Hi everyone,

I have finally done it.

I have decided to solo travel to Tanzania to volunteer. Please follow and share my GoGetFunding page which I have also shared below.

I am a vibrant, energetic 23 year old female, who has been given the opportunity to embark on a journey of a lifetime to Tanzania this July 2016. Having completed four years of my Core Undergraduate Medical training to become a Doctor at the University of Liverpool; and before commencing my final year of study in September 2016, I will be travelling to Arusha, a city in Northern Tanzania on the 16th of July 2016.

I will be spending four weeks in Tanzania, with the intention of helping those who are less fortunate than myself. Whilst out there, I will be working in a Government hospital in the neighbouring town of Tengeru. Started originally as a women’s health centre, it currently caters to all kinds of general health matters. I will also be involved in volunteering for a Community clinic that offers affordable healthcare to some of the poorest people in Arusha and surrounding areas. It is the first full-service charity clinic of its kind in Arusha. The clinic sees up to 3,000 patients per month, although it is relatively small in size.

Tanzania faces an acute shortage of health care workers. Low pay, poor working conditions and limited training programmes contribute to the problem, whilst the rising burden of HIV/AIDS treatment greatly amplifies the situation. Unfortunately, health standards in Tanzania have declined so much that it trails most other developing nations.

Having trained in the North West region, in and around Liverpool, I feel I have already gained much knowledge and valuable skills. However, I have always aspired to travel and give my services, using the skills I have gained so far, to an underdeveloped country. I believe this experience will be not only one that is eye opening but also highly rewarding!

I will be travelling with Plan My Gap Year on this self-funded volunteering experience, and have already been chosen to take part in this programme. I would love to make a huge difference to those who are less fortunate than myself and subsequently use my experiences to become a more empathetic medical practitioner. I will be self funding my trip which will involve me paying for costs such as my flights, visas, work permit, registration fees, and accommodation whilst in Tanzania.

However, I am hoping to fundraise to cover the cost of my flights to and from Tanzania (which are around the £990 margin). Personally, I know of so many people that wish they are able to travel abroad to developing countries and make a difference, but unfortunately don’t have the time, money and/ or skills. The purpose of my visit is not to set up a charity; rather my aim is to get people involved so together we are able to make a collective difference!

I hope to be able to raise enough to make a donation to the Government hospital, which currently has limited facilities and equipment. Simple basic medical equipment will be much valued there; for example, the cost of a pen torch is only around £1 and a box of sterile gloves around £2 in the UK. I am hoping to be able to use the money I raise to buy medical equipment once I am out in Tanzania, depending on the needs of the hospital and personally deliver these items myself. I am also open to receiving donations of any medical equipment anyone has. A little can go a long way! For any help or advice that anyone can shed on this, please get in touch with me!

Separate to this, I am taking payments towards donating to Orphanages and Mosques I plan to visit, whilst I am out in Tanzania. For more information on this, please message me on Facebook to find out how to contribute. Please do NOT do this via my GoGetFunding page. (This has been set up with a different aim and purpose; to fund my placement and for donations towards the hospital).

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would love and appreciate for my family and friends to support me on this amazing journey. To find out more, please do not hesitate to contact me! Also I would love for everyone to be involved and keep updated with my journey whilst I am out in Tanzania!

For more infomation on Plan My Gap Year, and all the amazing opportunities they provide, please feel free to visit their website/ watch their Vimeo page:

http://www.planmygapyear.co.uk/volunteer-in-tanzan…

https://gogetfunding.com/tanzania-volunteering-experience-2016/

With love,

Amina x