Care Packages

I've been getting a lot of letters and emails from folks asking me what I need in here in Lesotho if they send me a care package. I have received a few care packages already and they have been amazing. It's really expensive to ship and Idon't really "need" anything - except letters & photos :). But if your sending a package anyway here is a few things that are "favorites" that I can't find here in Lesotho.

* Drinks - Double SpicedChai Tea, cocoa, crystal light, propel/gatorade etc...
* Sour Jelly Belly's, Jolly Ranchers...
* Cliff Bars, Luna Bars, Granola Bars etc... "On the go" types of "meals"
* Meat - I can get cans of tuna here, but those individual packages of salmon, chicken breasts, are great.
* Reading materials - newspaper articles, magazines, books
* Seeds - cold, drought resistant seeds
* Maps/Posters - those National Geographic ones mail nicely - I'll use them in my classrooms. Maps of the world, posters on reproductive health, nature, diversity, etc...
* Seasonings; taco, cheese, pesto..... anything that can flavor rice, pasta, cabbage and cornmeal :)
* Anything that makes me laugh......

Some Notes on Shipping things...
It's really expensive! The cheapest way to ship is padded envelopes and flat rate boxes. There is a international flat rate box, I think it's around $40 to ship and there is no weight limit. Please claim things as missionary supplies, religious materials, used clothing, educational materials etc. A few "God Bless You's" and religious phrases on the boxes really help also. Packages arrive here (and S.Africa) and can be searched and sometimes things dissapear. There is a lot of missionary influence here and other volunteers have found boxes that are labeled religious are not even opened and searched.



A lot of people have asked about sending things for the villagers. I have to be really careful and I can't give out things in my community. I get asked for things all the time - because of missionaries and other NGO's that stop by the schools and hand out toys, clothes, candy, blankets, books etc - then leave. Some villagers re-sell the donations, other use actually put them to use - but regardless I don't think it helps them much in the way that I want to help them.

If I handed things out it would be really difficult for me to live there for the next 2 years and I'm not sure it would help much. I want people to see me as a source of knowledge and resources, not a source of gifts etc. Things that I could use to help the villagers are seeds (that I could plant in my school gardens) (drought & cold resistant) and posters/maps. I could use them as teaching materials for my schools. If you know anyone that has National geographic maps they want to get rid of (the ones that fold up and can be mailed easily) those would be great. The walls are bare mud or concrete. I draw posters on paper I brought but my artistic skills are not that great. Also, if you know of anyone that had posters on reproductive health, photos & posters of diversity in America (everyone thinks all americans are white and rich), and posters of conservation/nature/gardening that would be amazing. I teach in English - because that's the medium but props would help them understand my heavily accented english...

If I start a project that needs financial assistance I'll let everyone know via email. Technically I have to go through the Peace corps and they have a website where you can donate to projects that pcv's post. I probally won't because I don't think it's a sustainable impact here to give people any money or to start a huge project and then leave. I've seen a lot of botched programs and projects where lots of donated money was spent and as soon as the NGO or volunteer left the program also fell through... I have only been here 6 months though and my attitude and knowledge about things could change.