What should I take to Africa?

What kind of clothes to take to Africa?

• Hey! So, I'm a 16 year old girl, and I'm going on a mission trip to Africa next summer. I was wondering what kind of clothing as well as other necessities I need to take with me, because chances are, I don't have them, and I want to start buying things now. I'm thinking, since it'll be summer, and hot, that athletic shorts and tshirts will be my best friend. BUT, I don't know what to take since there is snakes and such there. Also, I know i'll need a couple filtered water bottles, but what else?? If you've been on mission trips before, could you help me out, and write me a list?

• Answer:

  Africa is a fairly laid back place and so you need clothes that are comfortable, and robust. Depending on were your travelling to, you need to consider local customs, for example it is usually inappropriate to wear skimpy clothing and will draw attention to you if you do. Shorts, tee shirts and a fleece for the cooler evenings, a pair of trousers (light weight and strong), good shoes ( trainer boots)and robust sandals. good soles on the shoes are a must as african thorns can go through light shoe soles easily. Walking socks are good if going into bush as they protect your legs a bit from scratches. A light weight jacket (waterproof) is useful, for when it rains it really rains, and the rains come to Africa in their summer months. You can usually buy chitengi (a brightly coloured cloth) locally and fairly cheaply, this is useful and acts as a skirt (sarong) and wrap, can be used to carry things and is the staple dress for most African women, you'll be surprised how many things it can do, again this material is light, strong and easy to get. Sun hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, basic medical kit for cuts and bruises,a few general antibiotics are useful. Needle and cotton for repairs, a roll of duct tape is useful also for repairs. You don't need to be a travelling hospital. You don't need a lot of clothes,as they can be easily washed and dry very quickly in the sun, but they should be well made as Africa is a harsh environment and anything that can get torn, will. Africa generally doesn't do dressing up, casual clothing is fine for almost any occasion, saying that the clothes should be at least clean, doesn't matter if they are tatty to work in but not dirty and tatty. Avoid blue and black if your going to a tzetse fly area, as these colours attract the insects, there is no effective repellent for them. A good mosquito repellent is useful. A silk sleeping bag liner is very useful and easy to pack, it is warm and acts as your own sheets. A travel towel, what ever toiletries you want, make up isn't that important other than making you feel better. Filtering water becomes a chore, and if your here any time you will find you run out of the chemicals, boiling is easier. Don't worry about snake bites, you are not able to carry anti venom (the mission may have access to it anyway), you will probably not recognise the snake anyway and to be honest if you are bitten when somewhere remote it's in the lap of the gods. However saying that snake bite is not as common as made out and as long as you take sensible precautions you should avoid them and them you. Think snake when moving things is the best advise, if in doubt use a stick to turn things over rather than your hands first. A good torch is useful, get one that takes AA batteries rather than AAA as these are easier to get locally. If your taking a mobile, make sure its unlocked from your network, this way you can buy a local SIM card and avoid the roaming fees, network coverage is variable but you can use it as a emergency aid if nothing else, your be surprised how many villagers have mobiles these days. You should be able to get everything in one bag (rucksack), don't forget you will be carrying your stuff so you don't want bags and bags. If your staying with others who have been there a while, take some magazines, books (think weight so a few not lots), reading material is always welcome and people swap books etc. Have a fantastic time, you will enjoy Africa and good for you for coming here. Leave your expectations at home, Africa will soon show you the reality, the people are generally very friendly, you will find things that shock you and things that delight you, all part of the experience and one that will probably change you forever, in a good way. I'm in northern Zambia and have been for 3 years, I still find things that shock and delight. A word of advise, when in a crisis, stay calm, the African way is "make a plan" this covers everything and you'll be surprised what you can come up with when you have to. People here usually work together to resolve issues, whatever they are there is usually a solution to be found, and find them is very rewarding indeed. Take the opportunity to learn from the locals, be open to their ways, as much as you wish to show them yours, it is after all their country and they have been doing things certain ways and for good reason for a long time. Take witchcraft, there are 2 types, the cursing type (mostly fraudulent but they really do believe in it, from the villager to the head of government), but the other type is medicinal, there are many cures for common illnesses to be found in the local plants that actually work, and they have been used for a long time to good effect, you may find that hospitals refer patients to witchdoctors, this is quite common too. Finally don't forget your camera.