Packing for Peace Corps Benin and More About Kate

The new cycle of Peace Corps Benin volunteers have gotten their letters of invitation for Benin.  They have less than ten days to accept or decline, and I know they’ll be scouring the internet soon for packing advice.  So, before I forget, here’s my own commentary on Peace Corps Wiki’s (www.peacecorpswiki.org) “official” packing list for the country of Benin. 

GOOD THINGS TO BRING TO BENIN:

1. good knives (You can’t find them here, and you can’t have them shipped.)
2. a good, largish backpack for trips of up to a week (You’ll probably do a LOT of short trips in-country.)
3. tampons (They are very, very expensive here.)
4. two or three towels (You’ll never be lodged anywhere that provides towels.)
5. a pair of very sturdy sandals, such as Chacos (You absolutely need these.  Don’t forget to get the 50% discount offered to Peace Corps volunteers.)
6. measuring cups and spoons (You just can’t find American measuring cups and spoons here. Period.)
7. hooks that you can stick to the wall to hang pictures, etc. (As opposed to knocking holes in your cement walls.)
8. spices and seasonings (Only bring these if you like cooking and can see yourself doing that here.)
9. voltage converter (If you’re going to need one, bring it from the U.S.  Unlike plug converters, which are cheap and available everywhere, these are expensive in Benin.)
10. an eReader (If you like to read and can afford it, these are very handy.  Having one means that you won’t have to cart heavy sackfuls of books back and forth between the volunteer workstations and your village.  And the other volunteers will be very jealous.)
11. a Netbook (I definitely recommend bringing a laptop with wireless capability to Benin.  Netbooks are small, very portable, and relatively inexpensive.  The odds are, you’ll be typing up a lot of documents for work and grant applications; having a laptop/Netbook will make you a more effective volunteer.)
12. unlocked cell phone (If you have a cell phone already and can unlock it and bring it with you, you should do it.  Why bother spending all your pocket money on a new cell phone here when you already have one in the U.S.? Also, if you already have an unlocked cell phone with GSM, you might be able to hook it up to your handy Netbook or laptop and get internet from your post.  [It all depends on where Peace Corps puts you in Benin, so don't get too excited.])
13. whatever you need to relax (If you’re a knitter, bring your knitting supplies.  If you’re a musician, bring your instrument.  You’ll have a lot of downtime, and you’ll be stressed out a lot, so bring whatever you need to relieve the stress and pass the time.)

DON’T BRING THIS TO BENIN! (YOU’LL REGRET IT IF YOU DO):

1. any French textbooks or dictionaries (Peace Corps will give them to you.)
2. any travel guides to Benin or West Africa (We have a million copies of those in the libraries here since every single Peace Corps volunteer brings them.)
3. beyond a two or three-months’ supply of shampoo, body lotion, etc. (You CAN find them in Benin.  They’re just a bit expensive.)
4. cooking supplies if you’re not into cooking (If you didn’t cook for yourself regularly in the U.S., the odds are good you won’t cook much here.  There’s plenty of street food, so leave that garlic press at home.)
5. books to read for pleasure (Trust this bookworm: there are PLENTY of good books here in the Peace Corps libraries to occupy you for two years.  I’ve found copies of everything from Naguib Mahfouz’s Cairo Trilogy to Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast and Alan Moore’s Watchmen.)

You really, honestly can bring everything you need in a hiking backpack (as your checked luggage) and a regular backpack (as your carry-on).  If you find yourself going past that quantity, you have too much stuff.

If you have any specific questions about packing or about Benin in general, please feel free to ask me.  I may not be able to get back to you for a few weeks, but I’ll always answer.

More about Kate:

Kate’s village’s response to her death has been very touching.  The entire community of Badjoudé was horrified and outraged that a foreign volunteer – THEIR  volunteer – had been killed.  For days after Kate’s death, her friends in the village would come to her house in the early morning and sit together on the ground there, in silent protest, for hours.  The next day, they’d come again.  They’re renaming the school where Kate taught in her honor.  I’ve never even heard of such a thing.  Around Wednesday of last week, there was a march of protest in Badjoudé down the town’s main road to protest Kate’s death and to burn off some of the anger the villagers feel towards whoever committed the crime.  The guilty party can count himself lucky if he gets to face a trial.