Occupational Therapy Internship in Kenya

Gain practical experience and learn directly from an occupational therapist while treating patients with special needs

Destination

Kenya

Age

16+ y/o

Minimum Stay

1 week

Start Date

Anytime

Accommodation

Homestay

What’s included

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

24/7 Support

Round-the-clock support on the ground and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

Transportation

To and from the airport, plus everything in between. Daily transport to your placement and back.

Certification

Certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

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Starting at €1,930 for 1 week

Flexible 0% Interest payments
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Trip Overview

First-hand clinical observation

Gain valuable practical experience by shadowing qualified occupational therapists in Nanyuki, observing diverse patient cases and treatment methods.

Collaborative patient assessment

Participate in patient assessments, contributing to diagnosis discussions and treatment planning under the supervision of experienced professionals.

Direct therapeutic intervention

Assist with therapeutic activities, including motion exercises, daily living skills training, and speech therapy, improving patient independence.

Professional skill enhancement

Develop your occupational therapy knowledge, building a strong foundation for your future career through practical application and mentorship.

Immersive cultural experience

Live with a welcoming host family in Nanyuki, enjoy authentic Kenyan cuisine, and explore the rich culture and stunning landscapes of Kenya.

What you need to know

Overview

Do you plan on pursuing a career in occupational therapy? Are you currently enrolled in a related course at university? Would you like to add practical work experience to your CV? Then our Occupational Therapy placement in Kenya is perfect for you!

During your internship, you will work alongside a qualified therapist. This will give you a great opportunity to observe the way they work, and we encourage you to ask questions and make notes. You may also get the chance to help with some practical work under supervision. This will add valuable skills and experience to your CV and give you interesting points to talk about in applications or interviews.

To join this project, you need to have completed at least one year of studies in occupational therapy or a related field. Your work is supervised, and you can reach out to Projects Abroad staff at any time for support and guidance.

We encourage you to stay as long as possible so you can learn more and have a bigger impact on patients. Please be aware that the residential facility is closed in August and from the beginning of November to the end of December.

A Day in the Life

Start your day with a hearty breakfast enjoyed around your host family’s table. Then set off to the hospital or residential centre, using public transport or walking. Projects Abroad staff will accompany you on your first day to familiarise you with the route.

Your working day will start at 8:30 am. For the first bit of the morning, you will help the local therapist do some basic administration and prepare for the day’s sessions. From about 9:30 am, you will accompany him or her on their first rounds of the morning. Use this time to observe their work and make notes for your own sessions later.

Between 12 pm and 1:30 pm, you will get an hour and a half’s lunch break. If your host family lives close by, you can head home for lunch. Alternatively, you will enjoy a packed lunch at the children’s home or hospital.

After lunch, you can discuss assessments with the local therapist and your fellow interns. Together, you can decide on specific therapies for patients.

After this, it’s time for the afternoon therapy shift. You can help patients with mobility exercises, skills development for daily life, or speech therapy. This will happen under the supervision of the local therapist.

The day ends at 3 pm, after which you can head home or catch up with other interns.

Evenings and weekends are your free time to relax, explore, and learn more about Kenyan culture. Be sure to do some travelling with fellow interns, and check out the game reserves in the vicinity or take on a hiking trail or two.

Aims & Impact

There are two main aims of this project: to help develop your skills and to meet the needs of the local community.

We want to equip you with the knowledge and practical skills to pursue a career in occupational therapy. You’ll work with occupational therapists at a local hospital or a residential care facility for people with special needs. You’ll observe their work, and we encourage you to ask questions and take notes to learn as much as possible.

The hospitals we work with are overcrowded, and therapists have to work long hours to get around to all their patients. As an intern with some training, you’ll be an extra pair of helping hands. You can assist with exercises to increase motion, training in activities of daily living and speech training. This way, you’ll help patients become more independent in their day-to-day lives.

We have identified five goals to work towards in our Medical Management Plan for Kenya. Occupational therapy forms a part of this. These are:

Encourage an understanding of medical practices and promote an exchange of medical knowledge
Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients
Improve access to basic healthcare for disadvantaged groups
Improve hygiene standards
Reduce the number of cases of malaria

Join our Occupational Therapy placement in Kenya and help us achieve these long-term goals while gaining invaluable experience.

Activities

On this Occupational Therapy internship, there is plenty of opportunity for practical work and learning. Here are some of the tasks you’ll help with:

A group of Projects Abroad volunteers shadow a qualified therapist during a workshop in Kenya during their Occupational Therapy internship.

Work alongside a qualified therapist and observe the way they go about their duties

A Projects Abroad volunteer helps a local doctor in Kenya to assess a patient during her Occupational Therapy internship.

Help assess patients and offer guidance to help improve their daily lives

A Projects Abroad volunteer doing an Occupational Therapy internship in Kenya works on a baby's routine.

Do physical exercises, speech therapy, and training for daily tasks, like dressing and grooming

Your work will focus on the following areas:

Work alongside a qualified therapist

For the duration of your Occupational Therapy internship, you will be shadowing an experienced local professional.

This means you will be watching the way they work with patients and learning from them as you go. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and make sure that you understand their treatment methods.

Help assess patients

While you will be learning from a qualified therapist, you will also get to help with patient assessments.

This will include discussing a diagnosis with local staff and fellow interns. Ultimately, you will work out the best course of action to treat the specific challenges faced by the patient. All of this will happen under the supervision of the local occupational therapist.

Therapy

By showing enthusiasm and demonstrating knowledge and skills, you will soon be able to do some practical work yourself.

This might include helping patients with exercises that will improve their motion. You could also assist them with training for daily life and help them work towards dressing, bathing, and grooming themselves. Finally, you could also do basic speech therapy with those who have mild impediments. You will continue working under supervision throughout. This is an excellent opportunity to gain occupational therapy work experience while in Kenya.

Map & Location

Welcome to the “Cradle of Humanity” and a land of contrasts. Here, snow-capped mountains meet rolling savannahs, where lions roam and elephants graze. While famous for safari experiences, there’s much more to life in Kenya.

Home to the Maasai Mara National Park and the second-tallest mountain in Africa, Mount Kenya, this East African gem is a bucket list item for nature lovers worldwide. Witness the Great Migration, taste delicious coffee, and be welcomed into a traditional way of life.

Nanyuki

In central Kenya, three hours north of Nairobi, lies the charming town of Nanyuki, the gateway to Mount Kenya. Home to about 70,000 residents, Nanyuki enjoys a cool climate and serves as a base for eager mountain climbers.

Nanyuki has a mix of modern amenities and natural beauty. The town is surrounded by wildlife conservancies, offering popular game drives and safaris, but is also steeped in history. It is famous for its markets, British colonial heritage, and sitting exactly on the equator.

Food & Accommodation

Feel like a local with a caring host family. Our host families in Nanyuki are all carefully vetted and will provide you with everything you need for the experience of a lifetime. This includes a comfortable bed, three meals a day, and fresh drinking water.

We guarantee that your host family’s home will be safe, secure, and clean. They will share Kenyan culture with you and will be eager to learn about yours through conversations or games over home-cooked meals.

Our team will organise your daily transport to and from your placement and will also take you to some of the best restaurants in town. We will try to place you with other Projects Abroad participants of the same gender and similar age, the perfect opportunity to build lasting bonds with people from around the world.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Kenya Arrival Procedures page.