Wed, 03-Jun-26 We visited the marangu waterfall and got to learn about the history and origin of the waterfall. We had to travel a good hour to get to the waterfall which was a rocky and bumpy ride. While there, we faced a challenge of nagivating slippery rocks and paths with steep stairs. But we overcame it by listening to the tour guide and being respectful. We stayed as one unit and looked out for each other. We took loads of photos to hold onto memories and to share with people. We also went on a tour of the local market led by Elly Kimaro where we saw all the…

I was hauled up onto the bustling jetty from the small wooden fishing boat which brought us from Jubilee Hope to the island. As we were lead through the dense crowd, I turned to Eilidh and we shared a look - was this definitely a good idea? I certainly knew I wasn't in Edinburgh anymore. However, despite this initial assault on the senses, in 11 days time we'd be wishing we could do it all again. Eilidh and I have been friends since our first day of FY1, and, when we both became locum GPs at the end of our…

I’m a final year medical student who completed their elective last summer on the Vine Trust ship in Peru. I’ve had a few months to reflect on my trip and the experiences I had, and it’s safe to say that deciding to do my elective with the Vine Trust was one of the best decisions I could have made.  I did my elective with two of my best friends who are also medical students. We arrived on the ship and were welcomed by the crew and introduced to Frank. Frank was amazing – he taught us Spanish, took us into…

I write to you from the Loreto part of the River Amazon in NorthEastern Peru.  I have just completed an incredible 11 days on a large medical boat with a local Peruvian team. We have been running clinics on ship for free to provide primary health and dental care. Hopping from village to village each day to offer everything from parasitic gut infection treatments to children’s growth checks, dental extractions and fillings to simple analgesia. I was given a translator named Frank, Peruvian and super enthusiastic and my bridge to understanding the consultation as my Spanish is extremely minimal.  Typical…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt a deep desire to volunteer in some of the world’s most underprivileged communities. Life, however, had other plans - career, study, and personal commitments took priority. Yet, at the core of my being, I’ve always longed for something greater than myself: a sense of purpose and a way to be truly useful. As a qualified nurse and midwife, I knew that improving lives through healthcare was the most natural way for me to help. So, when a professional colleague shared her experience with Vine Trust, something stirred within me. I visited…

I was keen for my elective to involve practicing medicine in a very different setting to that which I am used to in the UK, and so a medical ship visiting islands on Lake Victoria in Tanzania sounded perfect to me! I had high expectations for the trip, but even these were surpassed. The experience was not only great fun, but I also learnt so much, on both a professional and personal level. The team on the Jubilee Hope are like one big family, and I felt very privileged to be welcomed into such a dedicated team. Every morning began…