Volunteers Abroad Reviews and Feedbacks

My Favorite Memory: I have so many wonderful memories it is had to say what is my favorite. But the one that will stay with me forever is watching the children’s faces at the orphanage when I was passing out arts and crafts kits, play dough, playing cards, beanie babies and other little donations that I had brought with me. The excitement in their eyes was clearly visible and the hugs I got in return were unforgettable!

I was surprised that…. I was surprised that no one has an appreciation for time. We live in a society that “time is money” and “my time is valuable”, but this is not the case in Tanzania. People will be 2-3 hours late and will not let you know and will not apologize for being late, because the idea of “being late” doesn’t exist. I knew to expect things to be slower than what I was used to but for others not to value or respect my time was a surprise to me.

The most difficult thing I experienced was…. The most difficult thing for me was to witness some of the poor medical care due to lack of knowledge and understanding. I was prepared for a lesser quality in medical care due to lack of resources but I was not prepared for the general lack of education by some of the medical professionals. Examples: blood pressures taken with out a stethoscope (which is impossible); a doctor telling me the blood pressure cuff was broken, when in fact he had put it on the patient inside out; a doctor obtaining a blood pressure of 130/20 and not being concerned!; a man who died of an infection who I asked what antibiotics he was taking, I was told he was not on antibiotics but on a blood thinner; the lack of understanding about when to use sterile equipment and when you don’t need to. These were all very difficult, especially because I knew I would not be able to change their ways and people would continue to die for reasons that can be prevented!

My best received lesson…I think the biggest lesson I learned was that the small things are something big in someone’s life. You don’t need to save the world, but helping those you encounter along the way makes a huge impact. More is not always best! Small things can mean big changes for someone.

Tip for future volunteers… (Clothing, travel, personal items, donations, sightseeing etc)

Registered Nurses: I would discourage RN’s to travel to Tanzania with the expectation of preforming nursing duties. If they would like to help with cares at orphanages, I think that would be great especially the HIV orphanages! The respect for a nurse in Tanzania is not what it is in America. You will do a lot of watching and not a lot of helping. I think nursing students or nursing assistants would have a wonderful time working at the hospitals. To put it into perspective, a “pre med” student who has had no medical training was given more respect and duties than an RN. This was frustrating!

Clothing: Capris and t-shirts. No tank tops or shorts. White people already stand out, dress as modestly as you can. A good pair of sandals like Teva’s, Chacos are great for everyday use!
Personal items: Bring any medications you think you MIGHT need. Be happy if you don’t need them, but be grateful you have them when you do need them.

Donations: For the hospital: Basic items like gloves, alcohol pads, bandages. Fancy medical items are misused. Also St Elizabeth is a catholic hospital so condoms are not a good donation for them, BUT i would continue to encourage people to bring condoms but know that St Elizabeth will not take them. There is another clinic close by that will gladly accept them. I brought over 1,000 condoms and was shocked when St Elizabeth did not teach condom use at their HIV clinic.

For the orphanages: Small games with few small parts, books, crayons, color pencils, markers, clothes, baby wipes (for orphanages with young children), jump ropes, balls
Sightseeing: Going on a safari is a must! It is expensive ($150/day) but worth every penny. It includes everything you need during that time.

Zanzibar: Also beautiful if you have the time and money! It is a bit of a vacation from your African volunteer work. Very relaxing with huge white sandy beaches and wonderfully blue water!

Personal Paragraph (Testimonial)

I had an amazing time. I think the culture shock of returning home was harder than going to Africa. I never expected to have such a hard time getting readjusted or fitting back into my life here. It has taken me a while to accept that I am home and this is the life I live. I have forever been changed by my experience and will never forget it or the people I met. In fact, 3 days after I returned I looked into how much it would cost to fly back!
I will always remember the two little girls who were given surgery because of us and I have set up a sponsorship for one of the little boys at Good Hope, who I would have taken home with me in a second if it was only that easy! They will forever be in my daily thoughts!

Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?

Yes, of course.