My trip to Arusha Tanzania
Lyndsay Hainey (Nursing)

It has only been a few weeks since I returned from the BEST experience of my life so far, and already I miss the vibrant hustle and bustle of Arusha. Life in Tanzania was a far cry from the usual chaos of my normal life, despite having to fight the real hardships of life on the African continent, locals still felt able to share a smile and friendly gestures.  All of the individuals I met during my time in Arusha, locals and fellow travellers alike, were very friendly and there was a real sense of camaraderie. Getting around Arusha is fairly simple once you have been shown how - although the Dala Dala's are still an experience no matter how many times you've used it. The team at the Work the World were fantastic and provided us with lots of inside knowledge to ensure our stay was hassle free.

Work in the local hospitals was very different to all I am used to and initially I did feel a little shell-shocked, but the Tanzanian doctors and nurses encouraged me to be resourceful and so my confidence soared. I spent the entirety of my placement on the Labour Ward at the Mount Meru Regional Hospital which mainly involved, clerking women onto the ward, observing women in later stages of labour, safely delivering the babies and providing immediate postpartum care. In my time on the Labour Ward I delivered a total of twelve babies independently as a matter of urgency and necessity, and twenty three babies with assistance. Being involved in the delivery of child was the most gratifying and exciting (not to mention terrifying) experiences of my life, something I will never forget. There were a number of heart-stopping moments that involved resuscitation of both mothers and babies, but that is the reality of nursing in Africa and anyone wishing to undertake a placement in Tanzania or any other African countries should be aware of this. But the rewarding and happy experiences far outweigh the sad.

There are lots of things to do and see on your days off, my housemates and I were able to plan different events and trips on every day we had free. On my first weekend me and three others made the long coach and ferry trip from Arusha to Zanzibar via Dar Es Salaam. Not wanting to spend too much money early on we decided to take the twelve hour coach to Dar Es Salaam, spend a day and night there before catching the short ferry to Stone Town. Although the coach journey was long, tiring and at points uncomfortable it cost just 48,000 shillings return (roughly £24!) compared to flights which were quoted at 234,000 shillings (roughly £115). Zanzibar is a simply divine place, like a slice of heaven on earth. Whilst there we were able to hire a beach bungalow at Kendwa Rocks, a beautiful little resort in the north of the Island. I highly recommend Kendwa to anyone, it was a really place to relax after a hard first week!

The best advice I can give to anyone visiting Tanzania, and other African nations, is don't go out there thinking that you can change practice and save every patient. There are some very strange and sometimes unsavoury Tanzanian practices, many of which are a consequence of limited resources and poor education. Whilst we can share best practice with our Tanzanian counterparts, it is not good for the British-Tanzanian professional relationship to openly critique their practice.  Healthcare in Tanzania is essentially about being resourceful and inventive with nursing practice - something that no English nursing school can provide.

I will never forget my time in Arusha; I met so many fantastic people and had once in a lifetime experiences. Particular credit has to go the Work the World Team at the Arusha house; Freddie, Ima, Baptista, Witness, Innocent and Emmanuel. Without this team my time in Arusha would not have been half as enjoyable. Ultimately the experience was very humbling and helped me to appreciate how fortunate we are to be British and have the NHS.