Village experience near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
This is a unique opportunity to complement your healthcare elective or work placement by spending a week in a beautiful, unspoilt village away from the madness of Dar es Salaam. Living in a rural village located in the stunning foothills of the Viduna Mountains will show you another side to Tanzania and will give you the opportunity to learn about the traditional culture and customs of people who live outside of the city.
Working in a small clinic will help you to understand more about primary healthcare and the difficulties in delivering it. Every day presents new challenges and adventures, whether due to limited resources, the presentation of advanced symptoms or learning about traditional local healer’s views on healthcare!
Get to know the locals
Village cultures and traditions can vary region upon region, so we provide you with a personal guide who is local to the Kilobero region that you are visiting.
Your guide will meet you at the Work the World house on Sunday and travel with you by taxi to Ubongo Junction for the bus to Kidodi. It takes 4-5 hours to reach the village and chatting with the locals as you drive past giraffe, zebra and elephants in Mikumi National Park, makes for a fascinating trip.
You will be working weekday mornings with a healthcare practitioner, but during your free time your guide will introduce you to the village leader and show you many local activities. The varied activities include cycling to the sugar cane plantations, visiting a nearby waterfall, learning traditional drumming and dancing and volunteering in the local primary school.
Read Operations Manager Rob's account of the Dar es Salaam Village Experience here.
Accommodation and food
Your time in the village will be spent with a local host family who will provide you with nutritious, traditional meals and a place to call home for the duration of your stay. As with all rural villages, there is no running water and the community relies on long drop toilets (which you will get used to!).
Although you will be living as traditionally as possible, students will be provided with a room to share, mosquito nets, clean sheets and fresh, purified water.
Placement with a healthcare practitioner
In Kidodi you will join doctors in a busy healthcare clinic that boasts a good variety of departments considering the remote location. You may find yourself helping in labour/maternity wards, male and female wards or in the outpatients department. There is also a basic dental ward and HIV counselling.
Benefits
Living amongst a rural Tanzanian community will provide you with a dramatic contrast to the hospital in Dar and the fast paced environment of the city. The healthcare clinic has basic facilities and the villagers follow many traditional customs and rituals, adding a new and unique dimension to your healthcare placement.
There is a maximum of four people taking part in the village experience at any one time. This ensures an amazing opportunity to fully integrate yourself into the community, build a great relationship with the clinic staff and enjoy a very personal experience. This is great for those keen to get away from the crowds and experience what life is like for a huge percentage of Tanzanians.
The Village Healthcare Experience is an invaluable experience, both professionally and personally, and will really stand out on C.V.
