Relationship Building between International Healthcare Volunteers and Local Healthcare Providers in Ethiopia: Real-Life Experiences in Low-Income Country

Background: The number of international healthcare volunteers in low-income countries that need trained human resources has been increasing. However, migrating to a foreign country requires adapting to its environment and culture. The purpose of this study was to explore the international healthcare volunteers’ experiences in Ethiopia in building relationships with local healthcare providers. Methods: Six participants were enrolled in the study, and data were collected through individual in-depth interviews conducted between September and October 2018. The collected data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. Results: Ten subthemes emerged from five themes: “facing new situations”, “accepting myself as an outsider in Ethiopia”, “impact on the wall of prejudice”, “adapting to a new culture”, and “positive outlook”. Conclusions: This study shows that international healthcare volunteers in Ethiopia experienced challenges in building relationships with local healthcare providers due to linguistic and cultural gaps. Nevertheless, they strived to accept the culture and play their part as helpers in providing healthcare services.