South Africa: Community Health and Social Policy Spring 2018
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South Africa: Community Health and Social Policy Spring 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS COUNTRY OVERVIEW ....................................................... 3 GENERAL INFORMATION.............................................. 3 CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY.......................................... 3 LOCAL CUSTOMS .......................................................... 3 DIET .............................................................................. 4 SAFETY, SECURITY, AND HEALTH.................................. 5 HOMESTAYS ................................................................. 5 OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS ........................................ 6 TRANSPORTATION........................................................ 6 COMMUNICATION ....................................................... 7 PHONES AND E-MAIL ................................................... 7 MAILINGS ..................................................................... 8 MONEY ......................................................................... 8 VISITORS AND FREE TIME ............................................. 9 PACKING GUIDELINES..................................................... 11 CLOTHING GUIDELINES .............................................. 11 EQUIPMENT................................................................ 11 COMPUTERS AND OTHER ELECTRONICS .................... 11 GIFTS........................................................................... 12 WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT OBTAIN IN COUNTRY 12 ALUMNI CONTACTS .................................................... 12 PACKING LIST .................................................................. 13
COUNTRY OVERVIEW CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY
South Africa extends nearly 2000km (1242 miles)
from the Limpopo River in the north to Cape Town
in the south and nearly 1500km (932 miles) from
GENERAL INFORMATION Port Nolloth in the west to Durban in the east.
Given the historic events in South Africa over the Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and
last decade and a half, this is an extremely exciting Swaziland run from west to east along South
time to be in the country, witnessing history in the Africa's northern border and Lesotho is entirely
making. South Africa has made great strides in contained within South Africa’s borders. South
righting the wrongs of an unjust system, but has Africa is the seventh largest African country and
much further to go. South Africa is striving to twice the size of Texas.
implement a very progressive national constitution,
restructure local governments, and ensure that all
levels of government are working to one cohesive AVERAGE HIGH/LOW TEMPERATURES (°F)
end. Additionally, it needs to deliver basic services JAN FEB MAR APR MAY
to all communities and come to terms with societal
violence and a still uneasy racial divide. The Truth 81/69 81/69 81/68 78/64 76/57
and Reconciliation Commission was indeed a model
SEPT OCT NOV DEC
in transitional justice, and it was and still is a very
significant example of the way in which the country 74/59 75/62 77/65 79/67
has tried to deal with its past. However, this
reconciliation must go hand in hand with
development. It’s position just south of the Tropic of Capricorn
makes South Africa a mostly dry and sunny place, but
Education, employment, housing and access to basic
the climate is moderated by its topography and the
services such as electricity and water, healthcare,
surrounding oceans. The further east you go, the
and corruption are just a few of the issues that
more useful your raingear becomes, but there are
need to be addressed while South Africans strive
also damp pockets in the southwest, particularly
for peace and national healing.
around Cape Town. At 56 feet above sea level, Cape
KwaZulu-Natal is the epicenter of the AIDS and TB Town has a climate similar to that of California.
Pandemic. Cutting-edge medical research situated Expect warm weather in December and cool, wet,
here has played an important role in understanding windy weather in May. Along the southern coast the
and fighting the diseases. Rigorous randomised weather is temperate, due to the Agulhas current, the
controlled trials have provided excellent drugs, but east coast becoming increasingly tropical the further
the new challenge is to develop qualitative north you go. In the winter, the days are sunny and
methodologies to accurately measure the warm. Durban’s summers are hot and humid, similar
effectiveness of behavioural interventions. to Miami winters are milder, but it never gets too
cold to stop Durbanites swimming and surfing.
Our Rural excursion takes us 100 miles west of Durban’s average annual rainfall is about 1000 mm (40
Durban, to traditional Zulu homesteads at the foot in) February gets very hot and humid, with risk of
of the Drakensberg Mountains. As the most sunburn and/or dehydration.
populous province with a high percentage of rural
occupants living in poverty, KwaZulu-Natal faces
many challenges; yet it also provides cost-effective
solutions arising out of cultural commitment to LOCAL CUSTOMS
strong community spirit. South Africa is one of the most multicultural countries
in the world, it has eleven official languages and as
many different ethnic groups particularly in urban someone speaking, and don’t hold eye-contact with
areas. It is difficult to generalize on South African elders you are greeting
etiquettes and culture due to the diversity, however,
here are a few things to keep in mind.
DIET
Participating in the local food culture is a central
aspect of daily life in South Africa. Special or
restricted diets may not always be fully understood
by your host family, although we will place student
in homes that have previously hosted a student with
similar dietary restrictions. By trying to replicate
your diet at home you may miss out on an
important part of your host culture, but every
semester we have one or two vegans who
successfully maintain their diets.
You can expect to eat breakfast around 7am, lunches
around 12pm, and dinners around 7pm. During
Cultural Dos homestays and when on the road, expect to eat a lot
of chicken and starches, with quite a bit of oil. Vegans
Be polite – Greet people when you meet them,
bring peanut butter and crackers in case there are no
Greetings are leisurely and include time for social
other options. There are refrigerators and a
discussion and exchanging pleasantries. Thank
microwave at the program office/classroom, so
people when they do something for you and say
students can complement their homestay diets with
goodbye when you or someone else leaves. Clean
foods they buy from the fresh food market below the
up after yourself – you are expected to clean
office, using their lunch stipends. Water is clean and
after yourself in your home stay, in the classroom,
potable from the taps in the cities of South Africa.
in hotel rooms. Be on time to class and meetings.
Respect others, regardless of their viewpoint and
respect yourself. Dress conservatively – Please note that South Africa is very much a meat-
eating society, and to some, the concept of
especially when on excursions to organisations and
vegetarianism or veganism is difficult to comprehend.
when in more-traditional areas.
Many of the protein-rich vegetarian and vegan foods
available in the U.S. are not available in South Africa,
Gift giving is important when entering a
or may be quite expensive. While students will not be
homestay – a Xhosa idiom states that a visitor does
expected to eat meat in the homestay or while on
not come with an empty hand. An extra-large T-
excursions, students with specific diets need to spend
Shirt, a dishcloth, mug or glass with a logo from
a little more of their personal funds if they want more
your home town is always well-received. Offer to
variety in their meals. These students will be expected
help and be prepared to receive help that is
to take individual responsibility for arranging protein
offered.
substitutes and should expect to have limited choices.
Cultural Don’ts Kosher, Halal and other diets are possible to keep,
Do not smell food at the dinner table. Do not but less-educated homestay families will not always
smoke indoors. Do not bring alcohol into the get it right, no matter how well we explain. Students
homestay, hotel, lodge or classroom. Do not use will be expected to engage homestay families and food
laptops in class without the permission of the outlets themselves, with SIT staff assisting with
lecturer. Don’t say “Bless You” if it disrupts translation.
Note: if you have special dietary needs, including constitutes a “home” may be different from what you
allergies, please inform SIT prior to the start of your expect. You will need to be prepared to adapt to a
program. We will advise you on realistic expectations new life with a new diet, a new schedule, new people,
about avoiding or incorporating certain foods within and adopt redefined needs and expectations.
the program context.
Each program’s homestay coordinator will be
responsible for placing students in homestays, which
SAFETY, SECURITY, AND HEALTH have all been previously screened by the academic
Maintaining good health is critical to having a director. Some placements are made based on health
successful semester. To help you do that, we have concerns, including any allergies or dietary needs, to
provided Health Guidelines and Requirements the extent possible. Other placements are allocated
for your program. according to alphabetical order, so as not to turn
participants into consumers. Please note: SIT may
It is very important that you read the Health
make final adjustments to homestay
Guidelines and Requirements document as early as
placements after student arrival in country.
possible and examine it with your medical provider.
Therefore, SIT will not provide information
The guidelines include recommended immunizations;
about your homestay family before you depart
a suggested calendar for immunizations and other
for the program.
prophylaxes; and valuable information on how to
avoid exposure to common carriers of disease.
On this program, you will be staying in three
homestays. It is not possible to tailor-make each
Students are thoroughly briefed on safety
homestay experience to the individual expectations of
considerations during in-country orientation and are
each student, but we will place students with special
updated throughout the semester if circumstances
medical and dietary needs in homes where these can
change. For information regarding safety and security,
be better-supported. Within reason, students are
emergency communications, SIT policies, accident and
expected to adapt to their unique family, and accept
illness insurance, and general program tips, please
that some families are more sociable and/or better
read the Safety, Security, and Health document
able to provide than others are. Most homestays are
and Student Handbook.
with Zulu-speaking families, and the majority of
homesteads are female-headed with fathers absent.
Students will have their own room and bed in the
HOMESTAYS Cato Manor urban homestay, and will stay with
another student in Nzinga and Wentworth
As many SIT Study Abroad alumni will tell you, the
homestays, but will never be expected to share a bed
homestay experience can be one of the most
with a stranger. Houses usually have cell phone
rewarding and most challenging aspects of the
reception and are reasonably clean, but some Nzinga
program. We hope you will come prepared for the
homestays use pit latrines and draw water from
experience and committed to moving beyond cultural
communal taps, rainfall-collection tanks or springs.
immersion as you begin to question, distinguish, and
Students will be given bottled water in cases where
analyze the host culture vis-à-vis your own culture
water may not be potable.
and come to a deeper understanding of both.
The main homestay is in Cato Manor, a township
Family structures vary in every culture. SIT Study about three miles from the University of KwaZulu-
Abroad values the diversity of homestay families, and Natal, home to about 5000 medium and lower-
your family may include a single mother of two small income Zulu-speaking families. Each student will have
children or a large extended family with many people his/her own family but will be within a mile of other
coming and going all the time. Additionally, please students placed in the same three blocks of Mascha
bear in mind that, in many countries, the idea of what section. The homestay coordinator selects families
from one neighborhood. All houses have cell phone During ISP/internship students remaining in Durban
and USB Internet reception, flush toilets, and will continue in the same independent
electricity and are constructed of cinder brick. This accommodations. The program will arrange
homestay is four to five weeks in duration. accommodations close to rural hospitals and clinics.
Those returning to Wentworth or Nzinga will stay
You will also experience two short (three-night) with homestay families.
homestays in the rural area of Nzinga and the suburb
of Wentworth. Students stay in pairs with a variety of
families.
TRANSPORTATION
The Nzinga excursion provides insights into the The program uses 16-seater Toyota Quantum
experiences of rural Zulu-speaking minibuses that are the safest in their class with
South Africans. The families do not speak much reclining seats and three-point safety belts all around.
English. The Nzinga excursion is in an area close to a During the Cato Manor homestay period, door-to-
town with a well-run community health centre. door transportation for official program activities is
Families in Nzinga are traditional, with homesteads provided every morning around 7amShared UBER
growing their own food and keeping livestock. Our taxis will be used to transport students home, at
co-ordinator there is the second wife of a respected around 4pm.
traditional preacher in the community, and other
homesteads include teachers, nurses and community
care givers.
We spend three nights with families in Wentworth,
an industrial suburb 30 minutes away from Durban
City. Residents in this community find themselves
between the “Black” and “White” Apartheid
categorizations and have their own stories to tell
about their place in democratic South Africa. Families
speak English and so students have an opportunity to
converse and engage on a deeper level.
OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS
Orientation accommodations start at Emerald Lodge
in Johannesburg in dormitory accommodations. We During the Independent Study Project or internship
continue on to Marloth Park, where we stay in 5-bed period, students based outside of Durban will be
chalets on the boundary fence of the Kruger National bussed to and from their sites at the beginning and
Park. end of the period. Durban students will be taught
how to use
Independent Durban accommodations are at Durban City busses, or will travel by UBER. Two days
Windermere Apartments, on the Durban beachfront. a week, students in
Each Apartment has four beds, and some students
may share with students from the other Durban SIT
program. Students wishing to find alternate Durban will be transported to more-difficult interview
accommodation must finalise these by week four of sites and/or the program office. In general, the
the program and will be responsible for their own program organizes the safest possible transportation
transportation to and from the office. for program functions. During ISP/internship, students
are required to use the ISP/internship stipend to take
safe local transportation. Social events are paid for
from the students’ own accounts and Uber taxis cost partners, nor do they meet our emergency
about $1 per mile per vehicle. Excursions and the communication needs. Therefore, local cellular
evaluation/orientation period trip to Marloth Park are capacity on each student’s phone is required for the
by road in Quantum buses. duration of the program. Students are required to
maintain a minimum amount of phone credits at all
We finish the program in Cape Town, staying in times for emergency calls. Full compliance with this
dormitory accommodations at Zebra Lodge. We do a policy is expected.
1-day excursion around the Cape Peninsula.
International plans in South Africa are possible but not
COMMUNICATION recommended as it is very expensive. iPhones are
highly sought-after by criminals. We thus
While you may want to be in regular communication
with friends and family from home during the term
abroad, please bear in mind that different time zones,
patchy internet and changing program activities can
complicate communication.
It’s important to be clear with family and friends about
your availability during the term. You should also
consider the impact of constant communication with
friends and family at home on your cultural
immersion.
PHONES AND E-MAIL suggest that the US phones be put in our lockers at
As part of SIT’s commitment to student safety and the program office and students use the program
security, all students are required to have a working phones. The Durban Community Health program will
smart phone capable of making and receiving both thus issue a pre-paid smart phone registered to the
local and international calls throughout the duration Telkom mobile South Africa network, and take $35
of the program. For that purpose students are deposit. If returned in working order with no cracked
required to either (a) bring an open, unlocked smart screen, $30 will be refunded. Students wishing to
phone from the U.S. to the program that is able to insure the program phone will need to pay $10 which
accept a local SIM card, and is GSM compatible to be is non-refundable. The cell phone is very cheap with
usable at the program location, (b) use a program no frills and is therefore not desirable to muggers. All
issued smart phone, (c) bring a dual SIM smart phone, incoming calls are free to the receiver, and outgoing
or (d) bring a smart phone with an international plan. emergency calls are also free. The smart phones are
During orientation, with assistance from SIT Study used as hotspots to access the internet and social
Abroad staff, students will learn how to use their media. Note that calls to the US on the cell phone will
smart phone, how to purchase and use an appropriate cost the caller between $1 and $2 per minute. Do not
local SIM card, and how to acquire minutes for calls buy travelling phone cards, especially not off the
and texting. SIT Study Abroad requires that each internet, as they do not work on local cell phones and
student have a local SIM number for communication many do not work at all.
with the homestay family and program staff.
Bandwidth in South Africa is expensive, and Skype
While we recognize that alternative communication eats it up especially if the video call function is used.
methods can be free or cheaper than cell service i.e. Students may use their smartphones to connect to
Facetime, Skype, WhatsApp, etc. those programs Skype but this comes out of their own money and
alone do not satisfy our need for regular may cost as much as $10 an hour as the USB modem
communication with the local program staff and uses up data purchased. The program provides 8 GB a
month per student, which is sufficient for all emails Student Name
and research, with 5GB left for Skyping and social The School for International Training
media. This is sufficient for most students. We do not Postnet Suite 372 Private
provide wifi at the program office as each student has Bag X10
their own local cell phone hotspots. Musgrave Road
4062
South Africa
Facebook is an excellent way to keep connected, but
uploading and downloading pictures also uses up
bandwidth. We also encourage students to utilize the MONEY
texting feature on Facebook. College emails In addition to tuition, SIT Study Abroad program fees
sometimes give students trouble. Gmail (Google) has cover room and board throughout the program.
proven quicker and more reliable during the When room and/or board are not taken with the
semester. We send messages to students via group, students will be given a stipend to cover
Whatsapp during the semester. related expenses. SIT will cover daily commuting
On arrival, students will be able to email concerned costs, if any, and excursions that are part of the
friends and parents on the hostel wireless internet. normal program itinerary. During the ISP/internship
Sometimes servers go down, so they should not period, students will receive a stipend for basic room
panic if they have not heard from you in 24 hours. and board only, based on the cost of living at the
They may also call SIT in Brattleboro for program base. Any domestic travel,
information. interpretation services, or supplies necessary
for the ISP/internship are the students’
MAILINGS responsibility. Please plan accordingly.
Unlike receiving a package here in the US, receiving a
package at your program site is usually expensive The local currency is the South African Rand, at time of
and problematic. Customs agents must inspect all writing valued at R12,50 to US$1. A Big Mac with
packages and you, as the recipient, are responsible for medium fries and soda costs R50 – about US$4.00.
duty and storage fees. In addition, there are cases of Travelers Checks are difficult to change and use,
items being lost in the mail or taking so long to reach whereas credit cards and debit cards are very easy – we
the recipient that the recipient is nearly back in the strongly advise against Travelers Checks, as students
US by the time the items are received. For these will not be able to facilitate trips to the specific banks
reasons, sending packages should be done only for that will change US cash or Travelers Checks. Students
emergency situations. Additionally, sending valuables are advised to ensure that they can access account
is highly discouraged.
details online so they can keep an eye out for cloned
card fraudulent debits – we will teach students how to
For this program, DHL and FedEx services are
avoid scams, but they will need to be cautious.
available in country. Despite cheaper prices,
reliance on the US Postal Service is not advised due We do not open bank accounts for students in
to delays and unreliability. When given the option, it’s country as the process is extremely cumbersome and
always a good idea to send packages certified and time-consuming. We allocate cash to students on a
with a tracking number that allows the sender to weekly basis. When attending lectures students have
track the package. access to a locker in which they can store cash,
laptop, passport, iPod, camera and other valuables
Posted letters and packages should be sent to the (please bring a padlock). When in homestays students
following address: are advised not to display valuables. A small lockbox
may be useful here and also when travelling generally,
but students are given keys to their rooms inhomestays, and thefts of cash and personal items are
rare when compared with incidents at the average US Books, printing, supplies: 50 USD
college dormitory.
Potential up-front medical costs
If using a debit and/or credit card, you should contact (UBERs to doctors): 100 USD
your bank and/or credit card companies regarding
your travel plans. If you don’t inform these companies
that you will be away, they will often assume the card Potential ISP/internship travel 50-350
has been lost or stolen and will put an immediate hold expenses: USD
on the card. You should also check on costs of
withdrawal, as these costs vary and can sometimes be
very expensive. Renewing and receiving reissued
credit and debit cards while on the program will be an 700-1000
Estimated total:
expensive and highly inconvenient process. Before you USD
leave for your program, please check the expiration
dates on your cards to ensure that they will not
expire while you are abroad. It is also very important
that you make photocopies of all your debit/credit
card information and leave them with someone you
trust in case your card(s) is/are lost or stolen. If
getting a new card, check the pin works by VISITORS AND FREE TIME
withdrawing from an ATM at home. SIT strongly discourages and will not provide
support for any visitors to students during the
Following are suggestions for spending money during term, due to the rigorous nature of the program and
the program, including estimates for textbooks, the disruption that such visits cause in program flow
ISP/internship-related expenses, medical expenses, and group dynamics. Students should be sure that
personal spending, and gifts. Figures are based on relatives and friends are aware of this policy and that
recent student evaluations, though individual spending visits are scheduled for dates after the formal
habits vary widely and these costs are averages. conclusion of the program. Students will not be
excused from program components to attend to
A suggested total amount of money to budget ranges visitors. See the Attendance and Participation section
from US$700 to $1600. To determine where you of the Student Handbook.
might fall in this range, please examine your spending
Please note that any visitors during the course of the
habits during a typical semester at your home school
program must plan their own independent
and consider any exceptional expenditures you may
accommodations; SIT Study Abroad homestay families
have on the program, including travel costs for your
can accommodate only their assigned student and,
planned ISP/internship or a specific personal expense.
due to cultural and contractual understandings with
SIT, should not be asked to host students’ guests.
Check current exchange rates:
http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/ During the program, students follow an intense
schedule of classes and field-based learning
Please budget approximately: assignments, even during the ISP/internship. Free time
for pursuing an independent interest or hobby during
the program will be limited. Your admissions
Personal spending (from past counselor can advise you about particular interests
student suggestions): 500 USD you may have. For example, if you must keep in shape
for your next athletic season, or if you play a musicalinstrument and want to know whether to bring it, we can help you to understand your schedule and any concerns or limitations that may exist. Please note that you will not have a long break during the program, such as Thanksgiving or Spring Break.
PACKING GUIDELINES EQUIPMENT
You will need to bring a sleeping bag for extra
warmth on rural excursions. A cheap inner sleeve will
keep it fresh. Those not bringing a sleeping bag will
LUGGAGE need to bring $10 to buy an inner sleeve for old bags
Please pack lightly and include only necessary items. we have that previous students left behind. You will
You should be able to carry all your luggage significant NOT need to bring items such as a mosquito net, or
distances on your own. Try to minimize both the water purifier, unless you desire to travel to areas
number of bags and weight of your bag(s) since you and situations where these would be necessary post-
will likely be acquiring more belongings while abroad. program. Game-viewing is much nicer with a small
South Africa’s internal flights limit baggage to only one pair of binoculars.
bag of 20 kilograms per person plus a 7kg carry-on. A
second bag costs $2 per pound. With careful
planning, you should be able to bring the necessary
COMPUTERS AND OTHER
clothing and supplies and stay within the 20kg limit. If ELECTRONICS
you plan to bring more than 27 kilograms total you It is essential that you bring a laptop computer, which
will need to budget for extra baggage fees. will be your personal property and responsibility. It is
recommended that you insure your computer, smart
Suitcases with wheels help, but you will still be
required to lift your bags into vehicles by yourself so phone or other valuables for full coverage in the
pack lightly. event of loss or theft. SIT is not responsible for any
duty tax you may have to pay when you enter the
If carrying prescription medications, you should carry country, theft, or loss. Those who have no laptop,
a letter from your doctor to prevent any concerns at (or lose or break their laptops) will be issued a 10-
customs or in transit. (Please see the “General Health inch notebook.
Tips” section in the Safety, Security, and Health pre-
departure document.) Ensure that all iphones and laptops you bring do not
have automatic sync and/or sharing settings that will
Please check the current requirements of the automatically upload /download pictures or clips
Transportation Security Administration to/from internet servers – they will eat up your
(http://www.tsa.gov) as well as those of the airline on hotspot data allocation.
which you are flying for domestic and international
baggage restrictions. As most assignments will need to be completed after
school hours, a laptop with MS Word installed is
CLOTHING GUIDELINES needed. Students in previous semesters have noted
that having your own laptop provides you with a great
South Africans tend to dress very similarly to
deal of flexibility when completing assignments and
Americans, though there is some variation among
working on the ISP/internship. Smartphone hotspot
different ethnic groups. Neat, somewhat conservative,
connections make conducting research from your
comfortable clothes will help you to avoid the typical
own laptop fairly easy (at least in the South African
untidy American tourist stereotype. Revealing clothing
context). You may also make use of coffee shops with
and very informal clothing are not acceptable in most
wifi during the semester – after hours and during the
situations.
ISP/internship.
Please note that tank tops, short pants and short
skirts will only be acceptable in certain limited Please see the following website for information
settings. For your rural visit, you will need to bring about electricity, voltage and electrical adapters.
two knee-length skirts or sarongs. Be aware that http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/. Do not
some places are dusty and likely to stain light colors. bring any 110-volt electrical appliances without a
The clothes that you bring should be washable and step-down transformer from 220 to 110 volts. The
breathable and preferably made of drip-dry material. standard voltage in South Africa is 220/230volts AC.
A black skirt or dress can be dressed up or casual and Many electronic goods these days can handle both
will not get stained. 220 and 110 (and other) voltage; refer to your
owner’s manual for your devices to investigate whatwill likely be needed. Please note that power surges
are common here and you are advised to plug your
items into outlets with surge protection only (these
can be purchased locally at student expense).
Cameras are great but please note that to upload
images to Facebook or any picture website will use a
lot of Data. A USB flash drive is essential for getting
copies of some lecturers’ PowerPoint presentations,
and great for storing the pictures you cannot
download to web-based storage. Again, we suggest
insuring your belongings and keeping them locked in
your locker at the SIT office when not in use.
culture, you will discover other ways to thank your
family. Remember to bring pictures of your friends
We suggest you bring a micro memory card to install
and family to share.
in your smartphone if wanting to use it to record
interviews. Note that the program phones only have
capacity to take a 4Gb memory or lower. WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT
OBTAIN IN COUNTRY
GIFTS If you do not already have these items, they can be
obtained in South Africa. Generally, prices for most
items are reasonable. Toiletries and personal care
items can also all be purchased in South Africa at
similar prices to the U.S. However, if you require any
form of medication, bring a sufficient supply to last
the duration of the program, as prescription drugs
may not be mailed into South Africa. Remember to
bring a spare pair of glasses or contact lenses if you
wear them.
ALUMNI CONTACTS
If you have further questions, please contact your
Be prepared with a gift to offer your homestay family admissions counselor and/or ask an alumni contact:
in gratitude for their hospitality and as a means to http://studyabroad.sit.edu/admitted-students/contacta-
share a part of your culture with them. We suggest former-student/.
one or two gifts that the whole family can enjoy. Pack
a couple of small gifts for children, such as small Don’t miss the Packing List on the next page!
games, bubbles, or a Frisbee. Even if your homestay These packing guidelines are based on suggestions
family does not have small children, you will engage from past students and your academic director.
with children in your homestay community. Once you Remember to place all valuable items and
are on the program and learn more about the local prescriptions in your carry-on luggage while traveling
and all sharp items in your checked luggage.PACKING LIST o
HEALTH/TOILETRIES
Prescription medications used regularly
o A Bath Towel
GENERAL – Men and Women o Over-the-counter medications as approved by
your doctor (note that these are also available
o 1 warm outfit if not included in clothing below
locally):
o Underwear – 10 day’s supply
o Pain reliever/fever reducer (Tylenol)
o 4-5 pairs socks
o Cold medication/decongestant
o Lightweight pajamas
o Laxative
o 1 pair sneaker
o 1 pair sandals o Anti-diarrheal medication
o 1 pair flip-flops o Motion sickness medication
o 1 pair “going out” shoes o Good quality thermometer (for taking your
o 1 fleece temperature)
o 1 windbreaker/rainjacket o Small first aid kit including
o Bathing suit bandaids/antiseptic/antibacterial cream
o 1 or 2 emergency light plastic rain ponchos o Malaria prophylaxis
o Sun hat or bandanna
(Please review the program Health Guidelines and
Requirements and the Safety, Security, and Health
WOMEN document for your program for details). Note that
o 4 pairs of shorts and/or skirts you will be in a medium to high risk malaria area for
four nights in the first week of the program.
o 2 knee-length
o skirt or sarongs for rural stay
o 5 blouses or shirts OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS
o 2 pairs lightweight pants or jeans
o A small daypack (essential for excursions) o
o 1 nice outfit (black dress or skirt/blouse)
o An extra pair of glasses or contact lenses (and
o 4 casual but not sloppy t-shirts
saline solution)
o A USB memory stick. (and optional micro
MEN memory card)
o 2 pairs shorts o Flashlight
o 2 pairs lightweight long pants o Homestay gifts for three families
o 1 pair jeans or other casual pants o Photographs of your family, house, home town
o 1 collared shirt
o 5 t-shirts or casual sports shirts OPTIONAL
o Sunglasses
o Beach towel
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS o A notebook and pens
o Passport o Hand sanitizer
o Yellow WHO Card where applicable o Sunscreen
o A certified photocopy of your passport,
stored separately from your actual passport
o Photocopy of visa (if applicable)
Remember to place all valuable items and any
prescriptions in your carry-on luggage while traveling
and all sharp items in your checked luggageYou can also read
