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Medical Volunteering in Tanzania - Arusha

Medical Volunteering in Tanzania - Arusha

Purpose
Improve access to quality healthcare
Start dates
Programs start on the 1st and 15th of every month
Duration
Choose from 1-16 weeks
Volunteer hours
Up to 6 hours a day
Age
Volunteers aged 18+
Accommodation
Volunteer house or homestay
Apply for free
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Who is going?
Group video calls

Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.

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This program is ideal for:

Qualified professionals or volunteers who are in their third or subsequent year of medical or nursing school. Paramedics, EMTs and CNAs are also welcome, however it’s important to note that you’ll be volunteering in a general practice clinic or hospital, rather than working within your field.

Project details

Want to be a Medical volunteer in Tanzania? International Volunteer HQ’s Medical project is an exciting opportunity for volunteers to help improve access to healthcare for low-income communities in Arusha. Volunteers gain medical experience by shadowing local professionals at either a clinic or hospital and may also be able to take part in medical outreach campaigns in local villages.

What to expect and how you'll make an impact

In many poor communities in Tanzania, healthcare is not easily accessible or affordable. The Medical volunteer project aims to change that by placing volunteers in medical facilities that serve vulnerable people.

As a Medical volunteer you’ll work in health centers and both governmental and private hospitals based in Arusha city, primarily shadowing local medical professionals and assisting with daily duties. Local regulations and language barriers mean volunteers are unable to perform independent tasks; however, you can observe healthcare in action in a developing country and help where permitted. Your placement will be determined by local medical professionals based on your previous experience and training.

Work can be hands-on depending on placement, the need at the time and your medical experience and education. Some hands-on work might include assisting with surgery or delivery, HIV testing, stitching, wound care and other basic medical care.

Please see below a list of departments where medical volunteers can work on rotation or stick with one, depending on the need at the time :

  • Out Patient Department (OPD)
  • In Patient Department (IPD)
  • Family Planning
  • Laboratory
  • Dental
  • Ophthalmology
  • Pharmacy
  • Labour and delivery
  • Antenatal
  • Midwifery
  • Surgery (Minor Theatre and Major Operation)
  • Tuberculosis Department
  • HIV Department
  • Diabetic Clinic
  • Hypertension Clinic
  • Mental Health Department

You shouldn’t expect all placements to offer all the above departments, however, if you have any preferences with regard to the work you are helping out with, please feel free to note it in your application. The local team will take this on board as best as they can, although it’s important to be flexible as we cannot guarantee that you will work on your chosen department.

You may also be able to take part in Medical Outreach campaigns twice a week. Campaigns take place in local villages, delivering basic medical care which is not often available. On the day, volunteers are transported to either a community group that has been organised to offer free medical support or they will visit a number of homes in a rural area nearby Arusha to assess patients. They are escorted and assisted by a registered nurse, a social worker and a local team staff member for translation purposes.

These campaigns are fully arranged and funded by volunteers, and you’re welcome to reach out to your Program Manager for more information about these.

Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #3: Good Health and Well-Being

Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #3: Good Health and Well-Being

Good mental and physical health is key to sustainable development and building healthy and happy communities. Now more than ever, we must increase access to free healthcare and health education across the globe to achieve an acceptable standard of living and wellbeing for all.

Why do Medical volunteering in Arusha with IVHQ?

As a healthcare volunteer in Tanzania you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

  • Improving access to healthcare for low-income communities
  • Learning about a medical system in a developing country
  • Developing your communication skills
  • Gaining medical experience
  • Immersing yourself in Tanzanian culture
  • Discovering Africa’s incredible wildlife

Volunteer requirements

  • To join the Medical project in Tanzania you will need to be in your third or subsequent year of medical or nursing school, or a qualified professional. CNAs, paramedics and fully qualified EMTs are also be eligible to take part.
  • Volunteers need to be 18 years or over to participate in this program. If you are under the age of 18, IVHQ offers alternative volunteer opportunities for teens. Visit our High School Volunteer Abroad page to learn more.
  • All volunteers are required to speak fluent English, have adequate volunteer travel insurance and provide a criminal background check to IVHQ before departure.
Are you eligible to volunteer?

Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.

Apply for free

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'Who is going' users image
Who is going?
Group video calls

Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.

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What recent volunteers said about their IVHQ experience

RB
Rahnee Boyd
06 Nov 2024

I have gained a genuine perspective. The people of Tanzania are absolutely beautiful and they express a level of gratitude that is unfortunately rare back home. Being a medical volunteer was incredibly humbling and rewarding.

My advice to anyone thinking about joining would be to jump in! You will be taken care of by the local team and be able to experience a culture that is truly joyous! You will be impacted by the people you meet far more than you will know.

...
VR
Victor Reubens
18 Sep 2024

Obviously it was quite exciting and a bit scary at the beginning, but my Program Manager and the IVHQ team made everything very clear and the checklist was also very clear to prepare for my trip.

My accommodation (hotel) offered a nice environment and it was great to meet young people from all around the world. The staff of the hotel were very friendly and I felt safe the whole time. The meals in the hotel were all really good too. Even with the limited resources available there was always enough and good food. The food on the social night was amazing! Sometimes we went out for dinner to have some variety, and it was really nice to have the flexibility to do this.

It was a lovely experience and the most beautiful trip I did in my life! The combination of getting to know and be immersed in a complete different culture, never feeling like a real tourist, and helping in a local hospital while improving my medical knowledge, made this the best trip ever.

...
CC
Castor Cuppens
16 Aug 2024

I gained a lot of new friends from all over the world and I shared an experience with them that I will never forget. I learned a lot about the culture and also some new things about medicine.

Advice: Just do it! You will never forget this adventure!

...
CG
Constanza Gancedo Gori
16 Aug 2024

Before volunteering, my aim was to impact the kids, but when I finished it, I realised that they made a huge impact on me! They've changed me in the best way possible.

The most important thing that I learned in Tanzania was that the most beautiful things are the simple ones.

I believe it’s important to try to get out of your comfort zone, even if it’s scary. This might be the only way to grow and have such a beautiful experience.

...
NF
Natasha Foster
10 Apr 2024

The preparation guidance from IVHQ was very good and helped make this process a lot easier. The local team was very accommodating and made me feel very safe and well looked after. I had a really good experience volunteering in one of the local health care centres. I was only there for 2 weeks but I got to see the difference in healthcare and supplies compared to my home country.

This trip was one of the best things I have done so far and I am looking forward to doing it again in the future. I was nervous at first about meeting new people and adapting to the new environment, but all of the local staff and the other volunteers were lovely and made you feel right at home.

...
SD
Sagarika Dey
07 Mar 2024

The local team in Tanzania was the most amazing local team I could ever imagine! I have been with many volunteer abroad organisations and nothing comes close to the support we got from them. I definitely want to come back!

...

To read all reviews, visit our reviews page.

Academic course credit

Academic course credit through International Volunteer HQ and Intern Abroad HQ.

Academic course credit

Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing a volunteer abroad program with International Volunteer HQ!

Learn about course credit

Location

Volunteer Abroad in Tanzania with IVHQ

Location

The IVHQ Tanzania volunteer program is based in Arusha, a small city often used as the base of many safari trips into the Serengeti and other national parks. It’s also near Africa’s highest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro. Tanzania as a whole is known for its seemingly boundless areas of wilderness where African animals roam, sometimes migrating in vast groups across the plains; and also being the country where the oldest human skull and even older fossils of human ancestors were found.

Despite its many attractions, communities in many parts of Tanzania still lack access to the basic necessities of life. Volunteer projects based in rural and urban areas around Arusha and nearby help to provide better access to healthcare, education and childcare.

Arrival and orientation

The program orientation begins on the 1st and 15th of every month and volunteers need to arrive in Arusha on the day before orientation.

After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK) in Arusha. Your airport pick-up is included in your program fee. We recommend that volunteers under the age of 18 travel internationally with a notarized letter from their parents to support their documentation. When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Arusha. Your accommodation is covered by your program fee and includes the night before your program orientation.

If you are traveling in Tanzania prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up in Arusha on the day before your program orientation. Orientation is hosted by our local team at one of the volunteer houses in Arusha. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date. If your start date falls on a weekend or a public holiday, your orientation will begin on the Monday or day following the public holiday. Orientation covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Tanzania – an introduction to Tanzania, Tanzanian customs, rules and expectations, language lessons (Kiswahili), safety, travel opportunities in Tanzania, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.

Volunteer schedule example

First Day

On the first day of the volunteering placement, you will be escorted to the project by our local staff and introduced to the staff at the project you will be working with.

Weekdays

Work and hours are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at. A typical volunteer day would be as follows:

7:30 AM Breakfast at the volunteer house or homestay.
8:00 AM Volunteers leave home and travel to their placements. Work and hours are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at.
2:00 - 5:00 PM Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel home for lunch at their accommodation, prepare for the next day or do some shopping and sightseeing.
8:30 PM Dinner at the volunteer house or homestay

Weekends

Tanzania is a wildlife lover’s dream. In your free time you can venture out on a safari and see Africa’s Big 5 - lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards and rhino - as well as the mind-blowing number of other species that call Tanzania home.

In Arusha itself you can find great markets, take a few days to hike up the nearby Mt Meru, or learn about the Maasai and Meru tribes of the area. You can also take take a short flight down to Zanzibar for a weekend of sun and sandy beaches or save some time before or after your program to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Accommodation and WiFi

Volunteers in Tanzania are accommodated in dorm-style volunteer houses or homestays located in Sakina, Arusha. The local team currently hosts volunteers in three volunteer houses, typically for younger volunteers, and two homestays, often preferred by families and mature volunteers.

In the volunteer houses, volunteers share a room with one to nine others of the same gender, with most rooms accommodating up to six people. Homestays can accommodate up to 10 volunteers, with rooms also separated by gender and a maximum of four people per room.

Living conditions in Arusha are basic but comfortable. Both volunteer houses and homestays have running water and electricity. Toilets and showers are Western-style, though power outages are common, which can affect the availability of hot water and electricity.

During the busy months of January, June, July, and August, the volunteer accommodations in Arusha may reach capacity. To ensure everyone is comfortably accommodated, some volunteers may be hosted in a nearby hotel in dormitory-style rooms separated by gender. Volunteers can expect to share a room with up to seven people.

Wifi is not available at homestays, and although volunteer houses have wifi, it is slow and unreliable. To stay connected, we recommend purchasing an e-SIM before arrival or bringing an unlocked mobile phone and buying a local SIM card in Tanzania. The local team can assist you with purchasing a SIM card and data during your program orientation. Complimentary wifi is available at the hotel.

If you wish to arrive before your recommended arrival date or extend your stay, extra nights at the standard accommodation can be arranged for US$40 (approximately CA$58) per person, per night. Extra nights include three meals a day, are subject to availability, and bookings can be requested by registered volunteers via their profiles.

For added privacy and comfort, private room upgrades are available year-round at a nearby hotel for an extra cost. These rooms can accommodate one or two persons and offer private bathrooms. They are subject to availability and can be booked as an add-on through your MyIVHQ account after registration.

Meals

Tanzanian cuisine varies across the country due to differences in produce found inland and along the coast. The immigration of Khoja Indians has introduced Indian flavors to local dishes. Staple foods in Tanzania include rice, ugali (maize porridge), chapatti, and beans. Rice and beans are significant components of meals, so expect to be served these often.

Volunteers are provided with three meals a day. Breakfast typically consists of eggs served with pancakes, mandazzi (deep-fried dough balls), or cake, along with plenty of fresh fruit, bread, and a selection of jams and other spreads for toast. Lunch and dinner usually feature a traditional meat dish (chicken or beef) alongside a vegetable dish, beans, lentils, or cooked vegetables served with rice, pasta, chips, or chapatti.

Meals are prepared for volunteers by host families at homestays and by cooks at the volunteer houses. Those accommodated in the hotel, whether in private room upgrades or during the busy season, will receive their meals on-site. Lunch boxes and sandwiches can be provided upon request if your placement is scheduled to finish after lunchtime.

Bottled water is readily available in Tanzania, and volunteers should budget approximately US$5 per week for 2 liters a day. Filtered water is also available at the accommodations, and you can choose between purchasing bottled water or using the free filtered water provided in the houses.

If you have any special dietary requirements, please inform us so that the local team can make arrangements for you. They can provide vegetarian meals and options that are dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free. However, vegan, halal, and kosher options are not available.

Keep in mind that your eating experience may differ from what you’re accustomed to at home. The local team will do their best to accommodate your needs and ensure volunteers are well taken care of, but it’s essential to remain flexible.

Pricing

  • USD

Spots are limited. For a Registration Fee of just US$299 (approximately CA$437) you secure your spot and unlock all our preparation and training tools.

You don't need to worry about paying your Program Fee until you get closer to your start date.

Duration
Program Fee
Due 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
  • USD
1 week $420 Equivalent to $60/day
2 weeks $620 Equivalent to $44/day
3 weeks $875 Equivalent to $42/day
4 weeks $1,140 Equivalent to $41/day
5 weeks $1,405 Equivalent to $40/day
6 weeks $1,670 Equivalent to $40/day
8 weeks $2,200 Equivalent to $39/day
10 weeks $2,730 Equivalent to $39/day
12 weeks $3,260 Equivalent to $39/day
16 weeks $4,320 Equivalent to $39/day
  • All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$299 (approximately CA$437) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services.
  • A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
  • Independent volunteers under the age of 18 will have an additional cost of US$80 per week added to their program fee to cover extra logistical support provided by the local team, including transportation to and from placement each day and airport drop-off.
  • Additional things to budget for include: Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check, transport to and from your placement each day and return to the airport when your program finishes.
  • Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Tanzania generally find US$75-100 per week to be sufficient for expenses.
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Airport pick-up
  • US$50 per week for the medical placements to cover additional supervision, materials and logistics involved
  • Accommodation
  • 24/7 in-country support
  • In-country program orientation
  • Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
  • Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists
  • Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
  • Discounts on travel and tour add-ons
  • Certificate of International Volunteer Service

Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.

  • Return to the airport when your program finishes
  • Transport to and from your placement each day
  • Flights
  • Visa (if required), travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check.
  • Personal spending money for snacks, laundry, public transportation, drinks and leisure activities during your free time.

Popular add-ons & experiences in Arusha

Take your volunteer experience to the next level with these popular add-ons and experiences. Explore your options below and learn how to book them once you've been accepted onto the IVHQ Arusha program.

Kifaru Safari
Kifaru Safari

A 2 day safari in Tarangire National Park and Ngorongoro Crater where you will have the opportunity to see amazing wildlife in their natural habitat.

CA$516
Maasai Village Tour
Maasai Village Tour

Gain an authentic insight into the Maasai way of life on a full day tour to Maasailand.

CA$175
Moshi Weekend Escape
Moshi Weekend Escape

A weekend getaway to Moshi Town, the last village before the Kilimanjaro National Park, and and its surroundings.

CA$175

Check what's required to visit Tanzania

Safety and support

Safety and support with IVHQ

Safety and support

IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.

  • All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
  • All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
  • All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
  • All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Learn more about IVHQ's safety

Essential country information

Essential country information

Capital Dodoma
Population 58 million
Languages Swahili and English
Currency Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)
Time zone UTC+03:00

Weather and climate

Tanzania is hot throughout the year and is humid on the coast and dry on the central plateau. The heavy rains last from March to June and can make unsealed road travel difficult. The hot, dry weather in January and February attracts the most tourists. The best time to visit the Serengeti is from January to March, when the grazers are calving and there are plenty of lions around. Or witness the wildebeest migration to and from Kenya, which occurs at the onset of the dry season and again with the first rains, usually around the beginning of June and mid-November.

Apply to check if you're eligible!

Other projects you may be interested in

How to get started

Pick a destination + project and apply for free
Meet your personal volunteer travel expert
Pay the Registration Fee to secure your place and upgrade your MyIVHQ account
Get ready to volunteer abroad, we’ll support you every step of the way!
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