Horton nurses use holiday to treat poor villagers in Kenya

Nico Posadinu and Viola Bosinco ran free community clinics and offered consultations, treatment and testing for a range of conditions such as malaria and HIV.

The trauma ward nurses volunteered through Camps International’s healthcare outreach programme in villages near Mombasa.

Viola said: “We always wished to have this experience. As well as the medical clinics, we also had a chance to relax, enjoy the beaches and book adventures, like a safari, on our rest days.

“It was an amazing trip, with beautiful people who became friends. We will remember their smiles and hospitality, and the beauty of Kenya.”

Many people in rural Kenya are living below the poverty line, and access to proper healthcare is often limited or non-existent.

Camps International has been running its programme since 2011, sending more than 175 medical professionals to east Africa and treating over 27,000 people.

The team of international volunteers was divided into small groups with Kenyan medical professionals and translators, giving them the opportunity to discuss and share knowledge about the diseases and problems facing the locals.

These include jiggers, a type of parasitic insect, conditions such as ringworm, and a lack of health education leading to many children suffering from malnutrition.

Viola, who was inspired to take part in the trip by her mother, who is a doctor, said: “It was frustrating not to have all of the equipment and drugs we needed, and we quickly realised how many things we take for granted at home, how lucky we are.”

Nico and Viola are grateful for all the support from family, friends, colleagues and patients who made their trip possible, in particular their administrative assistant Nicola Woodhouse and ward manager Louise Garrett.

To find out more about Camps International’s scheme, visit: campsinternational.com/product/gap-healthcare-volunteering