Review: Medicine in Tanzania by Ryan P

Projects Abroad became known to me through an "Options Convention" at my school. I was quickly drawn to the organisation and what they could offer us. Almost immediately after hearing about it we got a group together and began to make plans for fundraising. It was difficult to agree on a destination at first, however it soon became clear that Tanzania, a country very different from our own that was full of culture and tradition, would be the destination for us! The departure date couldn't have come quicker and we began to make the final arrangements before we set off on the trip of a lifetime.

Getting there

To begin our trip, my friends Daniel, Julia, Sarah and I spent a tiring and long 20 hours in Istanbul Airport. We were very excited but had very little idea of what to expect when we arrived in Tanzania! Arusha itself was always busy, filled with very welcoming and happy people. After a long days travelling we were picked up by our co-ordinator Clementina, who we immediately got on very well with. Our host family - Sarah, Daniel, Monica and Baby Brian made our transition very easy and they introduced us to many delicious Tanzanian dishes, most of which went down a treat!

At Hospital

We spent most of our time in Mount Meru Hospital, which was a short drive from our house in Sakina. Our time there was extremely worthwhile. We took part in various workshops such as a TB and Malaria, Tropical Diseases, a HIV/AIDS workshop and a Surgical Workshop (where we even sutured chickens!!). These workshops gave us an interesting insight into how hospitals in less developed countries work and how these diseases seriously affect the population. After the workshop we went on ward rounds with the doctors and we were able to see the patients, while the doctor explained their causes, symptoms and treatments. Although eye opening and very interesting, it was very hard at times as we often saw patients who were on deaths door.

Outreach

We were lucky enough to be able to spend time in a Maasai School, teaching the kids the importance of washing your food, hands and boiling water before you drink it. These simple life lessons weren't easy to pass onto these children who obviously spoke very little English. With the help of posters that we made, we were able to have a great morning with the children. What struck me was how happy and grateful these children were when we were there, even though many of them lived very impoverished lives. I have never seen so many smiling faces and I speak for all of the group when I say that we definitely had a unforgettable experience at the school! The medical outreaches were a key part of our time in Tanzania. We spent two days in different areas of the country, distributing medicine (with the help of nurses!) sitting in on consultations and meeting the local people and speaking to them with our newly found, but very basic, knowledge of the language!

The weekend

A trip to Africa wouldn't be right without a safari and so we were lucky enough to spend a day in the beautiful Tarangire National Park! We were picked up from our house by open top jeeps and made our way through the park passing by endless animals and incredible landscapes -we even saw a lion attacking its prey!! As if that wasn't enough, the following day we hiked around the panoramic Mount Meru waterfalls! We also had the opportunity of visiting a Maasai Village to see their way of life and understand their very different values. To our surprise we were welcomed by the Maasai men who had killed a goat for us and as a tradition some of us even drank the goats blood with the Maasai warriors! Not something I would want to do twice but definitely glad I did it!

On reflection

There aren't enough words to describe how amazing my time in Tanzania was. As soon as I left I wanted to go straight back. Even though I was missing the comforts of home, It was such an incredible opportunity and I enjoyed every minute of it! I want to thank everyone in Projects Abroad that was involved in making our trip as good as it could have been! We had endless laughs and I made friends that I hope to keep in contact with for a long time. I would recommend Tanzania as a destination without hesitation!

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