Why This Project Matters
Healthcare on Zanzibar follows its own approach, with different resources, different equipment, and routines that will look unfamiliar to anyone trained in Europe. The local hospital on the east coast serves the surrounding communities across a wide range of departments, and the doctors and nurses there manage that every day.
As a volunteer you gain a genuine insight into how this system works, learn from the local team, and support them where your experience allows. No medical background is needed to take part, though experience does shape how much you will be able to do.
Your Project
You support the local hospital and gain insight into a number of departments: the emergency room, the maternity ward, gynaecology and obstetrics, paediatrics, physiotherapy, and surgery. The hospital also has its own laboratory.
Everyone begins in an observing role, following the doctors on their rounds and learning as you go. With more experience you may take on more responsibility, depending on what is needed. We cannot guarantee in advance which department you will be placed in, as this depends on your existing knowledge and the current situation on site. Basic English is required.
Standards may differ from what you know in Europe, and that is precisely what makes the experience so valuable. In the clinic, a sense of responsibility and careful, respectful treatment of patients matter above all.
Good to know: this project can be recognised as a Famulatur or a nursing internship.
Who You Will Be Working With
You work alongside the local doctors and nursing staff, who remain responsible for patient care at all times. Every morning starts with a meeting with the doctor you are assigned to, where the day's tasks are discussed, and you then go with the team to see the patients.
Our team on the east coast supports you throughout: Hithri as your contact for everything around your placement, Josephine as supervisor for all volunteer activities, and Benita as our volunteer coordinator in Tanzania.
You are never on your own: other wayers volunteers live with you at the wayers Home, exclusive to wayers participants, and head off to their own projects at the same time each morning.
What We Expect From You
No previous medical experience is required, though it will affect how involved you can be. Basic English is necessary, as it is the language you communicate in. Above all, the hospital expects a sense of responsibility, discretion, and respectful treatment of patients, along with the initiative to ask politely whether you can help rather than waiting to be asked.
Some things work differently on Zanzibar than at home, and plans can change at short notice. An open, patient attitude makes all the difference.
What You Can Expect From Us
Before you leave, we prepare you with an online seminar, access to the wayers Lounge, and the chance to connect with other participants. On arrival you receive a full introduction covering your project, the island, safety, and everyday practicalities.
During your stay you have contact persons at the project, personal support from our team on the island, and a 24 hour emergency line staffed in Germany and on Zanzibar. After your return you receive a certificate of participation.
Life at the wayers Home
You live at the wayers Home in Pwani Mchangani, exclusive to wayers participants, together with volunteers from the other projects on the island. Most participants are between 18 and 25, and since everyone comes back from a different project, the house is where the day is shared. Friendships form quickly here and often last well beyond the trip.
Surroundings: Pwani Mchangani is a small fishing village on the east coast with the longest uninterrupted white sand beach on the island, a few minutes on foot from the house. The village invites long walks along the shore, snorkelling, and surfing, and Prison Island with its giant tortoises makes a rewarding day trip.
Travel with Confidence
As a German tour operator with over 22 years of experience and more than 70,000 participants sent abroad, wayers supports you with visa guidance, insurance information, and a personal welcome on arrival, backed by a 24/7 emergency line in Germany and on the ground.
