Kenya Voluntary and Community Development Project: Medical/Health Program

Even though greater efforts to improve health service delivery, especially the health of women and children is being observed. Emphasis is placed on improving the quality of reproductive health services and on preventing and reducing the impact of widespread communicable diseases. Working on health projects offers a wonderful opportunity for volunteers to become familiar with the challenges and health issues of developing countries. The Government and non-governmental organizations runs a number of different health facilities, hospitals, maternity clinics, children's hospitals, HIV/AIDS wards, and alternative-medicine clinics in many towns and small rural villages.
In the health project, volunteers support the local doctors and nurses. Work ranges from observational to basic assistance, depending on level of knowledge, experience, and skill. As a volunteer you can work with a health centre within a local community by observing and assisting with a local medical practice.

Health care professionals, students, and non professionals are needed at the small village clinics. The working conditions may not be what you are used to. The equipment is quite basic and the amount and variety of medicines are very limited. Volunteers record attendance, patient history, temperatures, perform patient examinations, provide pre-natal care, assist in deliveries, offer education to clinic patients and community groups on ways of preventing diseases affecting them most. Examples might be how to treat an unsafe water before use, how to prepare a balanced and healthy meal, the practice of hygiene, etc. Medical doctor, nurse medical student or nursing students are highly needed. Volunteers are stationed at local health centres.

Volunteer's responsibilities.
-Taking care of patients reporting for out-patient care or on admission.
-Changing bandages and monitoring recovery.
-Checking blood pressure.
-Distributing foods.
-Weighing babies.
-Helping with first aid treatment.
-Observing the expert in diagnosing a patient.
-Recommending treatment.
-Performing minor, major or specialist surgeries, etc. Many healthcare centres also run different programs on health education, basic prevention, nutrition, and sanitation.
Program Objectives.
-To take part in the effort to send proper improved basic healthcare to poor in their own communities.
-To offer health care and education as the basis for improving the livelihood of the underprivileged communities.
-To offer staff support to the insufficient staffs of the rural healthcare.
-To offer traditional healthcare providers an improvement in their health delivery to efficiently support the modern ones.
-To offer volunteers an opportunity to discover practical and innovative healthcare practice and first aid application with little or no resources.
-To create a bond between the volunteer and the local community or health centre so that in the near future, the volunteer can return to assist in a higher capacity when knowledge or resources has grown for the volunteer.
-To promote cross cultural understanding.
Who can volunteer in Medical/Health Program?
Medical Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, medical and sciences students and pre-med students can volunteer in this program. You can volunteer as a group or an individual. However you should understand that you will not do anything that may stigmatize any of the people you meet in the course of your work. You need to have an open mind and a willing heart.
Program Duration.
Program is opened to volunteers all year round. Volunteers can spend from two weeks onwards on the program.
Airport Pick up/Orientation
Volunteers will be picked up from the airport and transferred to their places of stay upon arrival. The pre-departure information to the placement and program is done to offer volunteers a clear picture and sensitivities of the people in the community of work. Orientation is at the placement including basic local language, syllabus and how to go about things in the community in terms of transport, food, water, socialization, etc.
Volunteer benefits.
-You will be proud of yourself for positively affecting someone's life in your own means to change.
-You will discover more about yourself to and what you are capable of doing on your own which will definitely help you in making many vital decisions like your future career etc.
-You will experience a true and pure culture of a different kind in different communities.
-You will enhance on your knowledge on life, society, care the HIV/AIDS disease and its effect on people.
-It shall be such a great adventure and experience of a life time.
-Opportunity to make friends with people from different background.
-An opportunity to acquire knowledge for educating your peers back home about the disease.

Kenya Voluntary and Community Development Project.
Nairobi International Youth Hostel
P. O Box 4473-00200 Nairobi
+254-20-2711217 / + 254-202726011
Mobile : +254 722 760 661 or +254 737 596 879
SMS : +254 722 760 661 or +254 737 596 879
http://www.kvcdp.org