Tanzania

The Maasai Plains of East Africa are home to some of the world’s most spectacular safari country, including Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. To the east, Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, rises out of the savannah to its snow-capped peak nearly four miles above sea level. Despite only launching in 2007, Tanzania has already become one of our most popular destinations – and with good reason.

The Town of Arusha

Nestling at the foot of a 4700m volcano (Mount Meru), Arusha is a major starting point for access to the wildlife safari country and mountain treks. Although it has a definite small-town feel, there are plenty of Internet cafes, coffee shops, ATMs and safari operators around the central clock tower. A few minutes walk away is the lively market area, which includes stalls of Maasai traditional medicines and handicrafts.

Arusha has a lively nightlife catering for the town’s interesting mix of locals, ex-pats and volunteers. One of our favourite options for a Friday or Saturday night out is the open air bar at Maasai Camp about 2km from the Work the World house – a great place to relax, play pool and meet other students and volunteers working in and around the town.

The Placements

The region’s largest government healthcare institution, Mount Meru Hospital, is one of our key partners offering excellent clinical placements for medical, nursing, dental and physiotherapy electives. We also have partnerships with seven other hospitals and clinics in and around Arusha to enable us to offer placements to suit a wider range of interests and specialities.

Our Traditional Medicine Experience takes you out into Maasai and Chagga villages to learn about the local practices that still form and important part of healthcare delivery in East Africa. The five-day experience can usually be arranged before or after the main placement at your own convenience.

The Work the World House

The Work the World house in Arusha has a fantastic setting on a hill just outside the town centre with spectacular views of Mount Meru (Africa’s fifth highest mountain) from the balcony. The largest of all our houses, it accommodates up to 20 people in spacious rooms shared between two or four, with very large living and dining areas and a big garden. Our House Manager, Maryan, lives in a bungalow within the compound and does an amazing job of looking after the house and making sure there’s always plenty of tasty food!

Weekends & Travelling

For exploring the best of Tanzania at weekends and after your placement, Arusha is the perfect base. A 2-3 hour drive takes you into what’s know as the Northern Safari Circuit, encompassing the great wildlife parks of Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro, where you are pretty much guaranteed to see lion, buffalo, elephant, wildebeest and sometimes even leopard. The seven-day trek up to Uhuru Peak on Mount Kilimanjaro starts just an hour east of Arusha and is a truly amazing experience if you’re up to the challenge.

From Kilimanjaro International Airport it’s less than an hour’s flight to the spice island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean, making it quite feasible to visit after your placement or even for a long weekend. The endless white-sand beaches and natural beauty of the island are unforgettable – and from 2008 our new Work the World Zanzibar programme even allows you to split your placement and spend some of your time working in the island’s old capital, Stone Town.

Tanzania placements: quick facts

Location(s)	[google maps] Arusha, Tanzania (and surrounding areas)
Nearest Airport	Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA)
Clinical Settings	Eight hospitals of varying sizes in and around Arusha
Available electives	[clinic info] Medical Electives
	[clinic info] Nursing Electives
	[clinic info]Physiotherapy Electives
	[clinic info]Dentistry Electives
	[clinic info]Summer Placements
Special projects	HIV Outreach
Available add-ons	Maasai Traditional Medicine

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