Tips for future volunteers

While I was in Africa, the other volunteers and I were always thinking of things it would have been useful to know before heading out to Tanzania, so i thought I'd start a list of tips...

Crazy! I remember doing this list and now I've just checked, it wasnt there. Here goes...

Things to bring:

Walking boots

Head torch (wind up torches are also usefull)

Anti bacterial multi-purpose soap (Life Systems) - great for washing underwear, cleaning out bottles, handwashing or even washing fruit.

Anti- bacterial dry wash/ wet wipes - great for journeys/ school (you're always having to shake people's hands!)

First Aid Kit - make sure you include some rehydration sachets (its really easy to get dehydrated especially if you get a bad stomach), antihistamines (good for if you get really bitten) and blister plasters/ large plasters. MOst medicines are easy to pick up in the cities, including Doxycycline (about a quid for a box of 100!) but not Malarone.

Sun hat

Warm jumpers/ fleeces for Yamba/ Lushoto

Waterproof jacket/ trousers

Sun cream - you can buy it in Tanga but its probably more expensive

Batteries - cheap ones are easy to get but run out quickly. Duracell are available in the cities but are expensive and sometimes AAA are not available at all.

MP3 player & speakers - not essential obviously but it does make the evenings much more pleasant! I also bought a Solio solar charger. This did not charge up in the sun for some reason but charging it at weekends meant I had extra power for my Ipod and phone while I was in Mili.  There are a couple of generators in Mili now which you may be able to use if you offer a small amount of money.

Mobile phone - There is now good reception in Yamba and limited occasional signal in Mili. Its best to buy a Celtel Sim card (about 3000 shillings/ 1 pound 25p) as phone calls are cheap (20 mins for 10,000 tsh, about 4 pounds) and text messages are about 5p each. Tigo is a bit cheaper for calls but texts are a bit more and reception is not available in the villages.

Pacsafe bags - I bought a small handbag and an 'urban' across teh shoulder bag. The latter was the most useful. Its slashproof and pickpocket proof and can be locked shut or even locked to a bed or something so if you have to you can use it as a safe. It certainly makes me feel safer walking about in cities with my camera, money, passport, phone etc.  You can get it from travelcare.com or travelwithcare.com i think.

Books - always good to bring books to read but there is now quite a good selection in Yamba.

Money - Bring your cashcard/ credit card just in case but the cheapest and safest thing to use is probably travellers cheques in GBP. If you are travelling afterwards its definitely worth brining some dollars as many touristy hotels charge in dollars and so do the overland trips/ safari companies. They are not easy to get in TAnzania so check out how much you will need before you come. You can only get Tanzanian shillings here so bring some pounds/ dollars cash to change at the airport so you can pay for the taxi.  You will hardly spend anything in the villages but at the weekends if you like to use the internet/ phone/buy western food, you could probably spend about 40GBP quite easily.

Food - Western food such as Pringles, Marmite, pasta, soup, hot chocolate, Cadburys chocolate etc is available in the supermarket in Tanga.