A Kenyan Packing List

Inspired by my friend (and fellow 2009 WU grad), Lauren, who is serving as a PCV in Nicaragua, I am putting up the packing list that I wish I had had when I was leaving for Kenya. This will probably be very boring for non-PCVs, sorry about that!

First of all, I want to let all future PC/Kenya vols know that there is this little store called Nakumatt here, and it is more or less a Kenyan version of Wal-Mart. There is next to nothing that you cannot get at a Nakumatt and there are many all over Kenya, so don’t stress about bringing things that you can buy here (probably for cheaper, and then you don’t have to carry it). Also, keep in mind this list is coming from a female PCV…

Clothes: There are lots of excellent used clothes markets where you can get cheap clothes; you can also have tailors make skirts for you from local fabric. But during training your opportunities to go shop for clothes will be limited, so make sure you pack enough to last you a few months at least.

A few pairs of khakis and jeans (for weekends, travel, going out when in the big cities)
Skirts (for work, as a teacher I wear a skirt every day, and they should be past the knees)
Shirts (maybe a button down or two for work, plain semi-fitted t shirts work well for most occasions and also comfy t-shirts to work out in/garden/weekend wear etc.)
A slip (there kind of a big deal here, but they are easy to find in country)
Undergarments (I suggest a 2 year supply, the selection here is not the greatest, and I highly recommend ex-officio and I think PCVs get a discount, check on peacecorpswiki)
A nice out fit for swearing in
A scarf or shawl (dresses up outfits, also easily found in country)
A few outfits for going out (I wish someone had told me that I would be enjoying the night life every once and a while so I could have packed accordingly)
Workout clothes (baggy basketball shorts have worked well for me, nothing too tight)
Pajamas (You will probably be spending time with your host family in the evening and maybe in the morning in your pajamas, or at site you will be walking from your house to your bathroom in your pjs so think about that when choosing)
A light jacket (it does get cold)
A thin rain jacket (rainy season…)
Sweats/sweatshirt (if you have room left in your luggage)

Shoes:
1-2 pairs of tevas/chacos sandals
1-2 pairs of dressy shoes/sandals
1 pair athletic shoes

I packed a pair of hiking boots and I haven’t used them once, I just wear my tevas or the nikes I brought, so I don’t recommend bringing any unless you’re big into hiking. Bata is a shoe store found all over Kenya and they have great shoes for cheap (including shower shoes that you will need).

Toiletries:

PC medical will give you a med kit that includes all the OTC drugs you could ever want (pain reliever, allergy meds, tummy meds, cough and cold meds, and vitamins) plus lots of other fun stuff (sunscreen, bug spray, tweezers, condoms, hand sanitizer, floss, a thermometer, and band aids). They will also give you a mosquito net, and lots and lots of shots when you get here. They refill all of the stuff in the kit so don’t waste space brining it with you! PC medical here is Kenya is AMAZING and they take really great care of us, so don’t worry! You do need to bring a 3 month supply of any prescriptions to last you through training, and don’t forget glasses or contacts if you wear them.

Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, almost any kind of hair products, toothpaste, tooth brushes and deodorant can all be found at almost any market and any supermarket, so my suggestion is to only bring as much as you will need for maybe two months while you are in training and then you can stock when you get to site, liquids are heavy to pack (damn weight restrictions on luggage) so if your luggage is overweight just toss these out, you can buy them here!

Tampons (these are expensive in country and the only brand here is ob. I would suggest bringing as many as you can stuff in your luggage)

Electronics, etc.:
Computer (I would say 90% of PCVs here brought one and they are happy they did, they are great to watch movies on, type up proposals and grants, store pictures, and you can get a modem here that lets you get on the internet from almost anywhere)
External hard drive/flash drive
iPod and speakers
camera/memory cards
Kindle -some PCVs have them and they love them, I’m thinking of having my parents bring one over for me when they visit

HEADLAMP, HEADLAMP, HEADLAMP (oh and did I mention extra batteries and bulbs?) –seriously the thing that I use absolutely everyday and would hate to be without!
LED lantern (my house doesn’t have electricity and I ended up asking my parents to send me one, its fairly useless if you have electricity at your site but the power goes out pretty often and its nice to have)
Rechargeable batteries (if your house doesn’t have electricity you can find places in your village where they will charge them for you)
Radio (I hardly ever use mine, and you can buy one in country if you really want one)
Solar charger (again, I hardly ever use mine since there are places to charge things in town and your school or organization might have a generator, solar panels or electricity)
Unlocked phone (I didn’t do this, but some people did, check out Paul Blair’s Kenyan Phone tips blog for more info, lots of phones for sale here and most are very nice so that’s another option)

Miscellaneous:
A pillow/sleeping bag/sheets (you can pack these in those vacuum pack bags to save room)
A multi tool
Bike helmet
Alarm clock
Sewing kit
Water bottle
Solar shower (some PCVs use theirs every day, I hardly ever use mine, but it was light to pack so you might as well)
Camping towel (just bring one, you can buy more easily at nakumatt)
Games (cards are good)
Books (a lot of trading goes on, so just bring one or two)
Journal
Daily planner
Travelers Cheques (your atm card from home and a credit card are good to have to)
Pictures of home (and extra senior photos you have laying around that you can give to host family and friends, they often ask to keep pictures of you)
Gifts for your host family and friends (calendars are great and easy to pack, toys for kids, etc.)
Sporting equipment (I brought a few Frisbees which have been great to have and I recently bought a jump rope so I can do something active in my house)
Powdered drink mix (I especially recommend bringing Gatorade mix because it tastes way better than ORS and you can’t find it here)
Spices are easy to find in any supermarket so don’t worry about packing any
A world map (so you can show people just how far away from home you are, and it’s a great thing to put up in your house to decorate)

The packing list we got included the following: knives, peeler, grater, duct tape, pens, pencils, notebooks, plastic storage bags and containers, umbrella, work gloves and potholders, I would not pack any of these. They are all easily available in country and you won’t need them at all during training while you live with a host family so I think it’s better to wait and buy them after you move to your site.

Luggage:
My luggage consisted of a rolling duffel bag, a backpacking backpack (both as checked luggage) and a small backpack as a carryon.

Hmmmm, I think that might be it. I’m sure I left something out but hopefully someone out there will find this helpful, and if you are packing for PC (in any country) RELAX!!! Anything you really need you can find in country (what do you think the people who live there do…) or you can always have it sent from home!

Also, some general advice: set up power of attorney before you go, or at least put someone on your bank accounts and fill out the IRS form to give someone power to do your taxes. I have had a few snags with my bank account since being here and it is so much easier to have someone in the states (THANK YOU MOM) who can deal with it rather than trying to call internationally (and being put on hold).

If you're reading this as a invitee to PC, CONGRATS!!!

Cheers