Nursing internship in Tanzania

Caribou Tanzania

After graduating from high school, I really wanted to go to Africa and since I would also like to study medicine next year, I thought that I could combine both, which is why I decided to do the nursing internship in Tanzania.

Arrival in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro

At the beginning of October it finally started! Aidanus picked me up from the airport and over the next two days he told me about Tanzanian culture and history and gave me a tour of the city in Dar es Salaam. Then it was off to Morogoro. The bus ride takes about 4 hours, although the distance is not that great, but the traffic is very slow. Morogoro is much quieter and more tranquil than Dar es Salaam.

I personally felt more comfortable in Morogoro because everything is much more personal there. You are always greeted warmly by all the neighbors and vendors, and the Dalladalla drivers (Dalladallas are small buses that only fit as many people as want to get on) always know where you usually get off. The people are very hospitable and often say "Karibu Tanzania!", which means "Welcome to Tanzania" in Swahili. You also have to get used to the word "mzungu", which means "white" or "European".

My accommodation on site

The accommodation in Morogoro is really great. You have your own large and beautifully furnished room. I would have expected something different. But there are fixed water times that you just have to use as a guide. The lodge also has a beautifully designed outdoor area which is very nice to sit in in the evening or during the day. Also the staff are very friendly. The property is about a 10 minute Dalladalla ride from downtown, which I like as it wasn't as busy and crowded. In Morogoro there are no shops for tourists like in Dar es Salaam or other bigger cities. You really get to know African life here.

Excursions and activities in and around Morogoro

We hiked in the Uluguru Mountains twice. This is a very nice excursion because you pass many small mountain villages and have a beautiful view over Morogoro. You can also swim under a huge waterfall. Afterwards we went to eat traditional African ugali (maize porridge). And no Tanzanian believed me at first that there is no Ugali in Germany.

In Morogoro there are also a few bars where you can go in the evening. Of course, you shouldn't walk around alone at night. We also made a trip to the Mikumi National Park and it's really great! We had a day safari in an open car, so we were very close to the animals, who are often very curious. Sometimes we were too close to the animals... Once, for example, our guide really had to step on the gas so that we didn't get rammed by a bull elephant.

But everything in Africa is an adventure! Mikumi National Park is very close to Morogoro (about 2 hours by bus) and it is really worth a visit as it is a great feeling to be able to see the wild animals up close.

My nursing internship in the hospital

I was very well received in the hospital and made friends with many nurses and doctors. I am still in contact with many of them. The hospital is located next to the central Dalladallasta station in Morogoro. Unfortunately, of course, all patients only speak Swahili, so it would be an advantage if you had some knowledge of Swahili. 

I didn't have one, but the doctors and nurses have to write everything down in English and patient handovers are also in English. Otherwise everyone will be happy to explain what you want to know in English. The director of the hospital used to teach me anatomy when I wasn't busy, which I thought was really nice of him. Everyone has always tried to make me feel comfortable there and to be part of the team. At lunchtime we all eat together. You often share the food with the others and someone else is always shopping.

My place of work is a small, private hospital. This means that patients have to pay for their medicine and treatment themselves. Many still choose a private hospital because there are no long waiting times and competent advice. Nevertheless, the standard of this hospital does not correspond to that of a German hospital. Sometimes the work is not very hygienic and the machines are often old or simply not available. For example, there is an eye test device, but only one side works, and so on.

The main diagnosis was malaria and typhoid. Personally, I didn't know before that malaria was such a big problem in East Africa. However, if patients are treated early enough and they do not have other diseases such as AIDS, malaria is not a big problem. But especially in children and weakened people, malaria can often become life-threatening. We Europeans have never had malaria and are therefore more susceptible to it, which is why you should take medicinal prophylaxis (if you're not there that long) and always spray yourself with anti-mosquito spray in the evening. As a farewell, my colleagues gave me a kanga (a piece of cloth with writing that African women often wear as a skirt) and a card on which everyone signed and wished me the best. Saying goodbye to my colleagues was very difficult for me...

Excursion to the island of Zanzibar

In between, I went to the island of Zanzibar with a few other German girls. The beaches of Paje - where our hotel was -, the historic town of Stonetown and the islands and dolphins were really worth seeing! There is even a small national park on Zanzibar where we saw a mangrove forest and lots of monkeys. On Zanzibar 90% of the population is Muslim and on the mainland it is about 40%. You can pay for everything on the mainland and in Zanzibar in dollars or in Tanzanian shillings. In the course of time you also learn how to deal with the salespeople.

Conclusion: nursing internship in Tanzania highly recommended!

All in all, I can recommend everyone to complete a nursing internship in Tanzania, because you really learn a lot for life, become more independent and experience so many beautiful things there. Life there cannot be compared to European life and it is therefore very interesting to get to know African everyday life and African culture.

Alsoo: Caribou Tanzania!

Nursing Internship Tanzania Experience Report by Lina R. 2014