Job Description: Volunteer Medical Student

In case anyone is wondering what I'm suppose to be doing in South Africa other than blogging incessantly, below is my flexible contract with the UN. Check on the links for more info about HERO.


The United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) is assisting the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health in the placement of a volunteer in South Africa at a site funded by the In-Country HERO Program. HERO (Help Educate at-Risk Orphans and vulnerable children) is a US-based public awareness and fundraising campaign in support of the education of children affected by HIV/AIDS in African communities.

The volunteer will be placed in Nongoma, a HERO pilot site, for a period of between one to three months (or at least 120 hours), and will be working for the local regional hospital, Benedictine Hospital under the direction of Dr. MM Makhanya.

The volunteer will be earning credit toward his/her degree at the University of Minnesota and will be responsible for all of his/her own expenses and insurance during this program. UNA-USA will assist in providing a venue for the internship, as well as information on accommodation, transportation, etc, to the volunteer. UNA-USA will not take any responsibility for the safety or well-being of the volunteer during his or her trip to South Africa. The volunteer will not serve as a representative of UNA-USA or HERO.

Nongoma – Profile
Nongoma is a municipal district within the Zululand region with a population of around 200,000. Nongoma is a very poor, rural area, and only 11 percent of the population is formally employed. Like many of South Africa’s rural areas, Nongoma is plagued by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. According to Benedictine Hospital, 30 percent of the Nongoma population is HIV positive. Here, HERO is implemented by the Media in Education Trust (MiET) to complement the organization’s Schools as Centres of Care and Support program which was established two years ago in Nongoma. HERO is providing funding to a cluster of eight schools in Nongoma.

Volunteer Responsibilities:
*Volunteer will be placed at Benedictine Hospital in Nongoma, KwaZulu Natal.
*Volunteer will work full-time at Benedictine Hospital from the end of July to mid-September.
*Under the direction of the Benedictine Hospital, the volunteer will:
--Provide primary medical care and appropriate health information and disease prevention programs.
--Identify, evaluate the capabilities of local providers and facilities at home and regional posts on an ongoing basis.
--Advise post management on health resources in the community and region.
--Assist in recommendations and effect medical evacuation of ill patients.
--Provide distant and on-site support to health units at regional posts as directed by the hospital.
*During this period, he/she will be responsible for several tasks for UNA-USA:
--Write a weekly journal of his/her experience, which will be due to UNA-USA via email every ---Monday (based on the availability of the internet) and will be posted on the HERO website.
--Talk to hospital staff and community members to understand more about Nongoma and how their lives are affected by HIV/AIDS. As appropriate and with the permission of the individual, provide UNA-USA with photographs and document their stories. This will be included as part of HERO’s awareness activities in the US and should be provided to UNA-USA at the conclusion of the internship.
--Upon completion of the internship, volunteer will be responsible for a report to UNA-USA describing his/her experience, including what worked, what didn’t work and what could have been done to make the experience better.