Friends and memories for life in Tanzania
I have just returned home after an incredible 5 weeks spent in Tanzania. I spent my time with both the childcare and medical programmes and whist I could write a book about my trip, I do have a few highlights.
"Friends and memories for life, I will cherish my memories from Tanzania for life."
Living and volunteering amongst the local people allowed me to immerse myself in the culture of Tanzania and get to know the amazing people who live there.
The childcare was within a Maasai village, and we were welcomed with open arms and even giving us a tour of their homes! The children themselves were full of energy and loved interacting with us. It was chaotic but I quickly picked up some Swahili and was able to teach the class, education makes a huge difference to their lives and it was great to be able to help. It was obvious that they struggled to feed all of the kids so we bought ingredients to make the porridge they all get given at lunch time. Despite their struggles, the children turned up every day full of smiles.
We also had the opportunity to lead a talk with the women in the Maasai tribe, educating them women’s health and the importance of education. Many of the women have little understanding of their own bodies and they were full of gratitude for the information, we got lots of hugs afterwards.
The hospitals in Tanzania were a shock at first, with a lack of resources and many people struggling to pay their medical bills, I have come home with a new appreciation for our healthcare. I spent a lot of time in maternity and assisted with deliveries. The one that stands out the most was premature delivery of surprise twins during a power cut! We had to use our phone torches and neither the mother or the midwife knew it was twins! The hospital staff were all very friendly and I got to spend time learning in many different wards.
When I wasn’t volunteering, there were lots of trips to choose from. Some of the best was swimming an 85m waterfall in the jungle and learning to make coffee! And rope swinging into the hot springs! We also attended a church service, there was lots of singing and dancing and it’s was a great way to experience local culture. We had a fun filled weekend in Zanzibar, I booked The Mighty Roar trip and we had activities organised for every day. We swam with dolphins and had a bbq on an uninhabited island!
The hostel we stayed at felt like home instantly, I felt very safe. The staff working there became friends and it was hard to say goodbye. We got 3 delicious meals a day and there was always someone about if we needed help with anything.
My time in Africa was an emotional rollercoaster, I met so many inspirational people and I will cherish my memories from Tanzania for life.
