My trip to Mwanza_Tanzania
Hannah Cotton (Nursing)

Work the World was recommended to me by another student and I am very glad that I took their advice!

I arrived in Mwanza, Tanzania after dark and so I had to wait until the next morning to see the beautiful surroundings of the house on Lake Victoria. To say it was breath-taking is an understatement!  The Work the World house in Lake Victoria is lovely, really big and spacious, with amazing views. The catering is great as Diana is a fantastic cook and she is also flexible on what she cooks as she wants to make sure you like it! Barny and Bosco, the other members of staff, are so welcoming and friendly that you'll feel at home in no time! Work the World also provide a teacher to come to the house to help improve our Swahili, which was very useful in the village and when talking to patients.

The city is quite small and so after my orientation trip with Barny, the programme manager, I felt confident that I could find my way around. As we approached Bugando hospital, I had a feeling of slight trepidation. The smell of the disinfectants used hit me first as we walked around the bare, open corridors to meet the Sister. As soon as we entered her office I felt very welcome and keen to get started.

During my time at Bugando, I was lucky enough to work on several of the medical wards, which enabled me to experience different practices and encounter patients with a variety of different medical conditions. I began in the medical wards where I was surprised at the very different roles of nurses in the UK and in Tanzania. Morning duties focus on cleaning the ward using rags and water. A lot of dust collects in the ward, getting in through broken windows, as well as insects like ants and cockroaches, which have to be cleaned away.

I also got to spend time working in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit. This was probably one of the most challenging times I had. It has been recognised that these patients require intensive care, but due to the lack of resources in the hospital, there is little that can be done. One incident I will probably always remember was when a young woman was rushed into the ICU from Accident and Emergency having been hit by a motorbike. She had severe head injuries and was fitting but without a functioning CT scanner and no neurologists working at the hospital, little could be done for her. It was suggested that she was flown to Dar Es Salaam, but her family could not afford this. Unfortunately she died 3 days later, having had no investigation or intervention.

I was fortunate enough to spend my third week in Bukumbi, on the village experience. I would thoroughly recommend this as it is great to see the contrast in life and health provision in a city and a village. Bukumbi Hospital couldn't be more different from Bugando! It is much, much smaller and very pretty, laid out around a courtyard planted with colourful flowers. Whilst working in Bukumbi I spent time in the female and children's medical wards, watched a hernia repair and spent time in the maternity and labour wards. It was a real privilege to be able to watch a birth and cut the umbilical cord! It was very interesting to spend time in the labour wards as it couldn't be further away from the experience of women in the UK. The women walk to the labour room once they are 10cm dilated, make their own bed with their own sheets and give birth in silence without analgesia. The mother and baby were also separated after the birth, lying on different beds with the mother facing away from her baby.

There are activities every afternoon in the village, one of which is the opportunity to meet with a local traditional healer. This was a fascinating experience and we were encouraged to ask him questions and find out about his practice. He has his own 'hospital', made up of a series of huts which house his inpatients. The place is beautiful and it was a privilege to have been able to visit and understand more about traditional healthcare in Tanzania. 

During my month in Tanzania, away from the hospitals and organised activities, I also had the opportunities to go on a camping safari in the Serengeti, visit a local orphanage, take a boat trip on Lake Victoria at dusk as well as relax by a swimming pool at a local hotel!

Overall I had a fantastic time in Mwanza and I am so pleased that I went with Work the World as it took away any stress and uncertainty which can come with trying to arrange this kind of trip independently.