Elizabeth Parsons, was medical student at Duke University when she was awarded a scholarship of $1500, to support her participation in an expedition to bring medical care to a Tibetan refugee population in India this past summer.
When traveling in the mountains, hire drivers who live in the mountain region. They know the roads and can drive them more safely than a driver from the city.
Tanyaporn Wansom is a 2002 graduate of Swarthmore College, now studying medicine at the University of Michigan. Tanya received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation so that she could participate in the Global Health Fellows Program (a health policy internship program) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Although Europe is generally safe, if you’re traveling alone on a train, try to sit near other young women traveling alone – they’ll likely be happy that you sat down in their compartment/area rather than somebody else. Talk to a conductor if someone is bothering you.
Stay in well-lit areas while you’re waiting for a train (or other public mode of transportation). If you have a long time to wait for a train, try reading a book at a cafeteria/public restaurant rather than waiting at the platform
You often get asked for your passport if you are traveling in Europe since you’re crossing borders often. Keep copies and important information somewhere safe in case you lose your passport.
When staying in hostels, men often come and sleep in ‘all-women’s’ bunk rooms at night. If you don’t feel comfortable with that, splurge on a more private room, as it may be hard to notify hostel staff late at night.
Register with the US embassy wherever you are if you’re going to be abroad for some time (It’s easy to do on their website). By doing this, you also get emails from the local consulate/embassy about State Dept warnings as well as local events (like 4th of July celebrations) going on around town.
If you don’t have a cell phone, keep calling cards with you at all times. It’s good to have a credit card in case you get into an emergency situation so that you can call who you need to from an international phone.
If you’re going to be abroad for any significant amount of time, get a cell phone. It’s cheap to buy a SIM card and you can pay-as-you-go. Although most cell phones from the US don’t work abroad, most cell phones from abroad work everywhere (I used a cheap phone I had previously from Thailand in Geneva ).
Jaime Moo-Young studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and has a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. Jaime is spending a year in Bangkok, Thailand studying barriers to health care services among the poor. Jaime received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Transportation Safety
Personal Safety
Jodi Sebso completed medical school at the University of Arizona in 2006. Jodi used her $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation to support work in a community clinic in Kenya.
Traveling in Kenya is definitely not for the faint-hearted or those with back problems! Before you go, register with the US Embassy, which you can do quite easily by filling out an online form. Kenya is listed on the State Department’s list of locations with travel warnings, so keep this in mind when planning a trip there. Places in Kenya such as Nairobi and the coast (Mombasa and Lamu), are typically considered slightly higher risk because they are more tourist-oriented. In addition, be sure to get your travel immunizations—typhoid, a polio booster, yellow fever, and meningitis vaccine, the only one that is optional. Overall, if you do your research and use common sense, you will find Kenya to be quite safe.
When flying to Kenya, there are a number of airlines which you can choose from. British Airways, KLM, and Kenya Airways all service Nairobi. You will fly into the Jomo Kenyatta airport. You must have a visa to enter the country, and you can either get this before you depart by sending your passport and other required items to the Kenyan embassy in Washington, D.C., or by waiting in line at the airport once you arrive. All information can be found at www.kenyaembassy.com. I had my visa before I left home, which made customs take only about ten minutes. Be sure to leave plenty of time before your flight when you depart Nairobi, as the security is very tight (3 separate X-ray machines and several bag checks), and takes anywhere from 1-2 hours just to get to your gate. Once in Nairobi, you can either be met at the airport or take a taxi into town. While in town, there are a number of buses and matatus (small Nissan vans) that shuttle people around the city. Do not travel in one of these vehicles at night if you can avoid it. The streets become pretty unsafe at night, and there is a reason that the city’s nickname is “Nairobbery!” Always keep money and other important items in a money belt. There have been incidences lately of buses on the way to the coast being held up by robbers who are savvy to money belts that hang around your neck or wrap around your waist, so the best kind to use would be one that you can attach around your leg.
I spent the majority of my time in western Kenya near Lake Victoria and in southern Kenya near the Maasai Mara reserve. In order to get from Nairobi to Kisumu, the largest city in the west, there are several buses and matatus. I would recommend the Easy Coach bus company. While it is not the fastest way to travel, it is safe. It costs 700 Sh ($10) for a one-way ticket on a fairly comfortable bus that may have air-conditioning, if you are very lucky! The roads are in extremely bad condition, and the majority of your 7-hour trip will be spent bumping around due to huge potholes. But you will spy zebras, baboons, gazelles, and other animals as you drive through the Great Rift Valley.
Once in Kisumu, you can catch a matatu or boda boda (a bicycle taxi) to get around the city. Boda bodas should cost you between 10-20 Sh per ride. Always take a taxi if you are traveling anywhere at night, or to get back to your hotel if you are at dinner or the like. A good safe hotel is the Sooper Guest House. (No, that’s not a misspelling!) If you are traveling to any location along the lake, you will need to take a matatu. These vehicles are supposed to only hold 14 passengers and drive 80 km/hour, but this is rarely what occurs. I found that the best seats were in the very back by the windows. In this manner you get fresh air and are the least crowded when people are getting in and out during your trip. There are also sometimes small buses that travel to larger villages, and these afford more room but a much rougher ride once you hit dirt roads. There were several instances when I was literally flying out of my seat! A matatu ride of up to 2 hours should cost 150-180 Sh, max. Matatu drivers will charge based upon what they think you can pay, so be firm on your price. All matatus leave from the matatu stage in Kisumu, which anyone can easily point out to you. Nearly everyone that you meet is very friendly and wants to help however they can. Your smile will always be the best tool you have to approach situations. Have a great trip!
Kelly Grafing was a medical resident in pediatrics at the University of Minnesota in 2006. Kelly used her $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation to support her participation in an elective program in Kampala, Uganda where she provided inpatient care to children with extreme malnourishment and rare diseases.
Sarah Sawyer is a doctoral student in environmental policy, and management at UC Berkeley. Sarah spent the month of January in Cameroon where she examined human-landscape interactions and their impacts on endangered species and on the sustainability of critical ecosystems, thanks to a $1500 from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Cameroon is a challenging country to visit, but also exciting, beautiful, and very rewarding. It helps to speak both English and French, but you can generally get by with only English. Before leaving for Cameroon, make sure to register with the embassy to get travel updates and advisories. Also, be sure to get travel insurance, which includes evacuation insurance, before traveling. Malaria is prevalent in Cameroon, so begin taking prophylaxis before you start your trip. Be sure to leave a tentative itinerary with contact people at home, but make sure they recognize that travel in Africa is unpredictable and unstructured so your plans will frequently change. Before you leave, throw away all notions of timeliness, stress, and efficiency, and try to relax into a mental state of “whatever happens happens”. Everything takes longer than expected in Cameroon, but if you embrace and enjoy this waiting time, you’ll discover things you would have otherwise missed.
When visiting the Southwest province, it is best to fly into Douala International Airport. Air France is perhaps the best carrier into Douala, although Royal Air Maroc would suffice in a bind. Ethiopian Air is also a great airline, depending on where you’re coming from. Upon arrival into the airport, getting baggage can be a bit chaotic, so I recommend immediately finding one porter or security guard to be your aid. Finding one person to support you in getting your baggage will help ensure that (1) you do not get harassed by other porters asking for more money upon exit, (2) you pass through customs smoothly, and (3) you find a reliable taxi upon exit. Give your porter a nice tip at the end. Customs officers will ask for bribes, but do not give in to them if you know that you have not done anything illegal. As soon as you can, I recommend purchasing a SIM card for your cell phone. They are cheap, and you can fill them as you go. Make sure that your cell phone is a quad-band, and has been “unlocked” for use in other countries before you leave the states, and then put in a Cameroonian SIM card upon arrival. Program emergency contacts, reliable taxi driver phone numbers, and numbers of any other people you come across who are friendly and helpful. You never know when you’ll want to be back in touch with these people. From Douala, you can get to any number of cities by bus. The buses leave from bus stations, and are usually reliably late but trustworthy. I do not recommend the small bush-taxi buses, which often cram too many people, too much cargo, and drive too fast in unsafe conditions. Go for the larger buses, for which you can reserve a seat, and which tend to follow the regulations of the road more closely.
Limbe is a beautiful but quiet city on the coast, which I recommend to anyone visiting the country. Accommodations can be found relatively inexpensively, as long as you go to one of the hotels not directly on the beach. Hotels like the Victoria Guest House, set back off the beach, are clean and well run, and can have rooms for half the price of those on the beach. Average hotel room costs run between about $10 and $40 per night, depending on if you want air conditioning or not. You will rarely find a hotel that has hot water, but you likely won’t want it. The area is very hot, and very humid, but I find that a room with only a fan is manageable. Make sure to bring cool clothes, lots of sun protection, and stay hydrated. Limbe is a relatively safe city, but make sure that if you are traveling after dark you travel in groups and keep the carrying of valuables to a minimum. When you arrive in the country, you can get the police to certify a copy of your passport front page and visa for about 5 dollars, so that you can avoid carrying around your passport. I recommend always carrying a certified copy of your passport, and leaving the original in a safe location. It is always useful to send a local friend or colleague to the police station for you, as foreign faces always inspire artificially high prices. From Limbe, you can visit Mount Cameroon, Buea, and many of the beautiful forested landscapes of Cameroon.
If you plan to travel into the bush, be sure to take appropriate precautions before you leave. First, buy treatment for amoebic dysentery, giardia, muscle pain, fever, and malaria. Medicine is inexpensive in the area, and it’s good to keep a supply of these on hand, to begin treating ailments before you can get back to a hospital. Any local pharmacy will be able to give you good instructions. Try to travel in the dry season (November through April), as bacterial and water-borne diseases tend to be worse in the rainy season (May through October). If you can afford to hire a private vehicle and driver, that is the best option, as you can get the help and expertise of a local driver. If not, go with larger bus companies, and travel with companions. When you reach destinations, try to employ local assistants with a good mastery of English (most people speak Pidgin English, but it can be very challenging to try to communicate with others without help of a good translator), to help introduce you to local people, food, and practices. Palm wine and Kola nuts are always a good way to show people that you have an open heart and are looking to learn and grow from local encounters. Be sure to wear shoes at all times, wash your hands regularly, and boil or treat all water. Diseases are rampant in this area, and it’s much more fun if you can avoid them all-together.
The people in the Southwest province sometimes have a gruff exterior, but keep your mind, eyes, and ears open, and you’ll find that many of them are kind, helpful, and excited to exchange ideas and knowledge with visitors. Notions of truth are not the same in Cameroon, so be careful of being overly trusting, but don’t be afraid to open up and engage with others. Try not to be on the roads after dark, travel with friends instead of alone, and always be aware of your surroundings, but don’t let fear keep you from getting the full experience. Cameroon is relatively safe and welcoming. Always bring some extra money, in case of emergency. Enjoy your time and experiences. Good luck, and safe travels.
Rachel Meeker received both her bachelors and masters degrees from UC Riverside in sociology and religious studies. Rachel worked in India with the Child Leader Project, focusing on higher education for disadvantaged youth. Rachel received a $1500 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
When traveling with a group, the most effective safety practices are those that are habitual. Rather than relying solely on a set of safety rules as reference material, it is important that we also create a culture of safety within our traveling community. By creating cultures of safety, we ensure that all members of the group feel ownership of safety policies and a responsibility to the group to employ those policies for the good of everyone. A culture of safety should also enable member feedback on safety policies and procedures so that concerns can be shared, successes celebrated, and that ultimately the traveling community can improve and strengthen its safety guidelines. In other words, safety needs to be a cultural value in a traveling community and, as such, is an important element in daily activities, planning and decision-making processes.
Creating a Culture of Safety
How do we create a culture of safety within a traveling community, such as an education abroad cohort, a collective of international volunteers, or a group of friends or family traveling together?
One way is to create safe spaces for community dialogue, creation, and reflection. A safe space is when every member is allowed a voice in the discussion and no one is censured or judged for their contributions. Through these safe spaces, we can establish consensus on safe practices so that all community members feel ownership. This also ensures that you have the most comprehensive safety practices, expressing the concerns and wisdom of all group members. This is also an opportunity to discuss why certain practices are useful, why members may be more comfortable or uncomfortable adhering to community guidelines, and so forth. Let all voices be heard, be patient, and consensus will be reached.
Practice Safe Community Every Day
Maintaining a culture of safety is a daily endeavor. In your traveling community, there a many ways to cultivate the value of safety on a day to day basis. How you decide to make safety a daily practice is an important part of building consensus early in your journey, so remember to open the discussion before you board the plane, train, boat or bus!
Consider making the following part of your daily routine prior to and while traveling…
Safe Communities Confronting the Unexpected
What happens when your travel community is confronted with a safety issue that they did not expect?
One of the benefits of creating a culture of safety in your traveling community is that when you confront a safety issue that your community could not predict in your travels, you already have the mechanisms in place within your community to deal with it. Safe space for discussion allows all voices to be heard, all wisdom and insight to be shared. We all know the adage “two heads are better than one” but how much better is it to have the heads and hearts of your whole community directed towards the group good? Daily activities highlighting safety as a value ensures that all members have practice thinking about safety or using a ‘safety lens’ to reflect on their experiences. With these mechanisms in place, your community will be better equipped to handle the unfamiliar or unexpected. Use these mechanisms to allow the group to make decisions about safe practices together and trust your community. Come together in caring and enjoy your journey!
Robin Baudreau is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts/Amherst in journalism and political science. Robin traveled to Ghana in the fall of 2011 where she worked with the program ACT (Alliance for Community Transformation) helping to build an orphanage and teaching in a small school. Robin received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
No matter how prepared you may be before you leave, you’ll never be completely prepared. Let me explain this in simpler terms: be adaptable. Comparing Ghana to the United States is like comparing apples to… avocados. The only similarity is the seed in the middle. The common ground in communicating to people in such a different situation than ours is that we’re all people. If you start with that, you’ll have no problem. Customs are different; traditions may be stronger and more significant. You should learn them, because something of no disrespect to you may be the complete opposite to them.
Know the currency. Know the exchange rate. Know how much things are supposed to cost and how much you’re actually paying. Despite the majority of good people you’ll come across in your travels, there will be the handful of people that will try to cheat you.
Believe in the good in people. Traveling far away from home can be scary, and especially if you’re traveling alone you need to be aware of your surroundings and keep a watchful eye. But don’t be afraid to believe in the general kindness of people either. Ghana was a place of people helping people, and if you join in on that mentality it will get you a lot farther than your skepticism will.
Know the language. In Ghana the regional language where I was was Ewe, and the first day we got there we bought a tiny notebook at the market and began writing down everything we thought would be helpful to know. It’s important to know what you’re saying when traveling around and especially buying things. It’s also nice when you want to talk to the locals, they love teaching you their language and especially love when you speak it with them. It will just generally make things easier for you.
Go without expectations. This goes back to the first point that I made. I thought I was traveling to Ghana to build something with my hands, but instead I ended up teaching various subjects in a very small, very rural school. I really didn’t want to teach at all, but the joy the children get from having someone new and exciting teach them every day was well worth the inconvenience to me. Plus, either way I was making a difference in some sense.
Always keep a form of identification on you, but don’t necessarily make it your passport. I kept my license and my travel abroad medical insurance card on me ( another thing you should consider getting.) I made sure I always had cash in their currency, as well as an emergency debit card on hand. I kept my passport in a safe place with the rest of my belongings as well as my credit cards and regular debit cards. Make copies of your passport and keep the copies in a separate place than your actual passport. You also want to notify your bank that you’ll be out of the country to avoid them shutting off your bank account. It also may seem silly, but check what type of banks or ATMs are available where you’re going. I couldn’t use my Mastercard in many places in Ghana, and you want to make sure you always have your funds readily available.
Get used to being different. In Ewe, a white person is called a “yevu” (spelling questionable,) and it was yelled at me everywhere I went. I was touched, and poked, and prodded because my skin was white. It was an extremely interesting perspective to be a minority, and I think it’s something that everyone should go through. Don’t be afraid to explore that. It was probably one of my favorite parts of my experience in Ghana.
Don’t do anything that makes you feel like you’re in danger. There’s a distinction between putting yourself in an uncomfortable yet rewarding situation, and feeling like you shouldn’t be in a certain situation. Go with your gut, if something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably because it isn’t and don’t do it.
Learn your options for transportation. Road travel wasn’t necessarily the safest in Ghana, but there was really no other option for us. You just have to be careful and take precautions everywhere you go. If you don’t feel safe, say something, and get yourself out of wherever you are. Nothing is worth getting hurt.
Learn to live without your worldly possessions. For six weeks I had no cell phone, no computer, no running water, and sporadic electricity. I was chewed up by mosquitoes, dirty, and I loved it. You learn to live without these things, don’t let the lack of material things discourage you.
See everything you can see. Meet everyone you can meet. Taste, smell, and breathe everything in that you can. You’re going to miss home. You’re going to miss the convenience of American life, but you’re also going to miss your travels when they’re done so you have to soak up every opportunity that you can.
Mary Jo Pham grew up in Springfield, MA, and has completed her sophomore year at Tufts University. Mary Jo worked in the Public Affairs Office at the US Embassy in Phom Penh, Cambodia during the summer, concentrating on press, cultural, educational programs. Mary Jo received a $1000 scholarship from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
Any trip to Southeast Asia will be an unforgettable experience. The journey is one that will open a door to new cultures, languages, people, and adventures. Life in the major cities such as Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and Ho Chi Minh City differ from rural and pastoral living. The rules and tips to how to be safe throughout your trip, however, do not.
Emma Coates-Finke is a graduate of Northampton High School and a student at Vassar College. Emma worked in Ecuador teaching English and running a culture and arts-based summer camp in a small indigenous agricultural community. Emma received $1000 from Sara’s Wish Foundation.
1) If possible, travel with a buddy or a group. This gives you company and makes you less vulnerable, and two or three heads are always better than one when it comes to making decisions about when to take a risk and when to stay on the safe side.
2) Travel with as few valuables as possible. I always travel with a cheap point and shoot camera, as little cash as I think I need, and a copy of my passport rather than the real thing.
3) If you´re traveling with a large suitcase, you can send it in the luggage compartment under the bus, but keep any valuables with you in your seat. Keep an eye out the window when the bus stops to make sure no one´s getting away with your suitcase.
4) Travel during the day if possible. If you have to travel at night, make sure you know where you´re going when you arrive, and try to group together with other passengers to get there.
5) Look up some numbers of taxi companies if you will be spending time in Quito. Not all taxis that run the streets are legitimate, and calling a company to order a cab is a way to ensure a safe one. They usually only take 5-10 minutes to arrive.
6) Trust your local friends and acquaintances and ask their advice about travel safety. Hostal and restaurant owners, host families, guards at the bus terminals, travel company offices, etc. are all good sources for information on the go. If you aren´t sure, ask! Don´t let your concerns about travel safety inhibit you from experiencing the country.