HOSPITAL AND CLINIC SUPPORT

Quick Facts

  • Limuru, Kenya
  • Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
  • Every Monday
  • 10 days - 12 weeks
  • Impact: Healthcare
from US$1,370 – US$4,485
Apply Now

HOSPITAL AND CLINIC SUPPORT

This medical program supports the healthcare system in Limuru, a tea town in Kenya where the community struggles with inadequate infrastructure, overcrowding, and limited resources. Volunteers help staff at local facilities by offering medical support and assistance. This medical project is an enriching way to learn, give back, and explore the world. It is ideal for you if you’re: in the medical field, want to gain experience, or you’re exploring a career in healthcare. 

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Offer medical support and assistance to nurses and doctors at local clinics, hospitals, and healthcare centers
Experience the complexities and challenges of public health care in a developing country while improving your skills and abilities
Assist with community home based care to provide care to people with limited resources and access to healthcare
Live in the peaceful highlands of Kenya, within the safe and quiet Brackenhurst estate in the small tea town of Limuru
Limuru is about 1 hour outside of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, so there is plenty to keep your weekend busy – like the Nairobi National Park, National Museums, wildlife and cultural experiences in renown conservation areas as well as access to the Kenyan coast which has some of the best beaches in Africa.

THE DESTINATION

Limuru is a town located on the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley about 35 kilometers, by road, northwest of Nairobi, the capital, and the largest city in Kenya. It is fairly small with a population of only about 5000 people. Limuru is widely known in Kenya as a tea-producing and -processing zone. The tea plantations established around Limuru from 1903 onwards were the foundation of Kenya's largest export industry, which produces some of the world's highest quality tea.

Venture out of town and you will find the Great Rift Valley, the Maasai Mara and some of Africa’s best beaches down at the East African coast. Over the weekends, you can explore these sublime landscapes, get up close to Africa’s iconic wildlife in their natural ecosystem, and meet the Maasai community.

You will stay in our volunteer cottages at Brackenhurst estate; a conference and retreat center nestled between the forests and tea fields of Kenya’s highlands. It is roughly 1 hour from the Great Rift Valley and Nairobi, giving you easy access to explore nearby areas on the weekends. The lush green surroundings offer the perfect space to relax and reflect upon your daily experiences. The estate has running trails and a tennis, volleyball, and basketball court for you to enjoy. It also has its own restaurant and a café that hosts a farmer’s market every first Saturday of the month, live music on certain Sundays, and other festivals throughout the year.

Three meals are provided each weekday and the food is a mixture of International and Kenyan cuisine. Breakfast includes tea, coffee, cereals, toast, jam and peanut butter as well as eggs, sausages and pancakes served in rotation. Lunch is usually taken on project and a hot meal is cooked freshly in the evening. We can cater for most dietary requirements, but please let us know before your arrival. During the weekends, you are free to use the kitchen to prepare your own meals, or eat at the restaurant and café within Brackenhurst estate, where they serve up excellent wood-fired pizzas amongst other favourites!

WiFi is available at the Brackenhurst estate and you are welcome to buy a local sim card if you wish.

The wet season begins in November and goes on until May, but there are a couple of dry months in January and February. Days are often overcast, with showers in the afternoon, and chilly mornings with temperatures that hover around 13°C (55°F). The dry season is from June to October. You'll enjoy warm weather during the day, although there may be a shower or two at times and cold weather at night. Limuru has a temperature of between 10–28 °C (75 °F) year-round.

PROJECT IMPACT AREAS

MEDICAL SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE

Volunteers are placed at various public and private hospitals and clinics in Limuru depending on their qualifications, expertise, and the needs of the community.

You will provide medical support and assistance to nurses and doctors at overcrowded and under-resourced facilities. There often aren’t enough staff to treat all patients, so volunteer assistance can make a huge difference.

HOME-BASED CARE

Volunteers work alongside local caregivers to provide medical outreach to rural communities within Limuru. This is a unique way to experience the traditional way of life in Kenya and treat people who can’t access healthcare.

You will help provide basic treatments, check-ins, advice, and if need be, referrals to hospitals or clinics. Along the way, you will build relationships, comfort, offer a listening ear, and share potentially life-saving knowledge.

HEALTH EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

Health education and awareness workshops are an important part of this medical project. Volunteers facilitate and set up workshops on topics highlighting relevant issues affecting that particular community. Sharing knowledge and spreading awareness helps people make more informed decisions or changes to their lifestyle that can drastically improve their lives.

RECENT REVIEWS

“Living in Africa for a short period of time has changed my perspective in so many ways. I am so appreciative of the opportunities I have back home. Kenyans have also taught me that material things don’t make you happy, it’s the love and support of your community that makes you happy. Some highlights of the time I spent in Kenya was working with the children at the school and getting to assist in maternity at Tigoni hospital; I would recommend African Impact to anyone.”

Morgan Harbick, USA

Hospital and Clinic Medical Support - Kenya

“I can definitely say that my decision to volunteer with African Impact was the best thing I have ever decided to do. It was rewarding and I was constantly learning about the people and their lives here. I also met some amazing people, volunteers, coordinators, and staff of African Impact who I have loved spending time with and hope to keep in contact with in the future. I think this project has given me the perfect opportunity to see what life is really like in Kenya while still being able to see the sights on the weekends and enjoy the company of other volunteers.”

Jill Armour, Australia

Hospital and Clinic Medical Support - Kenya

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Volunteer at a Health Clinic in Africa

Where can I volunteer at a health clinic for free in Africa?

At African Impact, it's our mission to provide the best international volunteer programs in Africa that create tangible, measurable, and sustainable impacts in local communities. While our healthcare and medical volunteer programs are not free, we believe they are a life-changing experience for volunteers and local communities alike! Our fees allow us to provide various unique benefits for our medical volunteers and ensure that impacts made in communities are sustainable and measurable. Please scroll down to learn more about what our project fees cover.

How much does it cost to volunteer at a healthcare clinic in Kenya?

Our Hospital and Clinic Support in Kenya starts at $1,370 for ten days and increases slightly with each week you add to your medical volunteering journey.

Why your help as a medical and healthcare volunteer is vital

Healthcare systems across Sub-Saharan Africa often struggle with a lack of trained staff, resources, and proper healthcare facilities. As such, it can be difficult for the incredible doctors and nurses working in these facilities to extend care to a wide range of patients. It's not uncommon for those who can afford healthcare to not always receive it or to have to wait for extended periods to do so. The impacts of inadequate healthcare systems particularly impact rural communities. Here, in towns like Limuru, healthcare facilities are minimal. Many citizens do not have the necessary money or access to transportation to receive proper care, leaving countless individuals without medical treatment. As a medical volunteer with African Impact, your work will be critical to ensuring healthcare services in Limuru can reach as many locals as possible. Keep reading to learn more about what your responsibilities and medical volunteer work will entail.

What are the volunteer roles & responsibilities? 

As a healthcare volunteer with us, you'll be working alongside local doctors and nurses in various clinical and home-based care settings to extend the reach of healthcare in a local community. Assisting with basic tasks, running home-care visits, and providing an extra set of hands in rural healthcare facilities, your work on this project will be integral to ensuring as many residents as possible in a community receive the best care possible.

What is the volunteer work schedule?

During a typical week with us in Kenya, you'll spend Monday to Friday at your medical volunteering project. Mornings and afternoons are filled with life-changing medical volunteer work, while the evenings are yours to relax and to take it easy. Once you've finished a rewarding week of impact at your medical volunteer project, weekends are free for exploration around Limuru, weekend trips to other amazing Kenyan destinations, or for bonding with fellow volunteers.

Other Activities

Nairobi is a big, bustling, and exciting city you need to experience at least once during your time in Kenya. A visit to the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, a rescue center for orphaned elephants, is a favourite activity amongst volunteers. It is open for 1 hour a day where visitors can watch baby elephants get bottle-fed and take a mud bath. The Giraffe Center is also a must-do. Within Nairobi itself, there are all the other things you would expect from a major city – restaurants, bars and shops.

Kenya is arguably the best place in the world to see wildlife, so a trip here would not be complete without a visit to the world-renowned Maasai Mara Reserve. If you volunteer between July to October, you’ll get the chance to witness the Great Migration, where over 1.5 million wildebeest cross from the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara Reserve in Kenya. You will encounter other iconic wildlife, such as the ‘Big Five’ (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino) throughout the year in the Maasai Mara Reserve. It is home to some of the highest densities of wildlife populations in the world and considered a safari trip of a lifetime.

Gatamaiyu Forest is an hour from Brackenhurst and it has a spectacular 3-hour hiking trail that takes you through wild tropical rainforests in search of waterfalls. It is part of the Great Rift Valley, one of the Geological Wonders of the World. The Great Rift Valley is home to remarkable landscapes that shift from volcanoes to great lakes. And across the valley nature reserves unfold where animals roam free. The best ways to explore the Great Rift Valley are on foot, horseback, or game drives.

Are you more of a beach bum than a safari-goer? Kenya’s coast is still a hidden treasure that is hiding some of the most beautiful beaches in Africa – Diani Beach, Mombasa Beach, and Watamu Beach. The beaches in Kenya are great for surfing, snorkeling, and other water sports. You can take a train journey from Nairobi to Mombasa if you want to explore the coast or add on an expedition that combines an overnight safari in the Maasai Mara and a railway trip to the coast for a beach getaway for the ultimate Kenya volunteer trip.

APPLY NOW

Once you have submitted your application, a Destination Specialist will be in-touch to discuss the project with you.

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Please note that an additional GB£20 | US$25 | EU€20 | AU$35 is added to the program fee as a mandatory contribution to the African Impact Sustainability Fund.

Project fee includes

  • Accommodation throughout your stay
  • 3 meals a day cooked by a local chef (weekdays only)
  • Airport pick-up and drop-off
  • Transport to and from project
  • 24/7 support from experienced international and local staff
  • Full orientation to ensure you contribute responsibly
  • Project equipment and resources

Project fee excludes

  • Flights (we can assist you with this)
  • Travel insurance (we can assist you with this)
  • Visa-related costs
  • Weekend trips or tours not on the itinerary
  • Snacks, soft drinks, gifts, and souvenirs
  • Mandatory contribution of US$25 that is donated to the African Impact Sustainability Fund