Kenya Maasai Medical Placement

My name is Caitlin Ellis.  I am currently a nursing student in a cooperative program through Weber State University and Utah State University in Logan, Utah.  On May 15, I will be traveling to Kenya Maasai where I will spend 12 weeks volunteering as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in a medical program.  Poverty has a large impact on the quality of life and the community Maasai people. Due to the remote location of the Maasai communities, and limited funds, there is a comparative lack of medical knowledge, supplies and education. This limits the care that can be provided to the rural and remote communities and means that the care that does exist is spread very thin among the wider community. The Maasai Medical Placement therefore encompasses a number of fields, and medical professionals and students are sorely needed. Volunteer work on this project includes many aspects and on any given day I may be assisting with the running of a local health clinic, administering vaccinations, providing support to women during pregnancy, birth and after-care, outreaches to communities further afield, counseling, and HIV/AIDs awareness and education through campaigns and, when possible, providing HIV/AIDs testing and treatment services.