Date: 1st – 14 December 2024 (flexible depending on flights)
Duration: Two weeks
Location: Makasutu, Gambia
BEVA Trust is looking for two veterinary volunteers (vets and EVN’s) to travel to Makasutu, Gambia to support the work of the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust’s (GHDT). The volunteers will provide support for the GHDT team in any way possible. This involves helping the GHDT team with cases, suggesting treatment and offering explanation of procedures in the purpose-built veterinary centre. Every week the mobile veterinary clinic team travel to different villages to provide treatments to animals in need. Whilst the focus is on working horses, donkeys and mules, the team would never turn away any animal in need of veterinary care. Working animals are an integral part of life in rural Gambia, so their owners are keen to gain preventative health care treatments whenever possible.
The volunteers would also be assisting and advising on the mobile clinic. Volunteers may also be asked to deliver lectures/workshops to staff and students form the local university. Volunteers need to have good teaching skills with the ability to encourage and inspire through practical demonstrations. Just some of the main topic areas to cover include, The importance of good, professional nursing and patient care, clinical examination and actively interpreting the findings and acting on them, dentistry, farriery and recognising lameness.
Volunteers need to have the ability to work comfortably without access to many diagnostic aids and must be prepared to try to understand the local culture and customs. An interest in tropical medicine and an open mind would be an advantage.
Accommodation, meals and travel will be provided by BEVA Trust and host.
For further information, travel advice and entry requirements for The Gambia see https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/the-gambia
Contact us for further information or to register your interest in this opportunity email leaya@beva.org.uk with your CV and cover note. Applications are open until 29th September 2024