Windsor Nursing Students Bring Care,
Compassion and Lessons Home from Tanzania
Story by Paula Just
Photography by Kelsey Schumacher and Gabriela DiGesu
What does it mean to care for others truly? For a group of nursing students from the University of Windsor, the answer came not only from textbooks and classes but from three intense weeks spent thousands of miles away from home in the heart of Tanzania. There, amidst breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural traditions, they confronted the harsh realities of global health inequities, providing care with limited resources, sharing knowledge and learning powerful lessons in resilience and human connection.
The journey was made possible thanks to the Teach Tanzania program, coordinated by Dr. Clinton Beckford, Vice President of People, Equity and Inclusion; and Professors Rachel Elliott and Heather Sweet from the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Windsor. This was the first time nursing students participated in the initiative.
“It was a huge commitment,” said Rachel Elliott, who teaches the undergraduate Global Health Nursing course. “The clinical lead, Natalie Bownes and I conducted interviews and selected ten people. The team was so perfect. Now, I can really see how our talents, abilities and gifts blended to make such a beautiful and supportive team.” Along with Rachel’s students, Faculty of Education students and University professors joined the trip, resulting in a group of 34 people.
The Teach Tanzania team held several fundraising events, including book sales, spinning classes, workout marathons, trivia nights and a golf tournament. The funds raised—over $27,000—were used for initiatives in Tanzania. To achieve all this, the expedition also received support and donations from various institutions, including Windsor Regional Hospital, Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, Travel Health Windsor, NovaMed Diagnostics Inc., the Windsor Essex chapter of the Registered Nurses’s Association of Ontario, Ontario Nurses’ Association Local 008, Club Pilates Tecumseh, Parkway Dental, Medical Laboratories of Windsor, InMedic Pain Management Center, Belle River Imaging Services, Balanced Fitness and the local Days for Girls Chapter.
Located in East Africa, Tanzania is home to approximately 67 million people. Known for its stunning scenery, the country also faces significant challenges. Despite political stability in recent years, Tanzania continues to struggle with widespread poverty, limited access to quality healthcare and gaps in education. Many communities face shortages of essential public health resources, which make international partnerships and service-learning programs like Teach Tanzania meaningful.
“The people are so welcoming, they treat you like family,” said Kelsey Schumacher, a nursing student and one of the team members. She is 36 years old and a mother of two. “Even if they had nothing, they were going to try to share it with you. We were going to places where there was a water drought and they ensured there were water bottles for us.”
In collaboration with a local doctor, the group organized a community clinic in a Maasai village, offering various healthcare services and support to the population. During this time, they noticed significant differences in infrastructure and access to resources compared to those in Canada. One example was the adaptation of a sterilized Coca-Cola bottle filled with a solution for use as an antiseptic during surgical procedures.
“When we started doing our outreach clinics in the Maasai community, in Moshi, it became apparent that this particular community was in a rural area, that they didn’t have access to care and follow-up medications and appointments that we would have in North America”, added Kelsey. “So, it really just highlighted a lot of the things that we learned in Professor Elliott’s class about health equity and how, as nursing students, we can help bring awareness and shine a light on those issues.”
Recognizing the country’s limited materials, the crew also delivered needles, syringes, dressings, medications, masks and scrubs for nurses. Oral health was also addressed. Approximately 150 kits, each containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, pamphlets and educational materials, were distributed to local communities.
One of the highlights was the delivery of menstrual pads to girls in the communities. The initiative was led by Grace Okello, a 23-year-old nursing student who has lived in Windsor for four years. Originally from Kenya, the travel to Tanzania was significant for her, being so close to her home country. Grace decided to lead the menstrual health initiative after learning how stigmatized the topic is in Tanzania and how many girls miss school due to a lack of supplies.
“When we gave the Days for Girls reusable menstrual kits, it was such a lovely moment because now the girls won’t feel uncomfortable going to school and won’t miss any class,” she recalled, adding: “It is also so important to talk about this, let them know that we have periods as well, that is normal and happens to every single woman.”
Gabriela DiGesu, a 21-year-old student, also had a remarkable experience during the trip. She witnessed a cesarean section performed on a mother at the district hospital and emotionally described the intense compassion provided by the local care team. “It is truly incredible to see the quality of care that they provide for their patients with such limited resources.”
Just before the procedure, Gabriela recalled an emotional moment when the entire medical team stepped away from the operating table and, in unity, offered a prayer in Swahili to bless the mother and baby. “It was beautiful, but very different because we don’t do this in our country. So it was very special to be able to immerse ourselves in a profound cultural experience,” she said.
For the students, the experience was unforgettable. What they witnessed in just three weeks was enough to reflect on both personal and professional lessons. “Personally, the big takeaway for me is to be thankful for the small things because they can make a huge difference in someone else’s life. As a nurse, I learned that we are very privileged here in Canada and have access to many resources. Knowing that, being mindful and eliminating waste in the hospitals, that is definitely something that I’ll start implementing,” said Grace.
For Rachel, the entire trip was emotional as she watched her students apply in practice what they had learned in the course and directly engage with local girls on their health promotion topics.
“One of the most beautiful things that I saw was just watching the way in which my team created conditions for them to believe in themselves and their future. Seeing them apply what they’ve learned, build relationships and empower them to dream big was really special for me.”
Published in the September 2025 Edition.
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