About Healthcare in Tanzania

Access to healthcare is an important issue in Tanzania, with malaria and HIV/AIDS posing ongoing risks to public health. World Endeavors Healthcare volunteers in Tanzania work in hospitals and clinics, assisting doctors and nurses and helping to deliver care to underserved community members. Volunteers may shadow healthcare providers and, depending on their qualifications and experience, work in various departments of the hospital, such as the burn unit, surgery, X-ray, and physical therapy departments. Many volunteers also assist with basic hospital upkeep, entering data onto computers, and administrative tasks, such as updating patient medical records and organizing files.

A Typical Day in the Life of a Volunteer in Tanzania

World Endeavors volunteers in Tanzania can expect their days to be a combination of meaningful volunteer work, cultural experiences, and free time for relaxation and reflection.  The sample schedule below represents a typical day for a volunteer in Tanzania.  Keep in mind that when volunteering abroad, a typical day can be anything but typical!

7:30 am – 8:00 am: Breakfast with your host family or at the volunteer apartment.  Breakfast in Tanzania often consists of fruit, freshly baked bread, eggs, and a cup of locally-grown coffee or spiced milk tea.

8:00 am – 8:45 am: Walk or catch the local bus to travel to your volunteer project site.

8:45 am – 12:30 pm: Work at volunteer placement.

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm:  Lunch with your host family, at the project site, or at a local affordable restaurant.  Lunch in Tanzania often includes a combination of wali (rice), beans, ndizi kanga (fried bananas or plantains), spinach or other greens, maandazi (bread rolls), sambusas (triangular pastries deep-fried and filled with vegetables or meat), or nyama choma (a piece of goat meat, chicken or beef grilled on an open fire).

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Work at your volunteer project.

4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Free time to stop by the market, hang out with other volunteers, visit the internet café, watch a rugby or soccer game, or play soccer with the local children.

7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Dinner with your host family or at the volunteer apartment.  Dinners in Tanzania often include beans, meat, or fish with rice, ugali (a porridge made of cornmeal) or chapatti (fried flatbread).

8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Relax at home, practice Swahili and watch a movie with your host family, prepare for the next day’s volunteering, or plan a weekend excursion to go hiking, go on a safari, or visit Lake Victoria, Mount Kilimanjaro, the coast, or one of Tanzania’s beautiful national parks.

Project and class schedules, meals, and free time activities may vary depending on the details of your placement.

Eligibility

Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. Successful volunteers are hardworking, flexible, and open to truly immersing themselves in Tanzanian culture.