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What to send
your
favorite volunteer?
Most PCVs live for mail
(see mailing address below). It
doesn’t necessarily arrive quickly, but mail is always appreciated. Keep in mind
that it’s very expensive to mail things, so even though your PCV might love to
receive good American batteries (for example), it may be cost-prohibitive to
send them. And ONLY send things Air Mail, which might arrive in anywhere from 8
days (the record for packages I received) to two or three weeks or a month or
two. If you send it otherwise (the word ‘ground’ surely cannot describe a
route from the US to Africa), it can take a year or two. A couple of
our favorites were a 1998 calendar received after 1998 was over and the candy
bar that took 18 months and traveled by way of Central America, arriving in
highly questionable condition (but consumed anyway).
Below are some ideas
for things that might be welcome, although each volunteer is unique. Some of
these are easy to tuck into a letter (like a sauce packet or a couple of pre-packaged
anti-bacterial wet-wipes). Current
or returned volunteers: Send me your suggestions and favorite goodies to get from home!
Welcome things from home,
depending on each person’s preferences (when in doubt, ask):
 |
Letters |
|
Photos |
|
Newspapers
or newspaper articles |
|
Magazines |
|
Movie
reviews |
|
Cartoons
(for me it was also the JUMBLE from the newspaper) |
|
Paperback
books (less common ones, since best sellers are readily available from other
volunteers) |
|
Music
(cassettes or CDs, depending on what music apparatus your PCV has) |
|
American
candy or snacks (Candy bars MIGHT survive, but loose chocolate will almost
certainly arrive in a clump; that doesn’t mean it won’t be appreciated) |
|
Home-made
cookies wrapped really well in zip-lock bags |
| Recipes
that can be made with things found in Burkina, such as onions, tomatoes, eggplant,
cucumbers, bell peppers, tomato paste, spaghetti, rice, mangos, papayas,
lemons and occasionally potatoes and carrots (but remember that many of
these items are available only in larger towns) |
| Small
luxuries, like scented candles |
|
Any
skin care products (the Burkina wind, sun and heat are ruthless, especially
to sandal-clad feet) |
|
Anti-bacterial
handwash or individually wrapped wet-wipes (be sure to protect liquids in
many layers of plastic) |
| Pattern
books, clothing catalogs or pages from big pattern books they sometimes sell
in fabric shops when they are replaced by newer editions (clothing styles
that could be copied by tailors) |
|
Zip-lock
bags |
|
Plastic
food storage containers |
| Sauce
packets or ready-to-cook food, especially those things that only require
water and can be cooked on a stovetop |
| Taco
seasoning, which works great for popcorn (available in Burkina Faso) or
rice. |
|
Parmesan
cheese (in a zip-lock bag) |
|
Special
cooking spices or condiments (always in a zip-lock bag) |
|
Depending
on local preferences, small can of green chilies, maple syrup or other local
specialties |
|
Teaching
materials if your volunteer is a teacher (see the comments on the "What
to Pack" page) |
Things
you might choose NOT to send (some of these have been received over the years):
|
Powdered
milk, sugar, popcorn (there is plenty in Burkina) |
|
Bubble
bath or bath oil (no bathtubs!) |
|
Home-made
rum cake (it seemed to have fermented in transit) |
|
Cheese
(unfortunately, it will never make it, except parmesan cheese, which is a
great idea) |
|
Sunscreen,
insect repellent, mosquito net, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, first aid supplies
(these are all provided by Peace Corps, unless there is a special brand that
someone likes; decent skin lotion was also provided during part of my
service, but it seems to be among the first items to go in a budget cut) |
|
Jell-o
(unless your PCV has a frig, in which case, Jell-o is a great idea) |
| Recipes
that call for special items only available in the US (unless you also send
along the items) |
|
Anything
that will need to be brought back home |
Mailing
address:
If
you don't have your volunteer's preferred mailing address, you can always
send something to the Peace Corps office in Ouagadougou. It may take a
little longer to get to your volunteer, but it will get there eventually,
and it will always be welcome. The office address is:
(Your
PCV)
Corps de la Paix
BP 6031
Ouagadougou 01
Burkina Faso, West Africa
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