% of the (total African) population.

• Africa has less than 2% of all radiotherapy cancer centres globally and is home to approximately 15% of the world’s population, demonstrating the dire need to improve the availability of radiotherapy.

(more…)

No Comments »

The White Maasai

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

I’ve stayed pretty well connected while I’ve been here. Good phone reception,Internet and even free wifi here and there. That is all about to change though because I am heading to the land of no phone reception, no power, bucket showers and drop toilets and living in a traditional Maasai village for one week – mud hut and all!

IMG 4384 150x150 The White Maasai

Our bus.... we had to stop A LOT!

Imagine your life without television. Imagine no phones, computers or internet. In fact, remove every element of your life that requires a power source. Vacuum cleaners, irons, ovens, microwaves, refrigerators, washing machines, hairdryers. All of it. And then take away your car as well. Your only transport is those two things at the end of your legs. There are no coffee shops in your life anymore, no restaurants, only fields of maize and bananas. If your want to eat something, you either need to grow it or kill it. If you want shelter, you need to build it. You have no real need for money anymore – cows are your currency. Your religion is nature itself. Your life revolves around the seasons and the weather. And life and death is a visible circle – part of everyday life.

(more…)

No Comments »

« Older Entries