A physiotherapy student at the University of Melbourne doing physiotherapy electives and volunteering in Ethiopia
Pre Departure: Joe was great in organizing the placement and answered all my questions. Email replies were prompt and helpful.
Arrival/Airport pick up: No problems at all.
After picking up my bag I was met outside by Mehretu my host who was holding a sign with my name on it.
The welcome was very friendly and I felt like I was in safe hands.
Placement: We volunteered at a Physiotherapy Clinic in Addis and it was a great, eye opening experience.
Physio is still something relatively new in Ethiopia and the patients really appreciated our help and the fact that we had traveled all the way to come and help them.
The staff at the centre were fantastic; flexible, friendly and eager to support us and introduce us to other physiotherapy centres and physiotherapists.
Home Stay/host family & meals: The family was absolutely lovely. We stayed with a couple who had a young daughter.
They took special care of us, ensuring we were safe and things ran smoothly.
It was a great experience staying with a family as they introduced us to cultural traditions, cultural dishes and Ethiopian coffee (yum)! They became a special part of our stay there, going above and beyond their requirements.
Co-ordinator:
Mehretu, our host for the four weeks, was great.
He’d make sure we arrived where ever we were headed and would accompany us home if needed.
He was very reliable and helpful and made our stay in Addis simple and enjoyable.
Would you recommend this program to future volunteers?
Sure. Traveling to a different country is always a great experience and to be part of a team traveling with a purpose to help others is not only rewarding for the recipient but also for you.
Additional comments:
The safari in Kenya was great too. Our safari driver, Simon, was very knowledgeable and eager to show us as much as possible over the four days.
It was great to meet some of the other volunteers whilst in Nairobi as well.
Pre Departure: We were very well informed about our host family, physiotherapy clinic and costs of living through email contact.
We also had a good idea of what was needed to bring with us. Contact details were provided early on in the correspondence which made it much easier to plan the trip.
Arrival/Airport pick up:
Mehretu was really punctual, in fact, he was waiting for me as the plane was delayed. He was very accommodating and well-organised with a car already waiting.
Placement:
I spent 4 weeks at a Physiotherapy Clinic, a private clinic in Megananga.
It was 30 minutes from our host families’ house, which gave us the opportunity to catch public transport in Addis. The ride in the public taxis cost 2 birr per person, one way.
We learned so much at the clinic because the physiotherapist, Altaseb, allowed us freedom to do what we wanted with the patients, and we were able to teach him a few new things as well.
Home Stay/host family & meals:
We stayed with a family who lived in a new developing area in Summit, near CMC.
It was so lovely, the family were very accommodating and the home-cooked food was incredibly good.
We had so much traditional food, one of the many benefits of staying with a family versus a hotel.
Highlights:
The people were amazingly nice and really interested in learning about Australian culture.
Our host took us around Addis and one weekend to Langano/Awassa,which was a lot of fun and very interesting.
Ethiopian dancing was as much fun to watch as to try and do! Learning Amharic was also lots of fun!
Co-ordinator:
Joe Ngugi and Mehretu Mulu
Would you recommend this program to future volunteers?
Of course, it is a rewarding experience!
Thanks so much Joe for organizing everything, including the safari in Kenya!
Medicine Electives available in: Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Zambia, & Uganda.
Nursing & Midwifery Electives available in: Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Zambia, & Uganda.
Dentistry Electives available in: Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Zambia, & Uganda.
Physiotherapy Electives available in: Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Zambia, & Uganda.
Psychiatry rotations available in: Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Zambia, & Uganda.
» Medical Electives
» Medical Electives Booking Form
Category: Medical Elective » Medical rotations Africa » Psychiatry rotations » Clinical rotations in Africa » Medical student elective » Medical student international rotations Africa