As a medical volunteer, you could be working in a clinic or hospital supported by Rieko, helping to lessen the burden of the over-stressed resources of the medical services whilst gaining experience of a lifetime!

What will I be doing?
Rieko offers many exciting ways to get involved as a medical volunteer in a hospital or medical facility in Kenya. Play a vital part in expanding a health program or initiative, or literally through your time in medical facility.

After your initial orientation period, normally with the clinic in-charge where you shadow the work flow and learn African techniques, you will be able to work with the patients independently. General responsibilities include taking rounds, prescribing and distributing basic medicines, dressing wounds and assisting in births. A key part of your role will be working with HIV sufferers, monitoring patients as they pass through the levels of treatment, and giving them your support.

Where will I volunteer?
Our health facility volunteer programs all take place in Migori county. Migori county is known for its diverse and beautiful landscape; bordering the Masaai Mara game reserve, Tanzania and the 2nd largest lake in the World, your health facility volunteer program location may either be surrounded by sugar cane fields, overlooking the fishermen on Lake Victoria or next to the gold mines of Macalder. You can choose to volunteer with a particular type of facility such as dispensary, medical centre or larger referral hospital, and even specialise into patient type: people with disabilities, leprosy, long-term illnesses such as HIV, diabetes, hypertension or sickle cell, or targeting a grossly disadvantaged community.

Depending on your particular interests and experience, will determine to which area you are sent to volunteer at. We can guarantee that wherever you volunteer, you will have an unforgettable experience! Contact our team today to discuss which location would suit you best!

How long will the placement take?
The length of your health facility volunteer placement is entirely up to you. Durations can range from 3 weeks, to one year. It really depends on what you want to get out of your volunteer placement in Kenya. For long-term illness focused placements, we suggest doing a minimum of 3 months in order for you to see the progress of your patients. If looking to focus on tropical diseases or on maternal healthcare, we can set no time boundaries. What we’re sure of is that no two days will ever be the same. Volunteering with Rieko in Kenya will be one of the most exciting events that you ever do in your life!   

Where will I stay?
Rieko health facility volunteers have a number of options when it comes to accommodation in Kenya. Choose between 1) host family, 2) shared volunteer house, or 3) hotel/B&B accommodation. Accommodation with a host family or in a shared volunteer house is most likely to provide you with an authentic Kenyan experience, however hotels are a good option if looking to venture into the bigger towns for larger health facility programs. Our Rieko team will discuss these with you after choosing the best health facility volunteer program for you.

Who can apply?
You must have completed at least one year of medical school, or be a qualified nurse or doctor in order to take part in the health facility volunteer placement in Kenya. The more experience you have in the sector, the more intense you are able to get with your chosen program. Talk with one of the Rieko team today to see which projects would suit you best. We look forward to having you out here with us in Kenya! 

What’s next?
Fill in our online contact form with the details of the dates and program you wish to do, and we’re reply with the rest. We’re looking forward to having you volunteer in facility-based healthcare in Africa on one of our programs!