The Cedar Foundation Tanzania builds on the work achieved by The Cedar Foundation Bulgaria which, since 2005, has led the process of closing down inappropriate orphanages for severely disabled children and young adults, and replacing them with family-type accommodation in a community setting in Bulgaria.

Our story in Tanzania began in 2014 by identifying the village of Kamanga in the Sengerema District, Lake Victoria zone, as a place that would benefit from a holistic approach to community development.  It lies directly across an inlet of Lake Victoria, and is linked by regular ferry services to Mwanza, Tanzania’s second largest city.

Despite its proximity to Mwanza, Kamanga enjoys only basic to non-existent services – particularly in the fields of education and healthcare – so economic opportunities for residents are severely limited.  Sanitation is poor and local people are exposed to water-borne diseases and parasites.

After determining that Kamanga would be our geographical area to work in, we conducted an extensive baseline survey in partnership with the zonal hospital, Bugando Medical Centre.  These survey findings enabled us to define The Cedar Foundation Tanzania’s priority categories of work: Health, Education, Entrepreneurship, and Community and Women‘s Empowerment.

Kamanga Health Centre (KHC), Cedar Tanzania’s biggest project so far, opened its doors in January 2018.  KHC is run in public-private partnership between Cedar Tanzania and Sengerema District Council.  The health facility serves the whole Nyamantongo ward, home to approximately 30,000 people.

With 39 staff members (10 government, 11 Cedar Foundation Tanzania, and 18 volunteers) seeing an average of 1500 patients per month, KHC offers many health services, including:

• Outpatients department with treatment/injection room
• Observation room/in-patient ward (6 beds)
• Reproductive and child health with antenatal clinic and under-5 clinic
• Maternal health services, delivery room, and post-natal ward
• HIV services (counselling, testing and treatment)
• Obstetric ultrasound clinic
• Minor surgical procedures
• Pharmacy, laboratory, and community outreach

With your knowledge and skills gained at medical school, you have the chance to actively help us optimize and professionalize the services offered at KHC to deliver the best quality health care for our patients.  Furthermore, we are open to students who want to conduct their own research and are able to connect you to teaching hospitals in the region.

The roles and tasks vary depending on the volunteer’s interest and skills.  When working at the Kamanga Health Centre you can expect the following:

• Rural setting in a developing country
• The chance to practice tropical medicine
• A friendly and welcoming team of clinicians
• High level of responsibility for developing KHC
• The opportunity to have a lasting impact

Cedar Foundation Tanzania endeavours to provide free housing on the premises at the Health Centre for medical volunteers, if capacity allows.  You will have two points of contact.  One will be the volunteer coordinator from Cedar Foundation Tanzania, located in Mwanza.  She will coordinate your volunteer stay and help you with arrangements and administration prior to your stay and introduce you to KHC.  Your second point of contact will be your supervisor at KHC.  S/He will mentor you, discuss cases and answer your medical questions.