Our immensely popular and impactful medical camps are 19-day experiences in either Kenya or Nepal. These trips provide medical, dental, physiotherapy, and midwifery students with international medical experience in their field of study. These trips are a unique opportunity to offer life-saving medical care to some of the most remote communities in the world.
Moving Mountains works with communities in Nepal and Kenya who lack access to basic healthcare services. Often, these communities are situated far from major cities and as a result, have a difficult time finding quality healthcare as they need it. These communities are underserved and their development struggles because of it.
To address these issues, Moving Mountains began running our first medical camps in the early 2000s. We set up these camps with the help of local doctors and authorities, creating a targeted program that addresses the specific issues in the community. Over the years, we’ve provided health care for thousands of individuals who would otherwise go without.
Additionally, these medical camps are an excellent opportunity to collect data about the status of the community. This data, collected over many years, has allowed us to establish and track trends in the region. The result being, we can provide better and more specialized care to our communities.
The success of these camps depends on ur student volunteers. Their time, effort, and fundraising is what keeps these life-saving camps alive. Medical students who attend the camps report the experience as having a massive impact on their personal and professional development. If you are interested in attending a medical camp with Moving Mountains, please explore the two countries’ specific programs below.
Required Medical Experience for a Medical Camp
We do not require participants to be fully fledged doctors. Instead, we request that the group be comprised of mainly third-year students. During the medical camp, you will be supervised by a fully qualified doctor from the local country. This allows participants to gain a deeper understanding of the medical profession especially as it applies to the developing world.
In order to get the most out of these medical camps, you do not need to be an expert in your chosen field. Instead, you need to have an open mind, an eagerness to learn, a natural curiosity, and a flexibility when encountering new circumstances. Above all, we hope that participants will be enthusiastic about the experience.
Medical Camp Goals and Priorities
The medical camps in both Nepal and Kenya exist for the benefit of the local communities. These camps are free and open to every member of the local population, regardless of location or background. In all aspects of the camps, we strive to operate with the needs and well being of the community at the forefront of our minds.
For over twenty years, Moving Mountains has worked in Nepal and Kenya in the area of health and social welfare. As a result, we have formed excellent relationships with the local community, the committees, and the local authorities. In order to maintain a level of responsibility and openness, we plan and execute all of our medical camps with the help and permission of these partners.
From the planning stages through to the close of the medical camp, Moving Mountains adheres to the strictest child protection policy as well as following the guidelines for Fair Trade Volunteering. The needs and rights of our local communities are of prime importance to us and are our first consideration with every programme we plan.
Volunteer Responsibilities During the Medical Camps
Medical and dental volunteers work closely with a fully qualified local doctor for the entire duration of their placement. These doctors offer a unique insight into the needs and common problems of the local community. It is an excellent opportunity for students to gain the knowledge they may never learn back at home.
Additionally, your supervisor will work with you to make it clear to beneficiaries that you are a student and volunteer, not a medical professional. Clarity and transparency are of the utmost importance to us and we work consistently to make certain beneficiaries are aware of your roll.
For the benefit of all participants and beneficiaries, Moving Mountains staff in the UK will provide pre-departure preparation and training. This training ensures that your time spent in-country will have the best overall impact possible.
Fundraising for a Medical Camp
These medical camps are just a small portion of our overall health initiatives in Kenya and Nepal. During the rest of the year, Moving Mountains continues to operate clinics and provide support for the local populations. These life-saving programmes are only possible with the funding provided by the volunteers at the medical camps.
In order to ensure your time as a volunteer contributes to our long-term development goals, volunteers must meet a minimum fundraising requirement. These funds will be used by Moving Mountains to maintain and grow our health-related programming in Kenya and Nepal. The funding is also used to cover the cost of treatment, personnel, and incidental costs of running the Medical Camps each year.
Looking at the big picture, your fundraising contribution allows us to continue to supply clinics in Kenya with life-saving medical equipment, to pay salaries for doctors working in at-risk regions, and to construct clinics in remote Himalayan villages. Furthermore, this funding pays for our data collection and analysis, an essential part of our programming and planning for future projects.
Logistics of a Medical Camp
All the details and on the ground support for volunteers during the medical camp is provided by our partner and award-winning tour company, Adventure Alternative. They will cover all the logistics of your time spent in the field, including transportation, provision of clean drinking water, food, and accommodations during your volunteer placement.
More information about the itineraries and specific details of each medical camp can be found on the medical camp specific page.
Data Collection Through Our Health Programmes
One of the best results of our medical camps has been the ability to collect data about otherwise remote populations. Over the many years that we’ve been running medical camps in both Kenya and Nepal, we’ve collected data about the status of health in these communities.
Now, many years on, we’re able to identify trends in the health and well-being of our communities. This allows us to build more targeted programmes and anticipate the needs of the community in the coming years.