Health Project in Kenya

Project At A Glance

Location: Nairobi Duration: 2-12 weeks Hours: 30-40 hours per week Food: Local food (3 times a day) Room: Host family or hostel Date: First and Third Monday of each month

Project Summary

There is an obvious lack of manpower and resources in the local hospitals, which are located in the outer city areas and villages and urgently, need volunteers. As a medical volunteer, you will work in these rural health posts and community clinics. You mostly work as an assistant to the doctor. Work responsibilities vary with your education, skill and experience.

Skill/Qualification

Volunteers/Interns interested in joining the volunteer health program must possess health care certification, such as an ID as a medical student, EMT or paramedic certification, or nursing or physician's credentials. Medical volunteers without credentials are not allowed to work in this program because of the potential risk. The hospitals require a copy of your resume, clearly stating credentials and education, before your arrival to the project.

Volunteer's responsibilities:

Job responsibilities of volunteers joining as a medical volunteer vary with education, skills, experience, and qualifications. Volunteers/Interns are not allowed to perform the major identification or surgery works. Most of the time volunteers help doctors or work as an assistant to doctors. Volunteers measure BP, temperature, height, weight Assist doctors and medical staffs with health center tasks. You also help in health camps (if any), distribute medicines, provide tips to patients on health, nutrition and sanitation and counseling patients, and involve yourself in the treatment for minor injuries or wounds and keeping patient records.

Room/Food/supervision

We arrange for room, food, and supervision for volunteer from the start to the end of program. During first, week of language and cultural program, volunteers stay with one of the host family in Nairobi. The home is located 10 min drive from the city giving easy access to most part of the city.

During volunteering in the health project, volunteers will stay with a host family. You will either stay near the center or you will commute to the project by matatu every day. Host families will offer a separate room but you will share the bathroom with them. You can find the details of arrangement for room/food in placement sheets provided you. Our field staff visits you every 2 weeks and maintains contact by phone or through email with volunteers who are placed in farther locations.