Medical Volunteering in Africa, Zimbabwe - Medical Aid in Community Clinic

Please Note: This program is temporarily unavailable. Check out our alternative programs in Africa or schedule a one-on-one call with one of our expert volunteer advisors.

The majority of Gweru’s population does not have access to private healthcare facilities, so most community members are solely dependent on the poorly staffed local clinics. The local clinic provides a range of services, including full maternity care, treatment for opportunistic Infections (HIV and TB), immunizations, outpatient consultations, and medication distribution at their pharmacy. This clinic caters to over 47,000 people each year, yet it is ill-equipped, poorly funded, and above all, severely understaffed.

Location of the Project: Antelope Park, 10km from Gweru, Zimbabwe Midlands

Project length: Min 2 week – Max 8 weeks

Arrival Airport: Bulawayo (BUQ) or Harare (HRE) airports

Volunteer Work: Basic medical experience, teaching and caring for children

Age: 18-70

Number of Volunteers: Up to 6 international volunteers

Important Note: Volunteers staying longer than five weeks will require a “temporary residence permit.” This costs an additional $500-600 USD, to be paid upon arrival.

What’s Included

Accommodations: Twin or quad rooms at volunteer camp

Food: Three meals per day are provided

Airport Transfers: Airport transfers are included on both arrival and departure days

Orientation: Orientation upon arrival to Antelope Park includes includes meet and greet, introduction to Antelope Park and Zimbabwe, and project overview.

Support: Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 GoEco emergency hotline, experienced local field team.

What’s not Included

Flights, business visa (between $30 – $75 USD depending on nationality), travel health insurance, personal expenses

Volunteer Work

As a volunteer, your greatest service will be the manpower that you offer for the local understaffed clinic and similar clinics in the nearby area. Away from the clinic, you’ll have the opportunity participate in any health and nutrition education campaigns and any national immunization drives scheduled during your stay. You do not need to be qualified in any particular medical field to participate on this project.

Some of your tasks may include:

Gaining basic medical experience in local clinics through observation and interaction with nurses, midwives, and doctors
Playing a role in HIV/AIDS education and awareness
Assisting with tasks such as baby weighing, medication packaging, etc.
Conducting home visits or helping with night duty at the clinics
Organizing nutrition/health education initiatives for local children
Repairing and maintaining the facilities
Assisting with filing and archiving patient files

A typical day: You will eat breakfast at 8:00 am before heading off to your morning project at 9:00 am, which will include volunteering at any of the departments at the clinic. You will be transported back to the volunteer camp for a lunch break at 12:00 pm and at 2:00 pm it will be time for your afternoon project, such as health education, repairs and maintenance, filing and other community work. You will return to the project base at 3:00 pm and dinner will be served at 6:30 pm. You are free to spend your evening as you would like. You will have Saturdays and Sundays off to explore the area or to rest from your week of volunteering.

Living Arrangements

Internet icon Internet: WiFi is available for a small fee, though can be sporadic due to the remote location.

Laundry icon Laundry: A weekly laundry service is available at an additional fee of $5

Accommodations icon Accommodations: Volunteer accommodations are a mixture of comfortable twin or quad thatched rooms at the main reserve camp with clean shower and toilet facilities located adjacent to the sleeping area. Your room will be cleaned daily by the housekeeping staff.

Food icon Food: Volunteers are provided with three meals a day, breakfast and dinner is served at the main camp of the reserve, and you will be given a packed lunch for your working day.

Requirements

Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:

Minimum age of 18
Business visa – most often applied for upon arrival
Police clearance
Good level of English
Flexibility and open mindedness
High level of independence and emotional strength
Motivation to work with children
Immunizations (please consult your local travel clinic)

Travel Highlights

The opportunities for traveling outside the reserve are endless. For example, you can take a day trip to Granite Ridge or the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. For a longer stay experience, you can spend three nights on a houseboat on the stunning Lake Kariba. For an excursion before or after your volunteer placement, you should consider a five-day trip through Miombo to visit Victoria Falls to try out bungee jumping or white-water rafting.

Project Orientation (Included):
On arrival at the Antelope Park project, you will receive a comprehensive orientation, including:

Meet and greet with the project staff
Introduction to Antelope Park and the surrounding area
Overview of the project
Cultural introduction on life in Zimbabwe
Relevant information about common diseases and illnesses and safety precautions

4-Day Victoria Falls Excursion Trip (Not Included):

During the low season, for an additional fee, volunteers may have the opportunity to participate in a 4-day/ 3-night trip to Victoria Falls. This trip to one of the Seven Wonders of the World offers the chance to bungee jump, go white water-rafting, ziplining, sunset cruising and more!