My trip to Dar Es Salaam_Tanzania
Kelly Milton (Nursing)

When I arrived I was really worried about finding my way around Dar, but within hours of arriving at the house we were shown the surrounding area and useful places like the local store and cash machine. The induction day helps to put everything into place, as we were shown how to get to our placement and given a tour of the hospital and introduced to the staff. Travelling on the dala dala (bus) looks and sounds quite daunting at first but once you know how, it's easy!

My placement was at the district hospital, where I chose to work in the surgical ward for 2 weeks (where I also got to visit theatres for a few days) and the gynaecology ward for 2 weeks. I really recommend choosing more than one area, as it is good to see as much of the hospital as possible. The hospital is very different from anything in the UK, the conditions of the wards are very poor and there is no such thing as privacy, dignity and the sterile techniques are very unsterile.

In the surgical ward many conditions are HIV related or due to poor nutrition, I saw some horrific wounds and some of the treatments are shocking, but that is why I chose to go to Africa, I wanted to experience something different. It was a great experience to witness some of the horrific wounds and procedures; nurses don't do the same jobs as those in England so I found myself working alongside the doctors, who all speak good English and as long as I asked questions and got involved they were all helpful and explained anything, but if you stand at the back that is probably where you will stay.

The obstetrics and gynaecology ward was a lot more hands on. Within minutes of arriving on the ward I was supervised delivering a placenta and within my first day I was able to assist nurses with delivering babies, something I had never done or seen before. At the end of my 2 week placement there I was delivering babies on my own. Again I saw some quite shocking things, but it is their culture and you just have to accept it.

The hospital is so under resourced, worse than I ever imagined. I strongly recommend taking some supplies with you, things that you can donate, like: sterile/non sterile gloves, bandages, scrubs, theatre gowns, stitches, anything you can think of they will appreciate.

We also spent time at the orphanage, where we took the children colouring pencils and paper, face paints, balloons and games. We just spent the day drawing, playing games and getting beaten at twister. The children love drawing, so I recommend taking or buying colouring books or paper etc. The man that runs the orphanage also took us to visit a boarding school, which he is building out in the bush. It's for children that can't afford to pay to go to school; he is really inspirational and has great ideas, but the best part was hearing the school choir sing, who are absolutely amazing!

The house was great! It was nice and big and the pool was an added bonus; the rooms are also a nice size and the beds are so comfy. The staff always kept the house and garden clean and tidy, so it was a really beautiful place to live; it also really felt like home.  Rehema's cooking was amazing too; there was always a variety (and for vegetarians) and it was nice to experience African culture and eat the same types of food, and nothing beats pancakes for breakfast!

All the staff at the house are so lovely and I couldn't fault them in any way; they were always friendly and made us feel so welcome. Throughout my stay they would always make sure we were happy and that our placements were going well. It was nice to know there was support there if it was needed and they would always help us to arrange our trips or visits to places, and even booked taxis for us, nothing was too much effort.

Evenings and weekends are free time and there are always things to do; it is good to arrange trips for the weekends to make the most of the time in Africa; Zanzibar is well worth visiting as it is only a short ferry ride away and has so much to do. Kendwa Rocks (in Zanzibar) is a beautiful beach, with white sand and blue sea; everyone is very friendly there and you don't need to worry about covering up. Just off Zanzibar is Prison Island, we went snorkelling in the ocean and to a turtle farm, where we got to feed giant turtles. Both are very cheap to do. The island is really peaceful and there is also a beautiful beach or places to explore, like the prison.

Another weekend was spent on safari, which was 3 days and we got to see lots of animals, including elephants, giraffes and zebras (and many more) up close; this included a visit to a snake park where we got to see the different types of snakes and even hold one. The food and accommodation which was included in the price were both really nice.

I had an amazing time in Africa, I loved everything about it! The placement was a great experience and I got to do and see some shocking things, things I would never gain from a placement in England. It is impossible to make a difference where there is so much poverty, but I gained an experience I will never forget.