Midwifery Volunteering Abroad for Africa
Our midwifery volunteering programs in Africa
These prices are for observerships by midwives, and include full or half board 7/7, and the hospital placement fee.
Find out about the processes and costs for licencing and registration in our partner countries.
For those wishing to get an idea of midwifery in these countries, as a step to joining MSF, or who are considering making an annual commitment to the country, you may well wish to carry out an observership in the first instance.
Later, you may wish to have temporary registration in that country, so that you can return.
As an observer, your supervisor may allow you to carry out practical work to some greater or lesser degree at their discretion. Some people coming to us having gone with other companies to one of our partner countries say that they were told that they could practice, but then found that they could not.
We say that observers have been allowed to practice in the hospitals that we place you in, however, that is an arrangement between yourself and the hospital, and the managers at the time.
Midwifery Volunteering Placements
Midwifery Ghana
hospital
Days 4-5/7│weeks 2-12
Location: West Accra
Project Details
Our medical NGO partner in Ghana is led by an experienced nurse and public health expert. As a midwifery volunteer, you will join a general hospital close to the accommodation, which warmly welcomes qualified volunteers, who have made a direct impact on the urban community.
Ghana is considered to be the 2nd safest countries in Africa, above the UK and the USA on the ‘peace’ index.
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You may also be involved in outreach initiatives organized by the NGO, which take place from tiime to time. These are made possible by your volunteering and there, as well as the additional fundraising efforts."
Access to healthcare in Ghana is challenging for many people, with too few specialists in rural areas, and too little money in many cases to pay for medical care.
Your involvement will help bridge these gaps and provide essential care to those who need it most.
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Ghana's maternity healthcare faces challenges, especially in rural areas, due to a shortage of skilled midwives, which has contributed to high maternal and infant mortality rates. A potential solution to this issue is the involvement of qualified midwives from overseas, who will bring valuable skills and expertise, supporting local healthcare teams and supporting the improvement of healthcare outcomes in Ghana.
1. Role and Importance of Overseas Midwives
As a qualified midwife you can assist in provide care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period to improve health outcomes. Your presence supports midwives’ training, promotes knowledge transfer and professional development, fostering a global approach to healthcare practices.
2. Benefits for Overseas Midwives
Midwives from overseas gain invaluable experience in diverse healthcare settings, where they can adapt to resource-limited environments. You can enhance your inter-cultural competences, gain a broader understanding of maternal healthcare, and have the satisfaction of contributing to improved maternal health outcomes in Ghana.
3. Challenges and Considerations
As Ghana is an English speaking country, midwives form around the world who speak English can readily fit into the Ghanaian system and work patterns.
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You can stay at the hostel designated for volunteers, which is owned and operated by our partner NGO for this purpose. Full board is included 5/7, B&B 2/7, as well as 24/7 support.
The hostel is a short walk from the hospital in West Accra.
There is a lot to see as a tourist, with Accra the capital, on the coast with its own beaches.
Should you wish to stay in a hotel, the price of the placement will be reduced.
Midwifery Uganda
hospital & Community
Days 4-5/7│2-12 weeks
Location: Mbarara
Project Details
Our partners in Uganda are a pioneering and leading organisation supporting positive mental health amongst the youth and community in Mbarara, a town in the south west of the country close to major tourist draws including the gorillas. Our partner’s impact has led to 15 organisations integrating their work, including the local universities, and teaching hospital where you will carry out midwifery.
As with the majority of Uganda, Mbarara is located in a safe area, in the south west (See UK FCO travel advisory here)
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You will work under the hospital, with inpatients, and the community, supported by our partners, who you can find out more about here.
Find out more about the work and practice of midwives in Uganda
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Joining us as a volunteer midwife in Mbarara can lead to you being engaged in many useful roles, and bringing much needed support and a new perspective on practices to the local team.
1. Antenatal, Postnatal care and birth support
Our volunteer midwives in Mbarara can support mothers at any time throughout pregnancy and childbirth. They assist in screening pregnant women and preparing them for delivery by providing them with crucial information about childbirth.
They help receive mothers in the hospital, assist the doctors whilst the mother is in labour, and offer support during cesarean section deliveries.
Midwives also help with the immunization and vaccination of newborns to ensure healthy beginnings for every baby.
2. Community Outreach and Education
Midwives are actively involved in educating the local community, particularly through outreach programs. These programs raise awareness about pregnancy, conception, and childbirth.
One aim is to continue to reduce the number of home births and the use of traditional birth attendants, which has led to a significant increase in the number of babies born in hospitals.
Midwives also support young mothers who may be facing postpartum depression, providing vital emotional and mental health assistance.
3. Hospital Placements and Volunteering
As a volunteer midwife, you’ll be placed in a local hospital where you’ll work for an agreed number of hours each week, directly contributing to the care and support of pregnant women. The hospital sees around three babies born each day, making it a busy and rewarding environment. You’ll have the opportunity to not only provide clinical care but also engage in community outreach, helping to improve maternal and child health in Mbarara.
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Our program fees include your accommodation in local homestays, full board, and 24/7 support in that locality, as well as daily car transportationort
You may prefer to find you own accommodation in hotels, hostels, or homestays. In the event of this, we will reduce the fee we charge.
Midwifery Volunteering Kenya:
women’s cooperative & hospital
4-5/7│2-12 weeks
Location: Ngong (town), close to Nairobi
Project Details
We partner a wonderful women’s collective that’s been empowering women through self-employment and support for over 20 years. Together with them, their community, and the local general hospital, we’re making a difference.
The collective works with a multi-agency team, including midwives, who support the women in the community as well as in the hospital. You will be able to join in the variety of their work.
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Their collaboration with the hospital is equally inspiring, helping to improve community health. They provide vital services like monitoring and support for HIV medication, along with ante-natal and post-natal care for women in the community.
Learn more about their incredible work
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As a qualified midwife, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the community by supporting women through pregnancy, childbirth, and post-natal care for both them and their babies.
You'll also play a key role in developing training for other midwives, as well as sharing important information to empower women and their support.
In addition to your community work, you could support the hospital to further develop their maternity services, and provoded you have the licence, you can assist in deliveries.
We will liaise with the appropriate ministry on your behalf before your arrival to seek pre-approval for a 1-year license to practice as a midwife in Kenya. If this pre-approval is granted, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing in advance.
With this license, you'll be ready to work at the hospital, supporting women and helping to bring new life into the world.
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Our program fees cover your accommodation at our partner’s hostel, where all our volunteers stay, along with full board and 24/7 support to ensure you’re always taken care of.
If you’d prefer to arrange your own accommodation—whether it’s a hotel, hostel, or homestay—that’s absolutely fine! In that case, we’ll reduce the amount you pay.
Midwifery Volunteering Kenya:
hospitals & clinics
Days 4-5/7│2-12 weeks
Location: various S, E, W
Project Details
Another of our Kenya partners manages placements in a range of hospitals and clinics. These are private and government, and range in size from large teaching hospitals to small private clinics stretching across the country below Nairobi, east to west to the southern border.
We tailor placement, so we’ll start by chatting with you about your preferences, then identify up to 3 places we believe will suit your interests.
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Depending on where you’re placed, the local health needs, and what you’re interested in, you could be involved in in-patient care, out-patient services, or even community outreach.
Once we’ve found three potential placements, we’ll send you all the details, walk you through your options, and, when you’re ready to move forward, we’ll ask for a non-refundable deposit to move onto the next steps.
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Prefer to go solo? No problem! We can help you get the necessary license to practice in Kenya, leaving you free to choose your own hospital or clinic. or we can line a hospital up for you with an introduction.
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Our program fees include your accommodation in local homestays, full board, and 24/7 support in that locality.
You may prefer to find you own accommodation in hotels, hostels, or homestays.
In the event of this, we will reduce the fee we charge you.
Midwifery in Uganda
Family Planning
contraception advice
birth control advice
pre-pregnancy
health advice
health checkups
hygiene education
nutrition advice
ante-natal
Women have 3 planned hospital visits
16 weeks
24 weeks
delivery & child birth
key role of midwife
monitoring of health
preparation for birth, post partum, and breast feeding
post-partum
continued advice on health, breast feeding, nutrition, and good mental health
outreaches
To villages to give advice covering all their work, and to encourage birth in hospitals
Traditional Birth Attendants
Giving birth in hospitals is now encouraged for many reasons, meanwhile, traditional birth attendants retain a role in villages.
You can meet with them with through our health partners
Obtaining your licence to practice as a midwife
Step 1
After enquiry and discussion, you send to us:
required documents
licencing fee
management and service fee
Step 2
Our in-country managers attend the relevant licencing issuing body on your behalf
Step 3
Licence awarded (Ghana│Uganda for 3 months)
Licence given in principle (Kenya)
Step 4
You pay for placement.
We share your info with a hospital/s to plan your placement
Step 5
We send supporting visa letters to you to apply for the visa
Step 6
Ghana│Uganda: join placement
Kenya:
attend ministry in Nairobi.
Begin related volunteering.
Licence awarded within 5 working days, for 1 year.
Our Midwifery Volunteer Programs Abroad
People joining us for midwifery volunteering, and midwifery elective placements can be assured of an unforgettable experience in Ghana, Uganda, or Kenya. You will make a substantial and welcome contribution to maternal healthcare. You will be encouraging local staff, bolstering the capacity of the local healthcare systems, and sharing current best practices, and knowledge of the latest medical advancements, Such support and knowledge transfer can elevate the standard of care in these countries and empower local healthcare workers.
Midwives often have a deep understanding of local mores, making them equipped to provide culturally sensitive care, which can improve trust between healthcare providers and expectant mothers, leading to better outcomes. Above all, midwifery care is generally cost-effective, making it a practical choice for countries with limited healthcare budgets, supporting more extensive healthcare coverage and greater access to care, resulting in a reduction of healthcare disparities, ensuring that all women, regardless of their socio-economic status or geographic location, have access to quality maternal care.
In return, volunteer midwives and those on midwifery electives can learn about local customs and traditions, promoting cultural sensitivity, which can in turn support them at work in their own hospitals and communities in the West where large numbers of foreign-born people may live whose cultural norms are different to their own.