ZAMBIA MEDICAL AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA

Mosi-oa-tunya’ - The Smoke That Thunders… is the local description of the spray created by the world famous Victoria Falls, the number one tourist attraction in Zambia, and only a stone's throw from the town of Livingstone - the location of the project and the adventure capital of Africa.  Here volunteers have the opportunity to gain a unique insight into the Zambian medical field, and to make a positive impact on the local community through a specially structured Medical Programme.

Zambia is one of the world’s poorest countries and as a result health care provision suffers as much as any other public service sector in the country. Whilst structures are in place for an effective heath service, there is an enormous deficit in terms of staff and resources which is why the help of volunteers is very much appreciated. 

Medical volunteers spend their time providing much needed assistance within the medical establishments of Livingstone. They do not need to be qualified -  just need the desire to want to help.  They will also spend time in the afternoons on worthwhile local community projects.

This is a great project where volunteers not only play an integral and hands-on part in helping with the health care needs of this Zambian community but will also leave with a real insight into medicine in a third world country.  An ideal project for anyone thinking about a entering a medical profession!

	Location:	LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA	Dates:	Volunteers should arrive on the 1st or 3rd Monday of each month
	Fees:	£945 - 2 weeks £1,395 - 4 weeks £1,795 - 6 weeks £2,195 - 8 weeks £2,575 - 10 weeks	Payment:	£180 deposit at time of booking – balance payment of project fee due 12 weeks before departure
	Reference:	AV017

Highlights

• Gain medical experience in local clinics under staff supervision
• Project is open to qualified medics, medical students or simply those keen to help
• Getting involved in the community, with those who really need help
• Being based in Livingstone - where there is plenty to do at weekends and during relaxation time
• A large variety of activities and community projects - from building and painting to HIV education and reading clubs
• A variety of locations - with projects in towns, in rural communities, in clinics, in hospices, in farms, in old people's homes - enabling volunteers to see every inch of African life
• Meeting friendly people - the work of medical volunteers is so appreciated within the communities and the people are the friendliest and most determined African people that anyone could wish to meet

General Information

Medical Project

Zambia is one of the world’s poorest countries and as a result health care provision suffers as much as any other public sector service in the country.  Whilst structures are in place for an effective health service, there is an enormous deficit in terms of staff and resources.  The presence of volunteers offering a helping hand in almost every area of the clinic is more than gratefully received by the staff who are working at an immense pace in an attempt to keep up with the demands placed upon them.  Volunteers help during the mornings with the basic medical tasks which enables the trained staff to focus their time on the more complicated work requiring their expertise.  Volunteers should supply certified copies of medical qualifications if they wish to work in specialised sections of maternity wards or laboratories.

The Medical Project has three main areas of work:

The Clinics

The role of the volunteer here is to provide back up and assistance to those working in a very understaffed clinic.  These primary healthcare facilities are the first point of call for unwell residents in Livingstone.  Here the decisions are made as to whether patients need information/reassurance, treatment, observation or emergency referral to a hospital.  Volunteers themselves will never be required to make decisions regarding patient treament but they play an invaluable role in reducing the workload on the staff and will have an unique opportunity to learn from the clinicians.  They will help by weighing the babies, taking blood pressures, temperatures and weights of patients waiting to see the clinician and provide basic education on a variety of topics through "health talks".

Maramba Old People's Home

Medical volunteers will assist by helping the elderly residents with their laundry, tidying and cleaning up the living areas and working in the vegetable garden to provide the food for the residents.  This home is poorly funded by the government and few of the residents have any family to look after them.  Volunteers will be a "friendly face" to these people who may not normally see much more than the four walls of the home.  Volunteers spend time with the patients - perhaps playing games, doing puzzles or just reading to them.

Home Based Care

Volunteers will accompany community volunteers as they go out to visit bed-ridden and immobile patients in Livingstone.  In the homes they will provide basic advice and whatever assistance they can to these people who have little or no access to clinics or hospitals.  This might be offering basic first aid, just be chatting to patients about personal hygiene or exercise, making patients' beds or even just a few simple household chores for them. 

(Please note that for volunteers who would prefer to spend every, or several, afternoons a week helping out in the clinics instead of working on the community projects, this can be arranged.)

Community Projects

Having spent the mornings in the clinics or home based care, volunteers will also help with valuable community development programmes during the afternoons.  These may include the following:

Building, painting and refurbishing schools and clinics

Schools are very short of classrooms resulting in most children being able to attend one session per day only.  Volunteers will help the local builders and community to build as many classrooms as funds allow and will help with mixing cement, bricklaying, plastering and painting.  Hard but very rewarding work!

Elephant Pepper Project

The Elephant Pepper Development Trust is an organisation that aims to reduce the conflict between farmers and elephants.  The elephants often raid a farmer's crops which means that he may lose his entire year's income in one night.  Many of these elephants are then shot as a result.  The Trust has found a way of using chilli peppers - which elephants dislike intensely - to keep them away from the farmers' lands and volunteers will help out with tending the chilli seedlings, watering, weeding and harvesting.

Home Based Care/Farming

There are several home based care projects in the area and volunteers may accompany the local women of the district who visit patients with HIV, TB and malaria within the local community.  They may contribute by way of basic first aid and help teaching first aid and basic health care.  The home based care community volunteers rely on government medical supplies or donations but some have their own land that they use to raise money for their work.  This is the most sustainable way to ensure the project continues and volunteers may assist with simple farming, the produce of which is sold to raise money for medical supplies for the Maramba Home Based Care Group.  The opportunity to work with this group gives a real insight into the lives of those suffering and a good understanding of Zambian society.

Reading Club

Pupils from various schools attend the afternoon reading club where volunteers help out with literacy skills - encouraging the children to read and helping out with difficult words.

Art Club

Volunteers are encouraged to plan these themselves using their own creative ideas to deal with a variety of issues.  For example, the art club could produce posters for an anti-drugs campaign or make Christmas cards or decorations, Easter masks etc.  The children also enjoy finger painting and making papier mache models.

Adult Literacy Club

This is a very important club and one that is very popular with volunteers - aimed at helping local adults become more employable through improved literacy.  There is a structured syllabus with beginners/intermediate and advanced classes, and relevant testing and a certificate issued to those who are successful. 

A Day in the Life of a Medical Volunteer

Here is how a typical day in the life of a medical volunteer might take shape. Please note that itineraries may differ from time to time depending on the experience and number of volunteers at the project at any time.

7.00	Its rise and shine, and time for breakfast. The volunteers also spend some time preparing for the day, ensuring they have everything they need in their medical bags.
7.45	Off to work. The volunteer takes their station on arrival at the Out Patients Department and starts their morning taking vital statistics before each patient sees the clinical officer. They may also spend the morning baby weighing – a thoroughly enjoyable job!
11.30	Volunteers will be picked up and taken back to the house for lunch
1.00	Planning Session – Volunteers are given this time to prepare for the afternoon - this may mean designing and making posters, researching, writing quiz’s or tests or simply gathering supplies.
1.45	Depart for the community project. This may be farming, building, or painting or it may mean an art club or a reading club, or assisting with home based care or in one of the homes.  Volunteers may also be involved in planning and delivering a Life Skills Workshop to the children of the local community schools covering topics such as basic first aid, drugs and alcohol awareness, HIV or AIDS.
5.00	Back to the house for supper and a free evening - perhaps for a meal out, or simply enjoying a beer in front of the tv whilst planning for the next day

Optional Free Time Activities

These are not included in the project fee and prices are given as a guideline only as they are subject to change.  Volunteer co-ordinators will be happy to help with making the necessary arrangements.

• Dinner/Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi River - USD 35 - 45
• 2 nights on an Island Paradise on the Zambezi - USD 120
• 2 nights onboard a boat cruising along the Zambezi River - USD 180
• 2 nights on safari in Chobe National Park - USD 200
• White water rafting on the Zambezi River - USD 150
• Bungee jumping and gorge swings over the Batoka Gorge - USD 125
• Helicopter ride over the Falls - USD 150 for 15 minutes
• Microlight flight over the Falls - USD 120 for 15 minutes
• Elephant back safaris - USD 120
• Canoeing safaris on the Zambezi
• Game drives in Zambia's Mosi-oa-Tunya or Botswana's Chobe National Park

"My friend and I were the only 'mature' (post retirement) volunteers in the house, but we really enjoyed working alongside enthusiastic youngsters from all over the world (from Alaska (USA), Tasmania, Canada, Germany, Holland and UK). We both felt rejuvenated by the experience! The Zambians helping us were all extremely friendly and we learnt to live by African time, never rushing, always having time for a laugh and a joke! The children we met on our projects were delightful, even if some of the babies were frightened of our alien white faces. I feel I've had a glimpse of the real Africa - full of colour, music and happiness, in spite of some extreme poverty"
Jane, UK, 2008

Project Age Range:   Volunteers on this project should be aged between 18 and 40 years of age (17 year olds may be considered with parental consent).

Support

Support and advice is available from the project managers whilst on the project and from the UK Amanzi Travel Team.
Find out more about Amanzi Travel support

Orientation

A comprehensive information pack will be sent to volunteers upon booking their placement and further advice and information can be provided via telephone and email before departure.  A full orientation will be provided on arrival.

Accommodation and Meals

Accommodation is provided at Livingstone Backpackers - in an area of the property dedicated for volunteers only.  This makes for a great atmosphere and the accommodation is very popular with the volunteers.  Single sex rooms house either six or eight people and there are plenty of showers and toilets.  The plumbing is excellent and provides lots of hot water!  The accommodation is about five minutes' walk from the local supermarket, and only two minutes to the market and an Italian restaurant which serves great pizza.  The accommodation, which has 24 hour security, has free internet, and use of a climbing wall, jacuzzi and swimming pool.  There is a lovely garden and a cash bar is available.  Volunteers can book all sorts of exciting optional activities at the house.  Three meals a day are provided.  Breakfast is on a self-serve basis and usually consists of cereals, porridge, toast, tea and coffee.  Lunch and dinner are meals prepared by the resident cook.  Sometimes at weekends volunteers will need to cook their own meals from ingredients provided, as staff have some time off.  This is the best time for that as volunteers are often out and about exploring the area or taking part in tourist activities.

Getting There

Fly into Livingstone or Victoria Falls Airport where you will be met by a member of the project team and taken to the volunteer house. 

(There may be a number of ways to reach your destination airport - for further information or advice please contact Amanzi Travel)
Let Amanzi Travel arrange your flights for you

Fees

What is included

• Financing that goes directly back into the projects to cover items such as building materials, materials etc
• Airport transfers to and from Livingstone Airport on arrival and departure
• Full daily support from Project Managers
• Accommodation and three meals a day
• Weekly laundry service
• Full orientation on arrival
• Daily transfers to and from projects

What is excluded

• Travel insurance to include cover for repatriation
• Personal items eg clothes, travel goods
• Return flights to nearest airport
• Transport by air or bus to Livingstone
• Use of internet (email) and telephone
• Wines, spirits and soft drinks and snacks
• Visas and any trips undertaken other than in the planned programme