Letter to Families from the PC office

Hello Friends!
First of all, thanks to everyone who came to Freeport this past weekend, I am soooo blessed to have such amazing friends and family! It was a fantastic weekend. I have 15 days left until I depart and since I had a free day, I decided to be very productive by renting the first season of Lost and watching several episodes. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t the most important thing I could have done, but I have heard so much about it and am now hooked, it is a fantastic show! I figured that my laziness is justified by the fact that in a couple of days, such luxuries will not be afforded. I am going to post here a letter that was sent to us from the PC office concerning mailing during my time abroad. They encourage us to pass it on to friends and families so I hope it is helpful to you.


August 2006

Dear Families,

Greetings from the Uganda Desk in Washington, D.C. It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to Peace Corps. During the past year we have received many requests from Volunteers and family members alike regarding travel plans, sending money, relaying messages and mail, etc. As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of Volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing specific examples of situations and how we suggest they be handled.

Irregular Communication
The mail service in Uganda is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. Thus, it is important to be patient. It can take three to four weeks for mail coming from Uganda to arrive in the United States via the Ugandan postal system. From a Volunteer's post, mail might take 1-2 months to reach the United States. Sometimes mail is hand carried to the States by a traveler and then mailed through the US postal system. This leg of the trip can take another several weeks, as it is also dependent on the frequency of travelers to the U.S.

We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer family member to give an estimate of how long it takes for him/her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. Also, try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he/she has missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes--otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office!

Volunteers often enjoy telling their "war" stories when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is good reading material, it is often misinterpreted on the home front. Please do not assume that if your family member has been ill that he or she has been unattended. Peace Corps has two physician's assistants on staff in Uganda. Through regular contact, they monitor the health of the Volunteers. In the event of a serious illness, the Volunteer comes to Kampala and is cared for by our medical staff. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Uganda, he/she will be medically evacuated to Kenya, South Africa or the United States, depending on the medical care required. Fortunately, these are rare circumstances.

Sending mail during Pre Service Training (PST)

Sarah Cowan, Peace Corps Trainee
P.O. Box 29348
Kampala, Uganda


Sending packages
Both parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the possible theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to try to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. Even though Volunteers choose to get local post office boxes, you may use the following address to send letters to your family member at any time during his or her service:

Sarah Cowan, PCV
U.S. Peace Corps
P.O. Box 7007
Kampala, Uganda

We recommend that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. Sending airplane tickets and/or cash is not recommended. Several services such as DHL, FedEx, UPS do operate in Uganda, but can be very expensive. Certain airlines will allow you to buy a pre-paid ticket in the States; they will telex their Nairobi office to have the ticket ready. Unfortunately, this system is not always reliable. Several European carriers fly to Kampala. Please call the airline of your choice for more information. You could also send tickets via mail services as mentioned previously. However, Peace Corps will assume no liability in the event of a lost/stolen airline ticket.



Have a super day!

Love,
Sarah