Uni pair swap Sunderland for safari on working break

Two Sunderland University students will be putting their new skills to the test in Africa this summer.

Charlotte Eastick and Alisha Knox, both 23, who are in the second year of their BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy degree, will spend six weeks in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, encountering situations that working in the NHS could never prepare them for.

"I’ll be working in a local hospital and outpatient clinics that provides occupational therapy services following procedures such as a post-amputation,” said Charlotte, from Sunderland.

"I will be dealing with conditions that I wouldn’t generally deal with in the UK, such as leprosy and clubfoot."

“It will be a unique learning experience we could not get here in the UK,” agreed Alisha, from Hartlepool.

"It will develop our patient-centred communication skills and help us form positive professional relationships with patients.

"We’ve also been trying to learn the local language, and while we’re in Tanzania we’ll have two Swahili lessons a week, which should help us connect better with patients and colleagues there."

Charlotte and Alisha first heard about the opportunity to travel to Tanzania through the company Work the World, which offers placements abroad for student doctors, nurses, midwives and other allied health professions.

They jumped at the chance to go - but then had to raise more than £5,000 each to fund the trip.

"As well as studying for our degree, we really had to work hard to fundraise towards our trip,” said Charlotte.

"We hosted a bake sale, filled in football cards, sold crochet gift sets and sold hampers. We also set up a GoFundMe page, where people very generously pledged over £910.”

“We have made such a good team,” said Alisha.

"As well as the support of our friends and family and all our fundraising we have been lucky enough to receive grants from the University’s Futures Fund to cover the costs of our flights, and the Rotary Club of Sunderland has also donated money to us towards our trip costs.

"We were also awarded the Barbara Tyldesley award from the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. We are so grateful.”

Nina Bedding, Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at the University of Sunderland, said: "When Charlotte and Alisha expressed an interest in an overseas placement I was absolutely delighted.

"With Work the World they will travel to experience a diverse placement in Tanzania. I am expecting them to work with patients who have unfamiliar conditions and witness some inventive practice and techniques.

“They will be immersed in a unique culture that we cannot provide replicate here – it really will be an amazing experience. I am really excited to follow their journey."

“I know it’s going to be difficult being away from my support network at home especially since I’m such a home body,” said Alisha. “Six weeks isn’t that long, but I have never been away from home for that amount of time."

Charlotte admitted she was 'slightly worried' about being away from home for so long but said: "This was too good of an opportunity to miss.

"I am particularly looking forward to meeting fellow occupational therapists in Dar es Salaam.

“I have also been able to book an add-on safari experience which I am so excited for. We will be spending the weekend in Mikumi National Park where will have the chance to see lions, leopards, giraffes, elephants and so much more."

The University of Sunderland’s Futures Fund was established to support students to develop their careers and aspirations. Students can apply for funding of up to £2,500.

For more information, visit https://alumni.sunderland.ac.uk/Scholarships/Futures-Fund