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Introduction

With an estimated population of 22.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the sub-Saharan Africa, The UNAIDS most recent report estimates over 3.1 million people in Kenya, Uganda & Tanzania as being HIV positive. Urban centers have been hit much harder that rural areas with some neighborhoods reporting adult infection rates as high as 45%. Elective Abroad has partnered with several HIV/AIDS care and treatment programs where volunteers can assist with HIV prevention activities as well as support activities for HIV positive community members. Most of these programs have partnered with the local community hospitals and have programs running in the communities that use various methods to offer counseling, teaching and ARV services. The organizations are also linked to a various hospitals which provide STD testing and some basic medical care to members of the surrounding community. Volunteers can get involved with a wide variety of activities including outreach activities, assisting with developing new programs, and assisting in the clinic.

Program highlights

Founded a decade ago, Elective Abroad is the leading organizer of Healthcare internships and volunteer activities in Africa. Our programs are designed to provide a rare opportunity for Hands-on learning experience, volunteering, and cultural immersion and have some fun!

HIV/AIDS teaching and outreach program is offered in Rural Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana;  mainly targeted towards persons with the passion to touching the affected and infected in a positive way looking to gain a unique, diverse and transformative experience abroad. Such experience is also helps our applicants be competitive and stand-out in their testimonials.

Key highlights of the program

• Early and close exposure to social & community work for those considering it as a profession
• Significant volunteer and community service in selected projects
• A unique way to demonstrate seriousness of intent in a medical school application –several of our past participants have proceeded to join medical school and we have offered application recommendations
• The program is based on wide variety of projects, partnerships, and serious and professional human rights organizations, Teaching and referral hospitals as well as district clinics.
• Your precise role will be determined by your background and level of interest in specific areas. Interns work under the supervision of the local staff and will be involved in a variety of issues. Themes of involvement include:

Tasks and involvements include:

• Field trips to various areas of community outreach
• Medical research on a variety of HIV/AIDS infection and prevention issues and cases
• Contribute to HIV/AIDS education
• Implementing prevention & reduction measure projects
• Policy research and fact finding missions
• Research and producing briefs
• Communication tasks including helping to translate press releases and statement letters
• Fundraising and networking
• Writing proposals in English and filling out grant forms Case assignments
• Raising awareness in rural communities
• Preparing leaflets, posters or educational tools
• Running training programs
• Planning promotional campaigns
• Attending a community project
• Mentoring high-school student considering social work/ community development as a profession
• Women and children counseling

In addition to project and field based work, volunteers also help with general office work and administration.

Qualification:

Participants in the HIV/AIDS teaching and outreach programs must be ready for the challenges of living in Africa and have the flexibility to adapt to simple living conditions. The HIV/AIDS projects require volunteers to be motivated self starters with a lot of curiosity about the local culture and the patience to effectively learn how to operate within the culture. Participants should also be flexible, adaptable, and open to experiencing a new culture.

Knowledge of Swahili is not required but it will be very helpful. If you don't know Swahili, plan on learning a lot while participating in the program!

Projects:

The core of the project is the immense Hands-on volunteer experience that gives medical students and volunteers a rare opportunity to practice their various skills. The program can either be rural or urban based depending on your preference

In addition to the core teaching and  outreach  project / component, all our programs have a volunteering component as a way to give back to the communities we work in; depending on the location / camp where your program is located, participants get involved in a wide range of volunteer projects, depending on their interests such as:

• Community development, especially on healthcare and educational issues
• Wildlife conservation
• Environmental conservation
• Marine conservation
• Sports development
• Some past volunteer projects have included orphanage visits, teaching kids how to swim, visiting elementary schools and making essential donations such as books and pencils. See gallery

Adventure

Depending on location, participants have the option to get involved in a wide variety of adventures, over and above the clinical and volunteering components. There are separate and optional activities that will need to be reserved separately:

• Mountain trekking at Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya and Mt. Meru
• Gorilla tracking
• Beach time
• Biking
• Scuba diving, white water rafting, and various other marine sports
• A walking tour of Nairobi, Arusha or Mombasa
• A walking tour of Kibera Slums

Click here to download: General Programs Bronchure (769.66 kB)

More info: please send us an inquiry if you need more program questions or need more info, if you are ready to apply, please go ahead and apply at www.electiveabroad.com/apply-now