Volunteer in Rwanda: Medical Program

Medical Program

For volunteers with experience, or studying towards a medical career we have opportunities based in local clinics in Rwanda. Activities vary and will be dependent on your skills. Some activities you may be involved with are patient consultation, general nursing, family planning, antenatal and postnatal care, nutrition, dispensing medication and keeping patient records up to date. There may be opportunities to assist within the HIV/AIDS department testing blood, providing ARV distribution, counselling, and education. There may also be the option to assist with home based care. Volunteers for this project require at least intermediate French as the staff they work with will have limited English.

Accommodation

All volunteers will be accommodated in one of our volunteer guesthouses, you can expect to share your room with one or two other volunteers. The bedding, such as sheets, blankets, pillows and mosquito nets are provided.  The bathrooms usually have western style toilets and cold showers, although the water can often run out and volunteers will need to take bucket showers.

Meals and Food

You will be provided with two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. Breakfast will include bread with jam, fruit, and tea. A typical evening meal in Rwanda consists of heavy starches such as yams, rice, or potatoes accompanied by a savoury stew. Little meat is eaten normally however there will be abundance of vegetables and fruit.

Free Time

Volunteers will work approximately 4 to 5 hours per day. There is a small variation in hours depending upon the time of year. The hours are generally longer during the school terms. Weekends and holidays are free time. Volunteers are free to do as they please on the weekends and after their daily volunteer duties are done for the day.

We encourage volunteers to see as much of Rwanda as possible since there is a lot to see and do, but we also expect volunteers to take precautions when traveling alone.

When you are not working on your specific volunteer project you could use your time to prepare for the next day, we also strongly encourage you to participate in other aspects of the program.

Communication

If you have a mobile phone, that is internationally accepted, bring it with you. It is easy and affordable to get a SIM card for around US$2 and activate it for use in Rwanda. Alternatively you can buy a cell phone at a local electronic shop and it will cost around US$20.

There are tuvuganes (pay phones) everywhere and special ones for international calls. The phones for international calls can be found in internet cafes.

Internet cafes are available in Kigali town and surrounding district. You can expect to pay around US$0.80 for an hour of internet use, a little more in the city where connections are speedier. The internet is slow but it is a much cheaper option for keeping in touch with family and friends at home than telephone.

Number of Volunteers

The Rwanda program usually has between 5 and 15 volunteers per month, but the number of volunteers varies depending on the season.  Generally you are placed with one to three other volunteers at your project. Please note that due to variation in volunteer numbers, we are unable to confirm whether you will be placed with other volunteers until closer to your placement start date.

Costs

Application Fee – US $97

Your application fee is fully transferable and will secure your place on the program, (or any other GVN program of your choice), at a placement date that is suitable to you.*

*Your application fee provides you with access to any of GVN's volunteer programs over the next 5 years, as many times as you like without having to pay another application fee!

Children under 18 are not required to pay the application fee when volunteering together with a parent/guardian.  (Except for participants in our Youth Tour program who are required to pay a US$97 application fee.)

To return to the main Rwanda program, click here.