I was volunteering in Tanzania in East Africa during the summer of 2010 for 3 months. Tanzania was tough and super rewarding at the same time. I was building prothesis for children with disabilities and experienced a culture completely opposite of my own. It was a great experience that I will never forget. It has changed the way I see life in developing countries as well as life back home. I kept a blog during my visit. You can view it at evikhui.wordpress.com 

On the left is an image of a lively local market at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Here you can find anything from spices, vegetables, volcanic rocks for exfoliating rough feet to our clothing donations being sold! The image in the middle are of the kids at the care facility/school I worked in with my friend Olivier Mayrand. The image on the right is a splint made from molding plastic over a plaster cast of the child’s foot. The girl who I was making this for had polio and her foot grew abnormally. Many of the prosthetic were made from donations from the UK, we would assess the child’s needs then reuse parts from prosthetic donations to create aids for the kids. There is a huge culture of re using things from the western world in this part of East Africa. Anything from buses to shoes to even tires (made into shoes)! it was like nothing was designed for them but reused and re-purposed. Huge difference from our world.

Upon my return, I made a presentation to share my insights and experience to students and faculty at OCAD University.