Case Notes:
Deanne Harris
(Nursing, Tanzania )

When trying to find out information about organising placements abroad I came across the Work the World website. I read what they had to offer and realised that they were exactly what I needed. They would do all the organising of the placement; all I had to do was tell them what I wanted to get out of it. My accommodation would be organised and I wouldn’t have to worry about food because this was all included. In fact the only major decision I would have was where to go!

After reading all the places where they could arrange placements and all the added extras that could be provided in those areas, I decided on Tanzania, because of the Maasai traditional medicine experience. I have always had an interest in the Maasai culture but never in a million years ever thought I could experience the culture myself. I looked at the prices and they did seem quite expensive at first, but when I added how much everything would be separately there wasn’t much difference. The added bonus was that I knew that I would be looked after in a country where I did not speak the language and where it would be very daunting as a lone visitor. You can’t put a price on your safety.

The Work the World team in the UK office provided me with all the information I needed, an itinerary of what I needed to do and when, such as vaccinations, applying for the visa etc. They gave me a list of all the things to bring with me, which is very important when you normally pack everything including the kitchen sink and tend to forget life’s little essentials. They also kept me informed of where I would be staying and even the people who I would be sharing the house with, so we didn’t have to be complete strangers when I arrived.

The day of my placement soon arrived, and after a long and tiring flight I touched down at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Although I was excited I was also nervous. Had I made the right decision to do all this on my own? I was met at the Airport by Freddie, the Programme Representative from Work the World. It takes about an hour to get to the house from the airport, and within that hour Freddie taught me the basic greetings in Swahili and told me what would be happening the next morning.

In the morning I met Baptista, the Work the World Director for Tanzania. He gave me and the other newbie’s a guide of the house and also of Arusha. He took us on a Dala dala (a kind of minibus) and I’m glad he did because I wouldn’t have got on one of my own accord, and they are certainly an experience not to miss!! The most anyone within my time there had seen on it was I think 29 people, 2 goats and some chickens!

Baptista showed me where the hospital that I was working at was and introduced me to the Matron. The hospital that I was allocated to was St Elizabeth’s. This is a private hospital, but don’t expect too many luxuries. Luxury here is a washing machine, a drip stand and one bed per patient. However the hospital staff are knowledgeable and can read a person better than any machine. The majority of people at the hospital do not speak English, with the exception of the doctors and nurses, but then of course even in UK hospitals the English can be limited. A basic understanding of Swahili is really useful, but a Work the World Swahili teacher comes to the house one evening a week and he teaches what you want to know. Besides all the notes are written in English, so you will be able to know what is wrong with each patient.

I spent my first week on the maternity ward. Here there is one bed in the delivery room, a prenatal ward and a postnatal ward which each have about 10 beds. There is one midwife on shift and one healthcare/domestic. Families provide all personal care and food, so the midwife’s job is to administer any medication, child birth and clean and dress any caesarean wounds and other maternity problems. There was certainly an element of culture shock as the hospital is fantastic at improvising. There are no umbilical clips; thin cut pieces of catheter tubing with a bit of string are used and gloves second as a tourniquets. Don’t let this put you off what you can learn is vast and anything you want to know the team are willing to answer.

My second week was spent on the surgical ward, again with only one nurse on shift. They have three bays – male, female and private. At the start of the shift there is a ward round with the doctor. Then the morning is spent between cleaning and dressing wounds of inpatients (and you will see some amazing wounds) and dealing with outpatients who come onto the ward to be treated by the nurse. I was also given the chance to go into theatre and watch operations. In the early afternoon it they have the drugs round and soon after that the shift ends. The hospital team are fantastic, but if you want to easily earn their respect I advise you to attend the morning service, you might not understand what is being said but the singing is beautiful and can be quite moving.

On some of the evenings I went to a local orphanage, Paradiso. This is run by two of the most amazing people, they have taken in 13 orphans, but are trying to raise money to acquire land, build and run an orphanage helping about one hundred orphans. I say amazing, because they are in their seventies and they get no help from the government nor do they have a regular income. They have some help from local volunteers and the children are a credit to them; they are polite, they like to play, run round and generally jump all over the place and have the biggest smiles I have ever seen. Although I was exhausted at the end of each evening their company is addictive.

In my spare time I went on a four day safari; visiting Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti Plains. It costs about two hundred pounds, but is more than worth the money. The cost included all the parks entry fees, the jeeps, the food and cook (the food was delicious), the tents and amazingly knowledgeable guides who can spot an ant on the horizon! - Four of us would be scanning in all directions for animals and the guide who was concentrating on driving would suddenly point to a lion walking through the long grass about a mile away, or a cheetah basking in the distance, both of which we could only see with binoculars! You will see loads of animals close up, and will definitely go away seeing most of, if not all, of the big five plus tonnes of others along the way.

I also did the Maasai Traditional Medicine Experience which was amazing. You can choose different options of the length and cost of the course; I decided to rough it to save money as I was the only one from the house going that week. I was met at the house by my guide and cook. Here we got a taxi to the Dala dala station, got a dala dala to Monduli Chini, where we then got a pick-up truck to Monduli Juu. Once at Monduli Juu, my guide and I walked to see the Oloboni (Medicine man). He is able to tell what is wrong with a patient by speaking to god and reading his stones. I went in thinking it was all a bit far-fetched and believe what you will, but from my experience I couldn’t believe how accurate he was with the three things he told me (and they were things that there was no way he could have known).

We then walked to the Bomma that was 13 miles uphill (remember I did say I roughed it, for a little bit more you could get a truck all the way from the house to the Bomma). I stayed in a traditional hut whilst I was there and the villagers are amazing - they all come to greet you, and I soon settled in and felt at home. The second day we walked another 5 miles to the Place of Orpul, along the way the guide pointed out barks, roots and leaves used for medicinal purposes by Maasai. We were greeted by some of the villagers at the site and I was given a guided tour. There was an optional goat sacrifice, I didn’t have it but I do regret that decision. Whilst at the Orpul site they make medicine from some root, which I was offered to try and then there was a treat with traditional Maasai singing and dancing. This was amazing…and they really do jump high!

On the way back, we walked with a village elder. He showed what is effectively their local pharmacy…the trees that surround the village. He showed me barks and roots for pain relief whilst in labour; tree sap that is an antiseptic for cuts, flower nectar to help with depression, berries for pneumonia, the list is endless.

I got off the plane at Kilimanjaro nervous about the decision I made. I left Tanzania not only with memories that I could never have dreamed of before the trip, but with new friends I have kept in touch with and a great desire to return once I qualify.

Thank you Work the World!