Volunteer Handbook Food Water VISA Transport Safety Internet Telephone Money Accommodations ITINERARY Contacts Welcome You are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime! Please take a few moments to read through this document. It could dramatically change your experience in rural Africa, deepen your work, and help keep you safe. More questions? Please direct them to Tiba’s Operations Manager: [email protected]. Tiba Foundation • [email protected] • ww.tibafoundation.org • 415.488.5461 At a Glance Travel Visa You will need to go online to http://evisa.go.ke/evisa.html and apply for a single entry Visa before you leave for your trip. You will print the eVisa form and bring it with you to present to the immigration officer at the port of entry. You will need to provide an itinerary and info on your hotel bookings, which you can obtain from Matibabu staff. All the steps for applying for the eVisa are clearly spelled out on the Kenyan Embassy’s website, but please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Reason for Entry: Doctors and non-medical volunteers – please list “Tourist” as reason for entry Nurses – please select “Other” and type “Volunteer Nursing” as reason for entry. Please note that a tourist visa will not be accepted for Kenyan nursing licensure. Addresses: Matibabu Foundation Hospital Odiado Ukwala Rd., Kenya Tel: +254 728 068496 Camunya Hotel P.O Box 446 - 40606 Ugunja Tel: +254 710 387594 [email protected] Please contact Tiba and/or Matibabu Foundation if you need additional addresses. You will also need to make sure that your passport is valid for 6 months after your return from Kenya, and that you have at least one blank page in your passport. Smart Traveler Enrollment Program: We also highly recommend that our volunteers sign up for the US Embassy's “Smart Traveler Enrollment Program” (https://step.state.gov/step/). This will allow you to receive important information regarding safety conditions, as well as help the US Embassy, family and/or friends contact you in an emergency. It’s not a requirement but will add an additional layer of security for you. Health Visit a travel clinic at least one month in advance of your trip to get your immunizations updated. Use a malaria prophylaxis. Wear repellent. Sleep under a bed net. The hotels where we put our volunteers always have mosquito nets provided, but should you want to bring your own, it should fit a double bed. 1 Money ATMs: Withdraw money from ATM machines in all major cities in Kenya. Cash: There is an exchange bureau at the Nairobi airport, or you can use any number of a “Forex” exchange bureaus in town. Bring new $100 bills. Bills printed before 2000 will be refused or penalized in the exchange rate. Mobile Phones Matibabu will provide you with a local phone and sim card; you will need to buy airtime/minutes for use. The Matibabu liaison office will help you with this. NOTE: These phones will only allow you to make phone calls. There is no text capability on these phones. Internet Most hotels offer Internet service. You will need to buy a USB (plug in) modem when you get to town. The Matibabu liaison office will help you with this. Food & Water Don’t ever eat anything that has not been cooked, boiled, or peeled. Drink bottled water with an intact seal. Transport In Nairobi and/or Kisumu, you will be met by Matibabu staff. See the itinerary provided prior to your travel for other details regarding drivers and transport. For domestic in-country flights, please be advised that a fee will be charged by the airline for extra bags. Your itinerary You will receive an itinerary from Matibabu staff at least two weeks prior to travel. You may communicate directly with Matibabu about logistics on the ground. Critical Contacts at Matibabu Foundation in Kenya Dan Ogola, Executive Director +254 728 069 526 Dr. Fred Okango, Deputy Executive Director +254 791 389 064 Dr. Morgan Ndaga, Medical Director +254 721 476 864 Tony Okola, Finance Director +254 780 508 067 Winifred Nthambi (aka Esther), HR & Admin Manager +254 724 914 098 James Abuti, College Principal +254 701 443 231 Aaga Mitoko, Projects Manager +254 727 996 297 Julius Otieno, Finance Manager +254 721 819 587 Judy Sang, Nursing office in charge (Matron) +254 724 351 089 Berryl Dolla, HR & Admin Officer +254 721 801 860 2 Section 1 - Kenya A productive, healthy and deeply satisfying volunteer experience can depend upon a really basic understanding of a few simple things. The Luo people… Approved Tiba volunteers will be working in Luoland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luo_people_of_ Kenya_and_Tanzania People here tend to be gregarious, industrious, and recently, increasingly hopeful. They’re also really friendly— especially if you smile easily, and learn just a few words of the Dholuo language. The land… …geography, and weather. You will be working near Lake Victoria in Nyanza Province—not too far from the border with Uganda. This is the Great Lakes region of East Africa. The other area designations can be a little confusing. The main thing to know is that Matibabu serves Siaya County. Surgeries take place in Siaya District Hospital. The outpatient clinics are in the towns of Ukwala and Nzoia, in Ugenya District—again, part of Siaya County. You’re on the equator, so it’s warm and humid year round. There are two rainy seasons, during which sudden showers occur mainly in the afternoon and at night. Most of the roads are unpaved, so you’re either on mud, or dust. The land is low, rolling, and green. It was once heavily forested. This is a contrast to the high savannahs most people envision when they think of Kenya. It’s extremely rural. Every ten to twenty miles is a market town, generally along the two tarmac roads in the county. In between are homesteads, spread across the land. Very little land is unexploited. 3 Food is… …basic. The staple is ugali, a white cornmeal paste. It’s generally accompanied by greens, cabbage, or potatoes. People with money add chicken, beef, or fish. Many of your hosts grew up with restricted diets and still get by on what we might consider very little food. They often skip lunch, for instance. Don’t forget to eat. We aren’t used to the restricted calories! Because things can get very busy, we recommend that you bring nutrition bars from home and carry a few with you at all times. Clean, bottled water is available everywhere, at any little shop. You’ll find that your hosts are extremely attentive, but in the end, we’re responsible for our own well-being, so maintain awareness of your supplies. Food at the hotels we recommend is healthy and nourishing. Good…is up to your taste. You should also know that not everything on the menu is always available. Your Health Inoculations: Get medical advice and update your inoculations at least one month in advance. Food and water: The simple rule is: if it’s not boiled, cooked, bottled, canned, jarred, or peeled, don’t put it in your mouth. That means: • No raw vegetables or fruits unless they are peeled. • No tap water and no ice. Accommodations in Rural Kenya Surgical teams will stay in a very nice, small hotel in Namasagali, outside Siaya town, and commute over dirt roads to Siaya District Hospital. If you’re working at the outpatient clinic in Ukwala town, you’ll probably stay at the Camunya Hotel, about 10 km away in the market town of Ugunja. The Camunya Hotel is modest and clean and the people are nice. Camunya Hotel, Ukwala, Kenya 4 Accommodations in Nairobi and Kisumu Nairobi is full of hotels of every description at about half the price of an equivalent hotel in the U.S. Kisumu has several decent hotels in the vicinity. Matibabu Foundation will help you choose. Security in the Rural Your person: With regard to personal crime, Siaya is actuarially safe for visitors. None of our volunteers has ever had a problem. Nonetheless, always bear in mind that you are in a place where most people have almost nothing of material value, and very little cash. Foreigners who have the capacity to travel to Africa are, by definition, immensely wealthy. Your valuables: A wise person once told us that if you provide a temptation among very poor people, any theft you suffer is your own fault. A bit harsh, but there’s a point. • Do not ever leave laptops or other valuables in your rural hotel room. • You are safe carrying your laptop with you. • You may also feel completely safe leaving valuables with your Matibabu colleagues. They would never let anything happen to you or your things. Security in the Cities Your person: Nairobi is a high crime city. Kisumu is a bit tough after dark. Don’t live in fear, but do not take unnecessary risks. Go out with other people. Do not go out at night. You’ll meet lots of friendly people, but do be aware of the hustle—if someone asks you to help push a car or do anything that seems a bit out of the ordinary, politely decline and walk away. As of September 2016, we no longer allow volunteers to spend any time in Central Nairobi or Central Kisumu. Your valuables: Your valuables are valuable to you, but could be life changing to a poor person. Behave accordingly. Don’t carry bulky camera gear around the cities.