Shipping Tips:
~~ Put liquids securely inside zip-lock bags, things are prone to leaking, breaking and/or exploding.
~~ It's smart to line the inside of the box with a shopping bag or something similar, boxes tend to get rips or tears or break open a little (apparently it's a rough journey sometimes) so the plastic provides another layer of protection. This is especially true during rainy season, cardboard doesn't hold up very well when it gets wet!
~~ Contents travel best when they have very little room for jostling around, so pack boxes tightly, or downsize to a smaller box so things are super cozy inside!
While I would absolutely love to receive some surprises in the mail, I suspect shipping costs are quite high - it is 8,000+ miles away after all! If you feel moved to send me something - many, many thanks! - but please find a buddy or two to share the cost with.
From the "PC Ethiopia Welcome Book":
"Volunteers have been pleasantly surprised by the efficiency of the Ethiopian postal service, but delayed and lost mail does occur. Advise your family and friends to number their letters and to include “Airmail” and “Par Avion” on their envelopes. Packages normally take three to four weeks to reach Ethiopia via airmail. Flat-rate boxes (available through the United States postal system) are a good deal, allowing the sender to send several things without having to worry about the weight."
Suggestions from other volunteers:
Save the tracking number - if shipments are extra slow or seem lost, this number is necessary to figure out what's going on. Having this number might help things 'magically reappear'.
Apparently it's best to be vague when declaring the contents of packages - write 'no value', 'educational materials', 'used items', etc., to increase the likelihood that everything inside makes it to it's intended destination.
Writing biblical quotes or religious sentiments or putting religious symbols on the outside of the package is also said to help - if it helps the process for whatever reason, I say go for it! (For those of you who seem to think I'm like Mother Teresa out here, this is fitting, haha!)
"Volunteers have been pleasantly surprised by the efficiency of the Ethiopian postal service, but delayed and lost mail does occur. Advise your family and friends to number their letters and to include “Airmail” and “Par Avion” on their envelopes. Packages normally take three to four weeks to reach Ethiopia via airmail. Flat-rate boxes (available through the United States postal system) are a good deal, allowing the sender to send several things without having to worry about the weight."
Suggestions from other volunteers:
Save the tracking number - if shipments are extra slow or seem lost, this number is necessary to figure out what's going on. Having this number might help things 'magically reappear'.
Apparently it's best to be vague when declaring the contents of packages - write 'no value', 'educational materials', 'used items', etc., to increase the likelihood that everything inside makes it to it's intended destination.
Writing biblical quotes or religious sentiments or putting religious symbols on the outside of the package is also said to help - if it helps the process for whatever reason, I say go for it! (For those of you who seem to think I'm like Mother Teresa out here, this is fitting, haha!)
Hi Angela. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Michelle, and my husband and I were among the PC Blog It Home contest winners a couple years ago. I’d like to invite you to an online project I’m working on called Blogging Abroad, with the aim of helping bloggers to promote cross-cultural understanding. First, if you haven’t already submitted your blog to be featured on the site, you can do that here: http://bloggingabroad.org/blogs-around-the-world. I’d be honored if you would also check out the tools and resources I’ve been creating for bloggers like you (there's a monthly photo challenge and 10-week blog challenge). Those can be found here: http://bloggingabroad.org/tools.
Take care and happy blogging!
Michelle C.
Hi again, Angela! Just wanted to make sure you had heard about BloggingAbroad.org's New Years Blog Challenge. It's a great Third Goal activity, plus extra motivation to start the year strong on your blog. I’d love to see you join in this year! Just sign up by January 1: http://bloggingabroad.org/2017-challenge. All the best to you in 2017!
Delete-Michelle C., RPCV and former PC "Blog It Home" winner