Words can't describe

Firstly, I'll begin with the staff. Every single member of staff I met in my two weeks of being in Tanzania were so lovely and welcoming. From the moment I met Hamise and Goodluck at the airport, I knew I was going to be in safe hands. Everybody treated you like family and always made sure that you were happy with everything. Jerry, the programme manager would come to the house everyday to make sure that we had a good day, and any complains we had he sorted there and then. Jessica, she was always smiling and always greeted you when you saw her. Flo, she's crazy which just cheers everybody up. She was always smiling and laughing, always wanting to talk, and was always there when you wanted to play games or just chat. There was a little argument within the group whilst I was there, and Flo made sure that we all sat down and sorted it. The security guard, she was so lovely, so friendly, and so bubbly. She put a smile on your face when you were leaving in the morning, and made sure you had a smile on your face when arriving back at lunch time. On our last day she was begging us all to stay, and came and chatted with us for hours. Goodluck, the driver is hilarious. He didn't talk for the first week and we all presumed he didn't speak English, but the second week we found out that he could speak, and he always made everybody laugh. Hamise, he was lovely from the minute he met us at the airport. He walked us to the hospital everyday, went to town with us, went to the orphanage with us, and always made sure we were all safe, and all happy. Benson, he cooked the loveliest food every single morning for breakfast, and every evening for dinner. He made sure that there was always food in at lunchtime, and would always cook what you ask. I am a fussy eater but still managed to find something to eat everyday.

Secondly, the house. I arrived in the evening and so it was dark when I was shown around the house, but in the morning when I had a look in the day, it was amazing. I was staying in the Kilimanjaro house, and it was everything you need. In my room I had a huge bathroom, mosquito nets over the beds, and plenty of wardrobe space. The social area was huge, with a TV projector and loads of English TV channels. The kitchen was amazing, with loads of food always ready to cook. The pool was lovely to swim in when you've had a long day. The grounds were all very well kept, and I couldn't fault anything. ps, in the other accommodation buildings you can see Mount Kilimanjaro which was amazing!

I can't comment a lot on the social side of my trip as there was only 5 of so it was easy for us all to socialise and get to know each other. There is plenty of space, and plenty of things to do if there was a big group of people, and I'm sure no matter how many people there are, there's always space and time to socialise. We all stayed up and played cards with Flo most nights which was fun. She taught us all new African card games which was a really good laugh.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evening we had a Global Health Tutorial, which at first I wasn't looking forward to, but they were actually all very good. We learnt about, HIV/Aids, Malaria, Family Planning, Swahili lessons, and lots on Midwifery (my placement choice). We had a different doctor/nurse/midwife come in everyday, and each of them were lovely. They were easy to talk to and always happy to answer any questions you had, whether they were relevant to the talk or not.

Safari Weekend - before I left I was debating on going on the Safari due to the price, but wow I'm so glad I went. Seeing wild animals in their natural habitat was amazing. The lodge we stayed in was amazing, and the elephants came so close during the night that they broke all of the water pipes! We saw every animal you could think of, from waterhogs to lions. From deer to elephants! My favourites were the elephants and there were hundreds of them! All of the animals got so close to the car and it was incredible!! Also on the Sunday on the way back to the house, we stopped at a Masai Villiage which was an experience. They give you a welcome song, show you a few of their ways of life, such as how they make a fire, and show you around where they live.

Orphanage - I visited the orphanage 3 times in the two weeks I was there, and every single child there is amazing. They are so sweet, so polite, and can speak amazing English! I took them balloons and I've never seen a child's face light up more. They LOVED them and were entertained for hours. I fell in love with Daniella, Violet, and Happy! I would highly recommend visiting at least once, they all love visitors!

Thought I would leave the best until last.. The Placement. Words cannot explain how amazing my two weeks were. I spent my two weeks in the maternity ward. Every single day I learnt something new. Every nurse, doctor, and midwife was so welcoming and always willing to get you involved. I saw absolutely everything I could have ever imagined seeing. From how to put in an IV, to how to listen to a foetal heart rate. From an easy natural birth, to a birth which took over an hour of pushing. From a c-section and the baby not breathing, to surprise healthy twin boys. From new lives coming into the world, to seeing a lady having a D&C in theatre. From supporting women in labour, to cuddling minute old babies. Every single moment was life changing. Only being 17 and seeing all of that was an incredible experience, and I will take every day into my journey of becoming a Midwife.

If you are thinking of going, then don't think.. just go. Yes, the cost does add up, but I can promise you that every single penny is worth it. I am already planning another trip for next year! :)