“I learned so much!”

General Impression

Overall Rating:    10 / 10

It was definitely a challenge but the whole experience taught me a lot about gratitude, understanding, and patience.

Country

I felt like I was just getting into the rhythm of the routine in Zimbabwe...then I had to leave. Zim is a beautiful place with friendly, helpful people. I felt safe in Victoria Falls. The excursions were amazing! The local team did a great job arranging those for us.
I know the country is going through some tough times so I tried to keep an open mind and adapted to the situation. The power outages were challenging but you just learn to deal with it after a day or two.

Project & Staff

I really want to thank Doug and his team for allowing us strangers to come and share their space. It takes a lot of trust, bravery and open-mindedness and I appreciated it so much! His family was lovely and the members and helpers impressed me. During my stay, I fell sick and Doug took me to the clinic and to the pharmacy to get treated quickly. I'm so grateful.

My hospital opportunity was great! It was an eye- and heart-opening experience that I will never forget. I think my arrival was well-timed because the hospital pharmacy was short-staffed for a few days and I was able to help out a lot. I'm not sure how much I would've been able to contribute if the pharmacy was fully staffed (i.e., team of 4). I learned so much!

Tips

-Keep an open heart and mind
-Try to adapt and go with the flow
-Bring extra snacks and food items from your home country
-Bring small bills like $1 bills (for taxis, tips, etc.)
-If you plan to pay cash for your visa, make sure that your bills are clean and have no marks on them.