Clinic & Medical Assistance

  Cameroon

Bamenda,  Buea,  Kumba,  Limbe,  Yaounde

Term: Throughout the year 
Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: No Available date. All year round

Description: The Medical Project consists of 3 main areas of work:

The Clinics - role of the volunteer within a clinic is to provide back up and assistance to a very understaffed clinic. Their main role within the clinic is taking vitals, taking blood pressures and temperatures and weights of the patients before they see the clinical officer. You will also be providing basic education on a variety of different subjects through our "Health Talks".

The Homes of the medical volunteers also provide assistance in centres for handicapped persons, Old People's Home and Hospices. These homes provide comfort and care for the needy, but are very under staffed and under cared for! Volunteers provide a friendly face to these people who more often than not may not see much other than the four walls of their home. Volunteers go along, armed with games, puzzles and books and spend time with the patients.

Home Based Care of our volunteers accompany community volunteers as they visit bed ridden or immobile patients across Cameroon. It is their duty to provide basic advice, comfort and assistance. This may mean chatting to patients about the importance of personal hygiene, exercise, making a patient's bed or doing a bit of simple house chores for them. Other patients may just need a healthy dose of conversation.

Highlights: Cameroon, like many sub-Saharan countries, faces poverty which is made worse by the affects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Nearly 7% of the adult population is affected by HIV/AIDS. There were an estimated 240,000 orphans in 2003 as a result of HIV/AIDS, 26% of all orphans (Source UNICEF) KFs strategy for vulnerable children includes:

* Advocating for the rights of orphan and vulnerable children and secure for their well-being.
* Training home-based care workers on psychological support of orphans and vulnerable children
* Mobilizing resources for education and health care of orphan and vulnerable children

Qualifications: This volunteer project in Africa includes: Medical Volunteering & Helping Children.

Rural Clinics in Cameroon. This project offers you the opportunity to:
* Gain medical experience in local clinics under our staff supervision
* Assist with local disadvantaged kids
* Immerse yourself in local Cameroonian culture
* Make friends for life

Experience Required: yes

Passionate to work with children and young people

Age Range: 18 to 70yrs

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Cameroon Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Resume

Post-Program Services Include:

• Job and Internship Network

Keng Foundation (KF)'s Mission Statement: We visualize a world in which individuals, families and communities live longer, healthier and happier lives in cleaner and safer environments. KF pursues its mission through an integrated, inter-sectoral and holistic commitment to designing and implementing prevention strategies against infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis; making a contribution to poor and underprivileged people by providing them education and basic health care and sanitary facilities; organizing education campaigns on STIs, teenage pregnancy, child/spousal abuse, and female genital mutilation. We advocate for better public health policies and increased resources for health care systems; ensuring the integration of a gender perspective into all health policies and programs; mobilizing local communities and building their capacities for health-promotion sustainable economic growth; undertaking action-oriented, community based, participatory health research; partnering with governmental agencies and private sector in developing codes of conduct, ethical standards and best health practices;facilitating exchange programs and clinical internships for international students, recent graduates, and health professionals to work in health and educational facilities in Africa while becoming immersed in African cultures and communities; fostering partnerships among NGOs, private sector, governments, donor agencies and with UN agencies and programs thereby facilitating the connection and expansion of networks for promoting health.

Year Founded: June 2009