About the Program

This diverse medical volunteer project has huge potential to improve the level of primary health care that is currently provided in the rural communities in Malawi. The project focusses on improving the health care through education and awareness, as well as supporting medical treatment. Volunteers with different levels of experience and knowledge can be of great importance in assisting either in community work or within resourced medical clinics.
Experience in the medical field is not a pre-requisite for this project. However, only medical professionals and medical students may be registered with Medical or Nursing Council to assist at a local rural hospital as part of their programme. The hospital placement is most relevant to medical students, wishing to gain some additional hospital experience during their programme or as part of their elective; nurses specifically wishing to spend some of their time in a hospital environment; or midwives on a maternity ward. We recommend 6 weeks minimum for qualified nurses/midwives who wish to register (due to the additional 1 week orientation involved), but nurses also find the outreach areas particularly rewarding.

Typical Tasks

Volunteer tasks will be dependent on experience, interests and the greatest need at the time. Qualified volunteers can split their time between these various tasks, or specialize in one area of interest & experience. Please communicate your interests & experience to our project leaders in advance of your arrival to create a personalized schedule for your volunteer stay. Volunteers will always be under the supervision of local professionals and have 24-hour support from their project leader. Below are various areas where volunteers’ help will be needed:

Home-Based Care
Based on a government curriculum and supported by our experienced translators, volunteers will plan and run training sessions to groups of local volunteers on home-based care topics, such as HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention, personal hygiene, drug administration, recording information, basic first aid, wound care, bed bathing, infection prevention, sexual health awareness, nutrition and digestion, TB and rehabilitation. Furthermore, you will carry out home visits to chronically ill patients. These visits are a valuable part of the training for the local volunteers to become home-based care providers.

Wound Care
Volunteers will be involved in cleaning wounds, basic dressing and bandaging, and referring patients to hospital for more serious wounds, or if further treatment or antibiotics are required. This is of great importance in areas where wounds would otherwise go unattended, often resulting in serious infection

HIV/AIDS Awareness
Help create and increase the awareness and understanding of HIV/AIDS, in order to educate local communities about prevention and treatment. Volunteers will also provide support and counseling through community groups for those living with HIV/AIDS. This may also include nutritional advice and information about other related diseases. Furthermore, volunteers will help encourage and assist with drama workshops and presentations by those living with HIV/AIDS to the communities in surrounding villages

Rural Community Hospital
This part of the project work is suited for volunteers with previous medical experience, medical professionals, or medical students, as the centre provides primary medical care and treatment. The centre we work in has several departments in which volunteers with relevant experience can assist, including outpatients, a female ward, a male ward, a maternity ward, a nutrition unit, a laboratory, a pharmacy, and basic dental treatment.

Qualified volunteers will assist the local nurses and doctors in their daily duties. This may include midwifery, ward rounds, cleaning and dressing wounds, minor medical procedures, etc. Certain lab technician experience is also available. This may include carrying out vital tests, such as haemoglobin, malaria, syphilis, and pregnancy. Less experienced medical students will have the opportunity to shadow local nurses or doctors and assist with more administrative duties, but will gain a valuable insight into medical care and treatment of tropical and infectious diseases in a developing country.

Malaria Prevention and Awareness
This part of the project includes assisting with malaria prevention techniques, providing education and creating awareness to help minimize the incidence rate. Furthermore, you will be conducting valuable malaria data collection and distribute mosquito nets and spray to the local homes. Unfortunately, this initiative comes with high material costs. This means that this part of the project is not ongoing and involvement is occasional, as it is dependent on available funding. If you would like to raise funds or make a donation to this specific program, it will be gratefully received.

Nurseries for Orphan & Vulnerable Children
This part of the project takes place in the mornings and is suitable for volunteers with little medical experience, or anyone with an interest in pre-school education and child care. Volunteers can get involved with pre-school teaching to prepare the children for their education ahead. Furthermore, by helping the local caregivers improve their English and teaching skills, volunteers will help promote the importance of health and nutrition, including assisting with our feeding scheme.

Project Highlights

• Feel part of the community and experience the hospitality and culture of the friendly community
  
• Assist with and gain valuable experience in the provision of primary medical care
  
• Provide basic care health education to disadvantaged children and communities
  
• Be part of a rewarding and sustainable project
  
• Be welcomed as part of the community and help them to become more self-sufficient
  
• Provide training to local volunteers, as part of a vital and sustainable community home-based care programme
  
• Help create awareness of and help to reduce the incidence of epidemic diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria