Clinical Placements
in Zanzibar & Kenya
Live with local families • Work in real clinics • Learn traditional Swahili healing • Gain skills no classroom can teach
Live with local families • Work in real clinics • Learn traditional Swahili healing • Gain skills no classroom can teach
Designed for medical, nursing, physiotherapy students, and qualified practitioners seeking meaningful international exposure. Live within local Zanzibar households to understand cultural influences on health. Work alongside dedicated local professionals in real hospitals like Mnazi Mmoja Referral Hospital and RFH Healthcare Kenya. Meet experienced traditional healers (mganga) to explore how spices and herbs are used in Swahili medicine — and how these practices complement or differ from Western approaches. This is more than observation — it's lived learning that builds profound empathy and practical wisdom.
Stay with a vetted host family, share meals, walk local streets — see firsthand how culture, environment, and daily life shape health and illness.
Shadow and assist local doctors and nurses in real patient care at facilities like Mnazi Mmoja Referral Hospital and RFH Healthcare Kenya — focused on tropical diseases and East African healthcare realities.
Weekly sessions with an experienced mganga exploring herbal remedies, spiritual practices, and the medicinal use of Zanzibar's spices — bridging Eastern and Western approaches.
We place students and practitioners across two East African institutions — giving you breadth of experience across both island and mainland healthcare settings.
Clinical Placement Partner
Zanzibar's primary public referral facility and the heart of our placement programme. Students work directly alongside local healthcare teams in a high-volume setting serving the entire island — gaining real-world exposure to tropical medicine and East African healthcare.
Clinical Placement Partner
Our trusted partner in Nairobi, Kenya — where students gain exposure to urban East African healthcare. RFH Healthcare Kenya works closely with Zanzitan to place UK and international students, extending your clinical experience beyond the island into Kenya's dynamic medical environment.
Everything you need to know before applying
Spaces are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Share your background, preferred dates, and field of study — we'll design a placement tailored just for you.