Day 1

It didn’t actually hit me that I was in Africa until we left the Addis airport and it was sunny and cool. I was so excited to see the people and what they were doing through the windows as we drove from the airport to the hotel. It hit me again that I was here when a group of us left the hotel to wander the streets.
There were lots of half finished buildings and some huts made of garbage and sticks woven together. There were several streams which were covered in garbage; some people were doing laundry in them. There were tons of goats and donkey being hurded all over the road. Every time we stopped at a street corner we were surrounded by street children who would follow us. Most made gestures that they wanted food, and one boy tried selling us boxes of tissues. When we didnt buy them he sang songs hoping for a tip. It was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen. I didn’t give them anything, because I’ve been told if you give one anything they will all follow you until you leave the city. There were lots of shacks along the roads selling toilets, lights, and garbage cans and buckets, but I only saw one person selling food.
This morning I woke up with a headache and a nose bleed. I think it may be from altitude/stress.

so close and yet so far

I don;t want to write too much now because I’m on the only working computer here, but I have made it as far as Ethiopia. The flights from Albany to Addis Ababa combined were more than 24 hours, and we missed our connection by about 5 minutes because the airline wouldn’t hold the flight for us. So now myself and about 20 adventurers are in a hotel here in Ethiopia until the next flight to Kili tomorrow morning.

for the curious

..an online tour of where I’ll be staying! It’s 10 minutes long, but you’ll be on the edge of your seat the whole time.. or at least I was.
http://community.crossculturalsolutions.org/video/homebase-karanga-village-1
1 day!!!

packing and preparations

I’m leaving in two days. Two days! Can you believe it?
I started packing yesterday, and it was way more stressful than I had anticipated. I want to pack everything, because if I forget or run out of something I can’t just run to the store to get some more. On the other hand, I don’t want to be weighed down by a lot of crap I don’t need, plus I plan on bringing a lot of new things back. Also, I had way more appropriate clothing than I was aware, and all those things they tell you to bring for a first aid kit – heavy!

I’m pretty uncomfortable about the money situation.. We were told to bring $1,500-1,800, and that the only reliable form of money there is cash. So that’s right folks, in the coming days I’ll be walking around wearing a money belt bursting with cold hard cash. Yikes!
We did a secret santa exchange at my office last week, and I got a wonderful gift. My co-worker Cynthia is an expert sew-ist, and made me the most excellent scrapbook I have ever seen. She embroidered “Madeline’s Journeys” under the red material, sewed the elephant (my favorite!) and attached the African beads. I love it!
And for any of you who may be interested in doing a similar trip someday, here is a list of all the documents I packed: 6 passport/visa photos, pictures of my family and friends with my address on the back (I’ve been told that if you leave them people will write to you), my proof of Yellow Fever immunization, a summary of education and experience, official transcript, and resume (for my Permit once I arrive), several photocopies of my passport and visa, a copy of my original prescriptions for Malaria and the like, my confirmation of enrollment in the program,  travel contact information (provided by CCS), and my flight itinerary. I am also bringing some maps I copied from a travel book, and a typed copy of the notes I took from the book, plus some useful Swahili phrases I looked up.
2 days!!!

$$$

I’ve been thinking a lot about the trip, naturally, and was curious to see a breakdown of all the expenses. Well folks, here it is:


As you can see, the trip is quite expensive. I’d like to point out that the experience would not be possible without generous support from your family, friends and community, so thank you again to everyone who helped me to be able to participate! I’d also like to note that while I have about a third of the funding as personal, meaning my own money, it does not account for the fact that I’m lucky enough to have ongoing financial support from my extended family and that my main expenses (rent & school) are being paid by student loans.
When I originally signed up for this experience, I knew it would be expensive. I was told that the program fee was about $3,000, and that I was responsible for all additional expenses.. I just didn’t realize how many additional expenses there actually were. I think if I had known how much it would truly cost I may not have signed up, but I’m so glad that I did. If you’re willing work hard at fund raising and have the support of your family, it’s definitely doable. If I were doing it alone, there is no way I would have even considered the program. I was also very lucky that I have a professor who has worked with CCS before. She was able to get me scholarships from my university to reduce the program fee to $2,539, cover $100 of additional expenses, and gather donations from several of her coworkers.
And now, a word on why I chose to volunteer through CCS, possibly the most expensive international volunteer program out there: I knew there were cheaper options available from the beginning. I wanted to go to east Africa, and I wanted to do it through a reputable program with lots of experience. I learned of this opportunity through my professor, and found out through research that CCS is quite reputable, and has been offering these types of experiences for decades. Every person I have dealt with in CSS has provided me with experience-based information, as they have all been on at least one volunteer program before. The in-country staff (who live with you at the Home Base) are locals who know the area well and who speak English. I feel very confident from my experiences thus far that I will be well taken care of throughout my entire experience. Personally, I’m more inclined to make my own experience, and don’t want to feel like I’m part of a tour group or something like that. I chose this intense level of support only because it will be my first time in east Africa, and knowing that it is a dangerous part of the world, I welcome CCS’ support. Next time, though, I’ll probably try to do something with a smaller organization or on my own.
Now, I do have some tips for people considering doing a program like this in the future:
-Be prepared! It IS expensive, so don’t get in over your head.
-(I hope) it will be totally worth it. I’m sure I can confirm this when I come home, but if international volunteering is something you’re passionate about, do it. Make it happen. There are lots of scholarships available out there.
-If you really think there’s no way you could pull something like this off, look around. There are lots of cheaper international volunteering programs available. Try looking through religious or education based opportunities.
-Use my cost breakdown as a very rough guide. I received scholarships and other forms of help along the way that are impossible to calculate. Here is a chart for the worst possible situation (no scholarships, no health insurance, buying more things you need to bring, etc.):
These expenses add up to $7,985, whereas my expenses add up to $6,999. That’s a difference of almost $1,000 – pretty significant.
11 Days!!!
P.S.: Here’s a copy of the packing list, provided by CCS:
(Bold indicates that volunteers have given strong feedback about the necessity of packing that item.)

CLOTHES (Please refer to the Dress Code in your Participant Handbook) FOR WOMEN: several below-the-knee length skirts for work and casual clothes for Free Time FOR MEN:  several light-weight pants/trousers that dry quickly and can be worn as protection against heat and mosquitoes FOR EVERYONE: several t-shirts (without logos or political statements), button-downs or polo shirts that cover your shoulders Pack at least one light-weight, long sleeved top as it is imperative to have sun and mosquito protection! Jeans or Khakis Extra Socks and Underwear Raincoat/umbrella (March-May) Warm Clothes (June-April) Clothes to wear out to dinner Swim Suit (to be culturally sensitive, a one-piece is preferable for women) Convertible Pants/Shorts for Hiking FOOTWEAR One pair of non-cotton socks that will keep your feet warm and dry if they get wet Sneakers, Tennis Shoes or Sandals that can be used as light hikers Flip-Flops for the Home-Base/shower EXPENSIVE OR HARD-TO-FIND ITEMS Contact Lens Supplies Female Sanitary Items Disposable Cameras and Film Adapter/Converter—240-250v Batteries

PERSONAL CARE ITEMS Basic Toiletries (soap, deodorant, etc.) Towel and Washcloth Packs of Tissues (can double as toilet tissue when needed) Insect Repellant containing DEET Sun-block Nailbrush and Nail Clipper Small Bar of Soap (for hand-washing socks and underwear) 2 Toothbrushes/Toothpaste/Holder Lip Balm with sun protection BASIC FIRST AID KIT Bandages Hydrocortisone Cream (2%) Hand Sanitizer Tylenol / Aspirin Diarrhea Medication (Cipro or Immodium) Antiseptic Wipes (Baby Wipes) Pepto-Bismol Tablets Hydrogen Peroxide Benadryl/Anti-Histamine MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS Photos and Artifacts About Your Home Spare Glasses or Eyeglass Repair Kit Walkman or Ipod Travel Alarm Clock Flashlight Padlock for Locker or Drawer Money Belt Daypack/Small Backpack Books for Reading AND Sharing English/Swahili Dictionary Journal (you’ll appreciate it later!) Sunglasses and Hat/Bandana Granola, Energy Bar, Chocolate!!! Camera,  Charger and Adapter Water Bottle Laptop, Wireless Router, Extension Cord

my visa arrived!

My visa arrived today! Here it is, in all its glory:

Notice that holographic sticker in the corner? On an American document it might have, say, a bald eagle or something, but this one has Mount Kilimanjaro and a giraffe. How cool?!
Now that all my paperwork and prescriptions are in order, I think I’m really ready to go! All I need to do now is move my “Africa” pile into the open suitcase its sitting next to!
13 days!!!

its getting closer...

Earlier this week, Tuesday night to be exact, I was too excited to fall asleep. It’s the first time that that’s happened, and it was pretty fun. I have a conference call scheduled next week with the other volunteers to go over final details, and it’ll be my first time talking to any of them. It’s becoming real!
Today I finished filling all of my prescriptions. I filled them one by one because I was afraid they’d be so expensive, but they were all much cheaper than I had anticipated. The one that I was told would be $256 was only $10!!! In total I spent $71 on all three scripts. Also, I saw yesterday that my that visa (and passport) are on their way back to me. What a relief!
14 days!!!