HIV orphanage and outreach program

I had a great time with my volunteer experience. My daily activities varied per my request and I am so glad I did. I enjoyed the children at the orphanage but felt I made a bigger impact walking to the smaller villages and visiting with people with HIV. I would meet a non-skilled local who visits 5 to 10 people a day in a given village. We would go to the villages and check on known HIV patients. I purchased multivitamins and Acetaminophen, divided them into 2 week portions and distributed them to the many patients we rounded on. In some cases we intervened on behalf of the patients and bought mattresses for a paraplegic, took a sick patient to the hospital, bought food, distributed food and medications, bought dressing supplies, coordinated care with locals and village leaders. I also took photos of the patients we saw as to assist with condition tracking. I was a role model for the non skilled worker, assisting him to learn what to look for in patients and types of questions to ask.

My experience with my host was not as great. I did not get an orientation regarding the rules of the house. I also had 3 days of cold showers before anyone told me there was a switch for the hot water heater. A family member of the host, an orphan, kept asking me for all the things I had brought for the children at my center. It put me in a difficult spot. The house we stayed in was way outside of town and I did not have much of a chance to sight see or get to know the local area. I did take a local bus but had to walk 20 to 30 minutes to get to it. I did like the people I stayed with, they were very nice and made meals that I could eat. I developed gastro-intestinal issues every time I ate the local meet, my host cooked all vegetarian meals for me.

I felt pressured into using a company for my safari and was disappointed in the experience. We saw may animals but the guides did not know facts and info about plants and animals. I found a company on my own to continue my sigh seeing after my volunteering.