• Tanzania

Overview

This program gives medical & nursing students a unique perspective on healthcare, as they travel through Tanzania & interact with local staff at a variety of medical facilities. Work alongside local doctors at a hospital in Arusha, lead workshops on empowerment to encourage adolescent women of Arusha, & learn about other local efforts in the area that are reaching out to women, men & children in need. After the volunteer project, enjoy a few days in famous wildlife areas – participating in exciting safari game drives.   

Highlights

  • Hospital Volunteer Work – Observe, shadow, & assist local doctors at a hospital in Arusha.
  • Young Women Development Center – Lead workshops on maternal health.
  • Arusha National Park – Enjoy a canoe safari tour on Momella Lake.
  • Hot Air Balloon – Ride high above the Serengeti to observe the wildlife below.
  • Serengeti National Park – Features the annual Great Migration.
  • Ngorongoro Crater – Home to warthogs, lions, olive baboons, flamingos, cheetahs, & numerous other mammal & bird species.
  • Womens Empowerment Lecture – Listen to a founding member of the Maasai Women Development Organization (MWEDO) to learn about empowerment advocacy & human rights, including access to healthcare & education.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arusha

Arrive at the airport, & transfer to your accommodation. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening. 

Day 2: Arusha

After breakfast, learn more about the medical volunteer project at a brief orientation meeting. Take a guided tour of a local hospital afterward. You’ll see the facility’s labs, clinics, & offices. At the end of the tour, you’ll find out which doctor you will be working with for the project. Enjoy lunch. Visit a local development center for young women. Next, learn about a special organization for children situated within the hospital, & tour the facility. 

Day 3: Arusha

Spend the day observing & shadowing the doctor you are assigned to at the local hospital. 

Day 4: Arusha

Assist your assigned doctor as needed today at the hospital. Later today, sit in on a lecture given by some of the area’s medical professionals. 

Day 5: Arusha

Assist your assigned doctor as needed today at the hospital. Later today, sit in on a lecture given by some of the area’s medical professionals. 

Day 6: Arusha

This morning, head to a local development organization for women whose objective includes providing disease awareness & education. The organization’s founder will host a lecture at the facility. Enjoy lunch afterward. Today’s tour ends with a visit to a clinic situated within Maasai territory. 

Day 7: Arusha

Return to the development center for young women this morning to lead workshops. Topics include maternal health & empowerment. 

Day 8: Arusha

Spend another day leading workshops at the development center for young women. 

Day 9: Arusha – Karatu

Travel to Arusha National Park today. Upon arrival, set off on a safari in a 4 x 4 vehicle. Don’t forget your binoculars, as you’re bound to come across Black & White Colobus monkeys. The safari drive ends at Momella Lake, where you’ll begin a canoe safari tour. This peaceful, yet exciting tour takes you up-close to the park’s hippos, flamingos, & other wildlife. Afterward, head to Karatu for dinner around a campfire & an overnight stay.

Day 10: Karatu – Ngorongoro Crater – Serengeti National Park

Before the sun rises in the sky, head up to higher altitudes in a hot air balloon. This is a unique way to observe the wildlife of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (optional). Head to the Ngorongoro Crater this morning for a safari game drive. This awe-inspiring stretch of African plain features a large & diverse population of wildlife, including lions, cheetahs, rhinos, olive baboons, warthogs, & zebras. Take a break, & sit down by the hippo watering hole for a picnic-style lunch in the bush. Hop back in the safari vehicle, & head through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You may have the opportunity of seeing groups of wildlife migrate across the plains. Before too long you’ll arrive in the Serengeti. Enjoy a safari game drive here, focused on lion observation.  

Day 11: Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Rise before dawn, & enjoy a sunrise safari in Serengeti National Park (optional). After breakfast you’ll spend the morning riding across the Serengeti, admiring wildlife in its natural habitat. Head back through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area after lunch. Enjoy dinner & an overnight stay in the Ngorongoro Region. 

Day 12: Ngorongoro – Arusha – USA

Spend the morning at your leisure. Optional activities include hiking or cycling through the area’s coffee plantations. Later today, head to the airport in Arusha, & board return flight home.