New Hope Volunteers

Since 1998, More than 18000 happy volunteers


Healthcare Project (Moshi, Arusha)

volunteer in healthcare project in tanzania
  • Share your passion in medical care and help communities lead healthier lives
  • Gain invaluable experience in healthcare in a third world setting
  • Immerse in the life of a Tanzanian through safe, carefully-screened homestays
  • Practice Swahili while discovering a whole host of exciting African experiences in Tanzania in your downtime

If you’re a medical professional or student, looking to gain experience in the healthcare industry in a third world country, this is the perfect project for you. Most of the poor in Tanzania are still deprived of the most basic of healthcare, as medical facilities are expensive and not widely available. This is even more prevalent in rural areas where most of the poor indigenous people live. Not only is healthcare expensive, it is also hard to find, such that people have to travel long distances to receive the essential care. It is little wonder people in the remote parts of the country still succumb to diseases which are curable. 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 in Tanzania, you will work in these rural health posts and community clinics. Volunteers will provide support to doctors, nurses, therapists and other medical professionals, who could always use the assistance to be able to treat as many patients possible. Be part of the movement to make healthcare accessible to those who need it, and in your free time, discover the many attractions in Tanzania while practicing your Swahili!

Volunteer's Responsibilities

As a volunteer in Tanzania in the Healthcare project, you will be placed in local clinics or hospitals and treat mainly those from underprivileged backgrounds. Depending on the individual’s skills and expertise, and the needs of the local staff, your daily duties include but are not limited to:

  • Assist with general check-ups and examinations of patients
  • Observing and supporting healthcare professionals by shadowing doctors
  • Public outreach and education
  • Supporting healthcare professionals (as dictated by individual experience/qualifications)
  • Organizing and developing educational seminars
  • Educating the general population on topics related to healthcare
  • Assisting pre-established healthcare programs (health clinics, non-profits, NGOs)

Medical volunteers will shadow local doctors and learn mostly from observation. Due to the increased risks involved and raised medical regulations, volunteers cannot treat patients or become involved in surgery during the project.

How You Can Make a Difference

By volunteering in the Healthcare project, you’ll be working with local organizations who are striving to make health treatment possible to impoverished communities. Local health professionals are working their hardest to treat as many patients as they can, but the number of patients received is always overwhelming. Your role as a volunteer is to lighten their burden and assist with routine tasks. If you’re a medical professional, your insight and expertise will come highly-valued in the underdeveloped healthcare industry of Tanzania. The healthcare understanding and practical experience that you take away from this project will undoubtedly be eye-opening. For volunteers interested in a career in healthcare or medicine, this program provides a great opportunity to gain professional experience and provide medical attention to impoverished patients in a third world setting.

Skills and Qualifications

Applicants interested to join this program must possess healthcare certification, such as: ID as a medical student, EMT, paramedic certification, nursing, physical therapy, midwifery or physician’s credentials. We do not permit volunteers without medical credentials to participate in this program due to the potential risk. This project also requires a copy of the volunteer’s resume which clearly documents the education and/or professional credentials, prior to arrival. The projects will also require an official copy of the credentials. Depending on your specific placement and host institution, additional application materials may be required.

An understanding of Tanzanian culture and diversity can help improve the experience for you and the people you help. Consider enrolling in our one-week Language & Cultural Immersion program.

Project Location

This project is located in and around Arusha and Moshi. Arusha is one of the bigger cities in the north of Tanzania and sits at the base of Mount Meru, not far from the Kenyan border. It is well-known African congress center and contains the site where the International Tribunal for the Rwandese Genocide was held. Safari tours to the Serengeti, N'gorongoro, Manyara and Tarangire usually launch in Arusha. The city is also an excellent base for visiting the Arusha National Park, where volunteers can experience a wide range of habitats and experiences. There are lakes that serve as a gathering point for a kaleidoscope of waterfowl, the imposing summit of Mount Meru is nearby and Moshi is approximately an hour-and-a-half (90 minutes) drive from Arusha.

Moshi sits on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. It is an often over-looked tourist destination, but offers many intriguing cultural exposure opportunities. The Chagga people call Moshi home and it is in the middle of a major coffee growing region. Central Moshi is busy and colorful, making it an interesting walking excursion. The area around the market and Mawenzi Road is recommended, as there is a slight Asian flavor to the area and a Hindu temple, mosques and Indian traders.

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