My Host Family and Placement
My fellow volunteers – Ramy and Tank – and I were staying in the same house and felt welcomed by our host mother very quickly. We were shown around the house and made to feel at home. Our room contained a bunk bed and a single bed and was very clean. The house was fitted with all the essentials – western toilet, hot shower, hot food for two meals a day and mosquito nets. Our host mother had four sons, one of whom was living with her while we were there and a grandson living with her permanently. They were both very friendly and I am still in contact with the son.
Our placements were very interesting and varied, which was not what I expected. I thought we would be in the same hospital for the two weeks but in reality, we went to many different places including state and private hospitals, maternity hospitals, schools and more.
Our involvement varied depending on where we were. For example, at a school, we played with the kids who ranged between three and ten years old all day and treated them for ringworm, minor cuts and also gave them quarterly de-worming tablets. In the hospitals we mainly shadowed doctors but also got hands on – one of the volunteers in our group got to weigh new-born babies who were minutes old. In the maternity hospital, we witnessed three births in one morning and even one 16-year-old girl who gave birth on the way into the delivery room.
Other Activities
During times when we weren’t on placement, we were taken to tourist attractions such as Lake Baringo, the Lake Nakuru national park and a Masai market. The trips were all very well organised and were very enjoyable, giving us a sense of both the real side of Kenya and the tourist side.
The natural beauty spots that we went to were stunning – from the wildlife in the national park to the view into the crater in which Nakuru lies. The Masai market contained all the souvenirs you could shake a stick at, at reasonable prices (after a bit of bartering).
In conclusion, I enjoyed my volunteering experience very much and didn’t want to leave by the end of the two weeks. I have made friends that I hope to keep in contact with for a long time and would recommend the trip to anyone who likes a bit of adventure. The experience taught me life lessons that I hope will come across when I speak throughout my interviews to study medicine.
If you get the opportunity to go on one of these trips, seize it, as it will open your eyes to a whole world full of experiences that you just can’t see from the comfort of your home.
