At a glance
- This is a volunteer opportunity with Projects Abroad. Devxchange will assist you in choosing the right fit, raising funds with your own campaign page, issuing tax receipts to donors if project meets CRA criteria as a charitable activity. Devxchange will also assist you in onboarding with Projects Abroad.
- Learn first-hand from a qualified occupational therapist and get to know the day-to-day routine at a rehabilitation centre
- Provide vital support by devising and implementing treatment plans for children with autism and cerebral palsy.
- You’ll be based in Arusha, a small town at the foot of Mount Meru, and enjoy hikes and safaris during your free time.
Details
- Shadow a professional occupational therapist
- Help with developing treatment plans
- Monitor patient progress
Includes/Excludes
Food and Accomodation
- Food (three meals a day)
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
- Transport to and from your work placement
- In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
- Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
- Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
- Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
- Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
- Access to our local office with internet connection
- Certification of project completion
- Access to our alumni services and discounts
- Visa support and advice
- Fundraising support, including your own personalized fundraising website with DevXchange
- Tax Receipts for your donors if activity meets CRA criteria for charitable activity.
- Pre-departure preparation by your own specialist Volunteer Advisor
- Personalized MyProjectsAbroad website, with all the information you need about your project, accommodation and destination
- A free cultural awareness course
- Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
- Support to help you complete registration or internship documents, if applicable
Not Included
- Flights
- Visa Costs (where applicable)
- 10% Admin fee for donations involving tax receipts.
Itinerary
This Occupational Therapy internship is open to interns of all ages, and it’s ideal for you if you’re looking to go into a career in occupational therapy. You’ll get practical work experience and learn by shadowing an experienced therapist. This will give your CV an edge for job applications or applications for post-graduate studies.
You’ll need to have completed at least one year of studies in occupational therapy or a related field to join.
This project runs all year round, so you can join whenever it suits your schedule. You can sign up for a minimum of two weeks. We recommend staying for longer, to get the most out of your occupational therapy work experience in Tanzania.
Your work hours usually run from 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. You’ll have your weekends free to explore the natural beauty of Tanzania.
You’ll start your day assisting with physical and motor activities, working specifically with children who have motor difficulties. This could be anything from an outdoor sports lesson to a fine motor game using blocks and toys. You’ll have a short tea break at 10am.
After your break, you’ll work with children who have speech impairments. For older patients, you can teach vocational skills and work on planning and problem solving activities. In the afternoons, you’ll likely help with self-care training.
You can also take some time to write up progress reports and assess patients. During all the work you do, you’ll have occupational therapists guiding you and assisting you.
You’ll have your evenings free, so you can spend them travelling around Arusha. You can visit a local market and buy a colourful Batik artwork or enjoy a relaxing dinner with your host family.
The main aim of this project is to give you practical occupational therapy experience to help you in your future career. By working with experienced therapists, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to pursue a career in occupational therapy.
We also aim to provide rehabilitation and care to disadvantaged children in Arusha. Many of these children come from families who can’t afford treatment. You’ll be supporting staff in providing them with much-needed care. You’ll also help increase the capacity of staff members and improve the overall quality of care at the centre.
In order to ensure that we are always working towards our long-term vision, we’ve identified five goals in our Medicine Management Plan for Tanzania. These goals are:
- Improve access to basic healthcare for disadvantaged groups
- Promote awareness of non-communicable diseases
- Improve hygiene standards
- Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients
- Encourage an understanding of medical practices and promote an exchange of medical knowledge
Join this Occupational Therapy internship and play a part in working towards these goals.
Food and Accomodation
You’ll stay with a host family in Arusha. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Tanzania and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your program fee includes three meals a day.
Find out more about our accommodation.
Free time and leisure activities
A trip to Tanzania is the chance to experience life in the heart of Africa. There’s plenty to see and do here during your free time on your project.
A project in Tanzania wouldn’t be complete without a safari! This is a chance to see the beautiful wildlife of this country, like elephants, rhinos, and lions.
What’s more, Tanzania is home to the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. Hiking around the base through lush vegetation is a peaceful way to spend an afternoon.
Browsing through a vibrant, local market is a must while you’re there. You can also spend time in a Maasai village, getting to know a completely different way of life.
There will likely be many other volunteers in Tanzania with you. This means you have the option to explore the country independently or with a group of like-minded volunteers from different projects.
