Brittany Ward Relates Her Experiences
As a Medical Volunteer in Tanzania
About a year ago, medical student Brittany Ward visited Rotary Ventura South to talk about her plans to visit Tanzania as a volunteer. The Club donated some money to help her fund the trip and, on Monday, August 20, she paid us another visit to report on the "life changing experience."
A pre-med student at California State University Northridge, Brittany was joined by several other medical students from across the country, supported in part by International Service Learning, a non-governmental organization that has been offering volunteers experiential learning opportunities in health care, education, ecology, and community development since 1994 while offering sustainable aid in developing communities.
Part of Brittany's adventure included setting up a clinic for members of the Masai Tribe, and she also traveled to the island of Zanzibar to offer her services. "It was a vastly different environment than most of us here in the U.S. are accustomed to," said Brittany, "and the people we met were so very grateful for the care they received. It was truly a wonderful experience."
Brittany will soon begin applying to medical schools in California and elsewhere as she works to fulfill her goal of becoming a doctor. Given the compassion and enthusiasm with which she shared her Tanzanian experience, we have no doubt she will reach her objective!