Where is Zanzibar? Just off the coast of Tanzania. Why is Zanzibar important to Worldwide Vets? Well it happens to be home to one of our projects called the Zanzibar Vet Clinic.
So many people ask, How do you prepare for the trip? What do you do all day? What's it like? What should I take? While most of this information is giving on our website under the Zanzibar project, as well as the information packet that is sent to those who have signed up, there are still some with doubts on if it is worth it. After having spent two weeks there myself, I can say that I have learned a lot and I enjoyed it. So what are you waiting for?
This is everything that I took. Now you are probably wondering why I had some coats and things with me in this pack. I traveled around Poland and Paris for about a week before heading to Africa, so I needed more than just warm climate clothes. For those of you going straight to Africa, your bag will me much lighter and easier to pack.
You need a few shirts to rotate through (that cover the shoulder), some trousers/pants that cover the knee (I'd recommend not black), and a swimsuit of course! You can always buy trousers in Africa that are thin material and have great patterns and are super comfortable. That is what I ended up wearing every day after I bought some. Plus all your other small items like bug spray (a must for the mosquitoes) and sunscreen. Unless you want to turn into a Mzungu (local term for white people because they get sunburnt and turn red). Because the Island is so warm and sunny, sandles or flip flops are basically what everyone wears. I didn't put on any closed toed shoes except my wellies the entire time I was there. And don't forget your camera. I'm a bit of a techy, so my electronics were important. And the Camera was by far the most important thing to have to capture the beauty of Africa.
You go out and enjoy the day doing out-calls around the island. Take a look at all the beaches as you go and decide where you want to spend your weekend. You also do some surgery on the locals pets as well as stray cats to help keep the populations down. You learn a lot from the vet as he describes what the common diseases are on the island and how to treat them. And keeping animals vaccinated and dewormed is an important part of the clinics goals on the island. You give a lot of medication to help with internal and external parasites and vaccinations to keep animals healthy.
You are always educating people along the way and helping them to better understand how to care for animals on the island. I enjoyed the Saturday clinic at ZAASO where the locals bring all their animals for any treatment they need. It ranges from Vitamins, to hoof trims, to aural hematomas. Anything could walk in at any time. It was interesting to see cows, goats, and dogs coming through.
Zanzibar is beautiful and ZAASO is doing it's best to provide better care for animals on the island. Go and volunteer and get a first hand experience. If you can't make it, you can always donate to help the clinic provide better care. Check below for the link to do so.
I love traveling and working with animals. There are so many more photos and a video on my experience on Africa that can be found at the links below. Feel free to contact me through these platforms or Worldwide Vets if you have any questions about their projects. You won't regret volunteering!
Take a look at the Video on youtube!! https://youtu.be/-g2rDutYOJM
Donate to zaaso-
http://zaaso.net/how-to-help/
My travels as a vet- follow me on instagram at
https://www.instagram.com/adventurous.vet/
