Terms and Conditions of Participation.
Medical Connect Africa Limited — Volunteer Programs in Arusha, Tanzania
Company registration / TIN number: 203108648 Registered office: Ward Olturoto, near Ilbotu Secondary School, P.O. Box 287, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania Contact: medicalconnectafrica@gmail.com
Last updated: June 2026 (Version 1.3)
1. About these terms and who we are
1.1 These Terms and Conditions (the "Terms") govern your participation in any volunteer program arranged by Medical Connect Africa Limited ("Medical Connect Africa", "we", "us" or "our"), a private company limited by shares incorporated in the United Republic of Tanzania under registration number 203108648, with its registered office at Ward Olturoto, near Ilbotu Secondary School, P.O. Box 287, Arusha, Tanzania.
1.2 In these Terms, "you" or "Volunteer" means the individual who books and participates in a program; "Program" means the volunteer placement and the accommodation and related services we arrange for you; "Placement" means the host hospital, clinic, school, nursery, non-governmental organisation or other institution where your volunteering activity takes place; and "Host Institution" means the organisation that operates a Placement.
1.3 By ticking the acceptance box when you book, and by paying your Program fee, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to be bound by these Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and our Safeguarding Policy, which form part of your agreement with us. Please do not make payment until you have read them.
2. What we provide, and what we do not
2.1 Medical Connect Africa is a volunteer placement and hospitality provider. We arrange and coordinate volunteer experiences and we provide accommodation and related support to Volunteers in Arusha, Tanzania.
2.2 Subject to your chosen Program, our service to you includes:
(a) accommodation, with security, a chef and daily cleaning; (b) breakfast, lunch and dinner each day; (c) airport pick-up and drop-off (Arusha or Kilimanjaro airport); (d) an orientation day, including a town tour and city orientation; (e) one pair of scrubs for medical Volunteers, or one t-shirt for non-medical Volunteers; and (f) assistance with arranging your Placement at a Host Institution.
2.3 We are not a healthcare provider. We do not provide, supervise or take responsibility for any medical, dental, nursing, clinical or other professional treatment or care, and we do not deliver the volunteering activity itself. That activity takes place at the Host Institution and is directed and supervised by the Host Institution.
2.4 We are not your employer, and participation in a Program does not create an employment relationship. We do not provide flights, visas, travel insurance or medical insurance, and we are not a travel agent for those services.
2.5 You take part in the volunteering activity voluntarily, at your own initiative and within your own qualifications. What you are permitted to do during your Placement, and the supervision of that activity, is decided and controlled by the Host Institution and not by us.
3. Eligibility
3.1 You must be at least 18 years of age at the start of your Program. We do not accept Volunteers under the age of 18.
3.2 You must be fit to travel and fit to take part in your chosen activities. If you have a medical condition that may affect your participation, you are responsible for obtaining appropriate medical advice before you travel.
3.3 If you intend to take part in any clinical or professional activity, you are responsible for ensuring that you hold any qualifications, professional registration and professional indemnity insurance required, and you must act only within the scope of your qualifications and only as permitted by the Host Institution and by Tanzanian law.
3.4 By booking, you confirm that you have no criminal record or other history that would make you unsuitable to volunteer, including any activity involving children or vulnerable people. If this confirmation is untrue, or if you withhold relevant information, we may decline or end your participation immediately and without refund.
4. Application, booking and confirmation
4.1 You begin by arranging an introductory meeting with us to discuss your interests, dates, activities and costs. Booking a meeting does not reserve a place.
4.2 A place on a Program is reserved only once we have confirmed your dates with you and you have paid your Program fee in full. We do not take deposits and we do not hold places before full payment is received.
4.3 Once your place is confirmed, we begin preparing your individual schedule and arranging your Placement. You are responsible for booking your own flights and arranging your visa, and we recommend you do not book flights until your place is confirmed.
5. Fees and payment
5.1 Program fees are charged in euros (EUR) according to the length of your Program, as set out below.
Program length - Program fee (EUR)
2 weeks - 600
3 weeks - 780
4 weeks - 900
5 weeks - 1,040
6 weeks - 1,170
7 weeks - 1,280
8 weeks - 1,400
9 weeks - 1,530
Each additional week beyond 9 weeks add 130 per week
5.2 Your Program fee includes the services listed in clause 2.2. Your Program fee does not include: flights; travel or medical insurance; visa-related costs; hospital and supervision fees (including fees payable directly to the Host Institution in accordance with government guidelines, for example around 50 US dollars per week); weekend trips and tours; and personal items such as snacks, soft drinks, gifts and souvenirs.
5.3 Hospital and supervision fees are paid by you directly to the Host Institution. We do not collect, control or refund those fees.
5.4 Payment is made by bank transfer to the account we provide. You are responsible for all bank, transfer and currency-conversion charges, so the amount we receive must equal the full Program fee.
5.5 All Program fees are stated in euros and are inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) where applicable. No further VAT or tax will be added to the fees shown.
5.6 You are expected to pay the full Program fee. In extenuating circumstances, you may ask to discuss a reduced rate with us. Any reduced rate is granted at our sole discretion and is not guaranteed.
5.7 Where we agree a reduced rate, we may ask you to support Medical Connect Africa in return, for example by sharing your experience and helping to raise awareness of our work. Any such contribution will be agreed with you before your Program begins, and will be reasonable and proportionate to the reduction given.
5.8 Any photographs, video or other content you share in connection with a reduced rate remain subject to clause 18 (Photography, media and marketing), including the safeguarding requirements that apply where children or patients are involved.
6. Cancellation by you
6.1 If you need to cancel, you must tell us in writing by email to medicalconnectafrica@gmail.com. The date we receive your written notice is the date used to calculate any refund.
6.2 The following applies to the Program fee you have paid to us, based on how much notice you give before your Program start date:
(a) more than 60 days before the start date: the Program fee is fully refundable; (b) 30 to 60 days before the start date: we retain 25 percent of the Program fee and refund the remainder; (c) 8 to 29 days before the start date: we retain 50 percent of the Program fee and refund the remainder; (d) 7 days or fewer before the start date, or failure to arrive: no refund is given.
6.3 Instead of cancelling, you may ask to transfer your booking to a later start date. We will try to accommodate reasonable requests but transfers are subject to availability and are at our discretion.
6.4 Once a Program has started, no refund is given for any unused days, for leaving early, or for any part of the Program you choose not to take part in.
6.5 If you are refused entry to Tanzania, are denied a visa, or are required to leave the country, this is treated as a cancellation by you of 7 days or fewer and no refund is given. You remain responsible for your own travel and related costs.
7. Cancellation or changes by us
7.1 If we cancel your Program before it starts for any reason within our control, you may choose to receive a full refund of the Program fee you have paid to us, or to transfer to another available start date.
7.2 We are not responsible for, and will not refund or reimburse, any costs you incur with third parties, including flights, visas, insurance or hospital fees. This is why holding suitable travel insurance is a condition of participation (see clause 9).
7.3 We may need to make changes to your accommodation, your schedule, your Placement or your dates for operational, safety, health or other reasons beyond our reasonable control. Where we do, we will offer you a reasonably comparable alternative wherever possible.
8. Refunds
8.1 Where a refund is due, we will pay it to the original paying account, in euros, net of any bank, transfer or currency-conversion charges that we cannot recover.
8.2 Any request for a refund must be made in writing to medicalconnectafrica@gmail.com within 14 days of the event giving rise to it (such as the date you cancel, or the date a cancelled Program was due to start). We are not obliged to consider requests made after that period.
8.3 We will process approved refunds within 14 to 30 days of approving the request.
8.4 A change of mind, or dissatisfaction with a Placement or experience once your Program has started, is not a ground for a refund. If you have a concern, please raise it with us promptly so that we can try to help.
9. Insurance
9.1 You must hold valid travel and medical insurance that covers, as a minimum, emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation and emergency repatriation, for the full duration of your Program.
9.2 Arranging and paying for your insurance is your responsibility. We are not obliged to check or verify your insurance, and taking part without adequate insurance is at your own risk.
10. Health and emergencies
10.1 Before you travel, we will ask you to complete a short health and emergency information form, including an emergency contact, any allergies or dietary requirements, and any condition we may need to know about in an emergency. This helps us support you and cater for you safely. We handle this information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
10.2 You are responsible for obtaining any vaccinations, anti-malarial medication and travel health advice that you need. We may provide general information but we do not give medical advice.
10.3 In a medical emergency, you authorise us to arrange or assist with emergency medical treatment on your behalf. Any cost of such treatment is your responsibility, and is a matter for you and your insurer.
11. Your Placement and the Host Institution
11.1 We will assist you in arranging a Placement, but the activities you carry out, the level of responsibility you are given and the supervision you receive are determined and controlled by the Host Institution, not by us.
11.2 You must follow the rules, policies and instructions of the Host Institution at all times, act only within the scope of your qualifications, and never carry out any task you are not competent, qualified or permitted to perform.
11.3 We are not responsible for the acts, omissions, standards, decisions or conduct of any Host Institution or its staff, or for the nature or outcome of any treatment, care or activity carried out at a Placement.
12. Conduct expected of you
12.1 While taking part in a Program you must:
(a) comply with the laws of Tanzania and respect local customs and culture; (b) treat staff, other Volunteers, patients, children and community members with respect at all times; (c) follow our house rules and the rules of any Host Institution and accommodation; (d) act only within the scope of your qualifications, and not hold yourself out as having qualifications you do not have; (e) never be alone with, or unsupervised around, children, and comply with our Safeguarding Policy at all times; and (f) not engage in any unsafe, dishonest, abusive or unlawful behaviour, or any misuse of alcohol or drugs.
12.2 If you breach these expectations, we may give you a warning or, depending on the seriousness, remove you from the Program immediately. If you are removed from the Program for breaching these Terms, the Safeguarding Policy or the law, you are not entitled to any refund. If we remove you from the Program, you must leave the accommodation, and we are not obliged to provide or arrange alternative accommodation. Any onward travel or accommodation is then your responsibility and at your own cost.
13. Accommodation and your belongings
13.1 You must keep the accommodation in good condition, follow our house rules, and respect other guests, staff and neighbours. You are responsible for any loss or damage you cause to the accommodation or its contents, beyond fair wear and tear, and you agree to reimburse us for the reasonable cost of repair or replacement.
13.2 You are responsible for your own belongings. We are not liable for loss of, or damage to, your personal property in the accommodation or elsewhere during the Program.
14. Safeguarding
14.1 Medical Connect Africa has zero tolerance for any abuse, exploitation or harm of children or vulnerable people. Our Safeguarding Policy forms part of these Terms and you must read and comply with it.
14.2 Contact with children must always be supervised. Any breach of our Safeguarding Policy may result in immediate removal from the Program without refund and, where appropriate, referral to the relevant authorities.
15. Assumption of risk and limitation of liability
15.1 You understand and accept that international travel and volunteering involve inherent risks. These include, but are not limited to, illness and disease, exposure to infectious diseases, bodily fluids, sharps and clinical environments, injury and accidents, risks relating to food and water, local transport, crime and theft, and environmental and weather conditions. You take part in the Program, and travel to and within Tanzania, voluntarily and at your own risk.
15.2 To the maximum extent permitted by law, Medical Connect Africa is not liable for any loss, damage, injury, illness, death, delay or expense arising from or connected with those inherent risks, or from any of the following:
(a) the acts, omissions or standards of any Host Institution, hospital, clinic, school, nursery, non-governmental organisation, driver or other third party; (b) any treatment, care or activity carried out by you, or in which you take part, at a Placement; (c) flights, travel delays, visa decisions or other travel matters; (d) loss of, or damage to, your personal belongings; (e) your own acts, omissions or breach of these Terms or of any law; or (f) events beyond our reasonable control, as described in clause 17.
15.3 Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability where it would be unlawful to do so, including any liability that cannot be excluded under Tanzanian law. Where our liability cannot be excluded but can be limited, our total liability to you is limited to the amount of the Program fee you paid to us.
15.4 We are not liable for any indirect or consequential loss.
15.5 Any claim against us in connection with a Program must be notified to us in writing within six months of the end of your Program, after which we have no liability for it, to the extent this time limit is permitted by law.
16. Indemnity
16.1 You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Medical Connect Africa and its directors, staff and representatives against any loss, claim, liability or expense arising from your breach of these Terms, your breach of any law, or your negligent or wrongful acts or omissions during the Program.
17. Events beyond our control (force majeure)
17.1 We are not liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations where this is caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, epidemics or pandemics, war or civil unrest, terrorism, government action, travel bans or border closures, strikes, or failure of utilities or transport.
17.2 If such an event affects a Program, we will discuss the options available with you, which may include postponing your Program, providing a credit, or refunding amounts we are able to recover. We are not obliged to refund any third-party costs such as flights, visas or insurance.
18. Photography, media and marketing
18.1 By accepting these Terms you consent to Medical Connect Africa taking photographs and video that may include you during the Program, and using that material for marketing, promotional, educational and social media purposes, without payment to you.
18.2 If you do not wish your image to be used in this way, you may opt out at any time by emailing medicalconnectafrica@gmail.com, and we will not use new material featuring you from the date of your request.
18.3 When children or patients appear in any material, additional consent and safeguarding requirements apply and are dealt with separately under our Safeguarding Policy.
19. Data protection
19.1 We collect and use your personal information in order to arrange and run your Program. We process personal data in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act, 2022 of Tanzania and, where it applies to you, the European General Data Protection Regulation. Full details are set out in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.
20. Governing law and disputes
20.1 These Terms, and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them, are governed by the laws of the United Republic of Tanzania.
20.2 If a dispute arises, the parties will first try in good faith to resolve it by negotiation. If it is not resolved, the parties will then attempt to resolve it through mediation or arbitration held in Arusha, Tanzania. If the dispute is still not resolved, it will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Tanzania.
21. General
21.1 These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and the Safeguarding Policy, form the entire agreement between you and us in relation to your Program.
21.2 If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.
21.3 We may update these Terms from time to time. The version that applies to you is the version in force on the date you accept these Terms and pay your Program fee.
21.4 Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later. You may not transfer your booking or your rights under these Terms to another person without our written agreement.
21.5 Notices to us should be sent to medicalconnectafrica@gmail.com.
21.6 You agree that in entering into these Terms you have not relied on any statement, promise or representation that is not set out in these Terms, including any description, image or statement on our website or social media. Nothing in this clause limits any liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.
21.7 Nothing in these Terms affects any rights you have under mandatory consumer protection law that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. Where any provision is found to be unenforceable against a consumer, it applies to the maximum extent permitted and the remaining provisions are unaffected.
21.8 We may arrange for third parties, for example drivers, accommodation providers or partner organisations, to provide parts of the service. This does not affect the allocation of responsibility set out in these Terms.
22. Your acceptance
22.1 You accept these Terms by ticking the acceptance box when you book and by paying your Program fee. Payment of your Program fee confirms that you have read, understood and agreed to these Terms, the Privacy Policy and the Safeguarding Policy.
Medical Connect Africa Limited - June 2026