Contact Information

Mailing address: (84 cents to mail standard letter from US)
Michael Weis "Chad", PCV
U.S. Peace Corps
PO Box 582
Banjul, The Gambia
West Africa

Personal Cell Phone: 011-220-989-9449
Phone card highly recommended. This is a good one: Continental

- will be checking sporadically

Want to contact me, or even visit? Make sure to read the below information. As there are a few nuances to follow when sending stuff to/from The Gambia. This is based on information I received before my departure date. So keep your eyes and ears open for any changes!

1. Communication. Most Peace Corps Volunteers in The Gambia have their own email accounts with a local internet service provider, but they are not in a position to use the accounts for regular communications. Phone line connections can be erratic, and Volunteers' sites can be some distance away from the nearest internet café or computer that is hooked up to the internet. You will probably grow to see the occasional email as a treat, but will mostly rely on "snail mail" for regular communications.

With mail, "patience" is the watchword. The mail service in The Gambia is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. It can take approximately three to four weeks for mail coming from a Volunteer's post in The Gambia to arrive in the United States via the local postal system. 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.

The following suggestions may be helpful:

• Determine, in your first letters, an estimate of how long it takes for transit and establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other.
• Number your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he/she has missed one.
• Send postcards in envelopes, as they tend to get lost or stolen.

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. Furthermore, with the delay in mail, it is likely that a current problem described, has been resolved or forgotten by the time the letter is received. The Peace Corps Staff in Banjul is available and equipped to assist Volunteers with any need expressed or in an emergency. Please do not assume that if your family member has been ill that he or she has been unattended. There is an American Certified Nurse Practitioner on duty 24 hours a day at the Peace Corps office in Banjul. Through regular contact, including frequent site visits, she monitors the health of the Volunteers. In the event of a serious illness, the Volunteer is flown to Dakar, Senegal, where there is an American physician on the Peace Corps staff. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in The Gambia or Dakar, s/he will be medically evacuated to the United States. Fortunately, these are rare circumstances.

2. Telephone Calls. As stated above, phone service into and out of The Gambia can be erratic. It cannot be relied upon for regular communication. The Volunteer will probably need to make arrangements for a phone call ahead of time-some coordination may be required between you and the PCV.

The Gambia Desk in Washington cannot relay personal messages over the telephone. All non-emergency communication between family members and the Volunteer is expected to be arranged between the Volunteer and their family and friends.

You must be ready to accept a significant change in the frequency and reliability of communications with friends and relatives, and everything you can do to prepare yourself AND your families and friends for this reality will help you greatly in the coming weeks and months.

3. Sending packages. Families 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 high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes, as well as the time period it may take for packages to arrive. 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.

The use of padded envelopes is recommended, if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more heavily. Custom fees for the Volunteer can be quite expensive. For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), DHL (an express mail service) operates in The Gambia. If you choose to send items through DHL, you must address the package to: Peace Corps, c/o Country Director, Karaiba Avenue, Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa. Place the envelope intended for the Volunteer inside the DHL envelope and write the name of the Volunteer on the inside envelope. The Peace Corps and its Staff assume no liability for any lost or stolen mail, including items sent through DHL. Please call a DHL office nearest you for more information. Their toll free number is 1-800-CALL-DHL or visit the www.dhl.com website. Federal Express (FedEx) also has service to The Gambia.

Sending airplane tickets and/or cash through regular mail is not recommended. Certain airlines will allow you to buy a pre-paid ticket in the States; they will telex their Banjul office to have the ticket ready. Unfortunately, this system is not always reliable. Currently, there is no direct service airline service from the US to Banjul. Options include a direct flight from JFK to Dakar, Senegal, with a connection on a local airline to Banjul, or a flight from JFK to Brussels, Belgium, with a connection on Sabena, the Belgian airline, to Banjul. (Brussels is currently the only European city with regular, direct service into Banjul. You can connect from various European cities to Brussels and continue from there.) You could also send tickets via DHL or FedEx as mentioned previously. However, Peace Corps will assume no liability in the event of a lost/stolen airline ticket.

Sending cash or checks is very risky and is discouraged. If your Volunteer family member requests money from you, it is his/her responsibility to arrange for its receipt. A method in which many Volunteers have found for receiving or sending important items is by pre-arranging contact between their family and a traveling friend to hand-carry the mail or small gift.

We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia. We understand how frustrating communication difficulties can be when your family member is overseas, and we appreciate you using this information as a guide.

The following points of information and advice have been compiled from various sources (previous visitors, former Volunteers, staff, etc.) for people planning to visit Peace Corps Volunteers in The Gambia. Visitors and Volunteers have learned that advance planning, communication between the Volunteer and visitor, and flexibility are very important aspects of a successful and satisfying trip. We hope that the suggestions and information below will be helpful. You may also wish to consult various travel books such as the Lonely Planet's Africa on a Shoestring and West Africa on a Shoestring. It is also advisable to plan your travel through a reputable agent to assist you in having all the information you need. The Peace Corps' staff, either in Washington or Banjul, cannot assist in your Travel plans, or in expedition of passports, visa and ticket arrangements and confirmations.

1. Planning. Begin planning at least six months before departure since several things have to be done sequentially which can add up to several weeks/months. Keep in mind that communication takes a long time, so arranging the logistics through the mail will require a lot of lead time. Make sure that the timing of your visit is convenient for the Volunteer you are visiting. A Volunteer's primary obligation is to her/his job assignment, so be sure that your visit will not disrupt any work plans. We recommend visits at some point during the second year of the Volunteer's service.

2. Passport. If you do not already have a passport, obtain a passport application and application instructions from a post office, your travel agent or the Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov.

3. Visa. U.S. citizens traveling on U.S. passports require a visa to enter The Gambia. For information contact the Gambian Embassy at 1155 15th St., NW, Suite 905, Washington, DC 20005 (202/785-1399) or the Permanent Mission of The Gambia to the U.N., 820 2nd Ave., 9th floor, New York, NY 10017 (212/949-6640). You can consolidate and expedite your passport and visa applications if necessary by going through a private company that handles it for you for an additional fee. (Ask a travel agent for details.)

If you plan travel to other countries in the area:
Separate visas are required for almost any African country you may plan to visit in addition to The Gambia, except for intermediate stops where you will not leave he terminal. For The Gambia and most African countries, visas CANNOT be obtained upon entry and you may be unable to obtain visas for further stops during your stay in Banjul. Determine the visa requirements for all countries you plan to visit well in advance of your travel.

4. Health. You must get, at minimum, a yellow fever immunization and have it logged in a World Health Organization (W.H.O.) medical card. For more information on what additional immunizations are required or recommended, contact your local health board or the Division of Immunization at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, (404) 639-8230. The CDC can also answer other questions and advise you on relevant health precautions. You should also plan to take anti-malarial prophylactic drugs during your stay in The Gambia. Contact the Malaria Hotline at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, (404) 639-1610 for information on what drug(s) to take and where you can obtain them.

While in The Gambia, precautions must be taken with food preparation and water treatment. Drink only bottled water, or water that has been filtered and chlorinated or boiled. (Bottled water is available for purchase throughout the country at reasonable prices.) Vegetables must also be soaked in iodine or chlorine if they are not being cooked.

Malaria is also present in all areas of The Gambia. It is a serious disease that is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Please consult your doctor or other health care professional regarding the various anti-malarial drugs currently available.

There are health risks, and medical facilities in the Gambia are not comparable to those in the United States. Peace Corps Medical Staff cannot care for family members or friends who require medical attention while in The Gambia. We strongly suggest that you consider extra insurance with emergency evacuation coverage from a company such as International SOS Assistance, Inc. (P.O. Box 11568, Philadelphia, PA 19116, 1-800-523-8930 or 215-244-1500 in PA).

5. Money. The unit of currency in The Gambia is the dalasi. Currently the exchange rate is approximately 29 dalasi per US Dollar. Traveler's checks are recommended. Some major hotels in Banjul accept major credit cards, such as American Express and VISA. The best person to answer questions about money (in what form and how much to take) is the Volunteer whom you are planning to visit.

6. Baggage. Have all your suitcases locked. On most airlines, you are allowed two pieces of baggage (up to 80 lbs total; with a maximum weight allowance of 50 lbs for any one bag) per passenger for trips from the United States to Europe, but only 20 kg (44 lbs) total for intra-European or African flights. Therefore, you may be charged an excess baggage fee for anything over 44 lbs from Europe to Africa unless you check your baggage through to Africa directly from the U.S. (If you check baggage all the way through, be sure the baggage ticket has all appropriate code letters for the trip.) This is particularly important if you plan to break travel in Europe. Consult your airline or travel agent for further information regarding baggage.

7. Flight Check-In. Please arrive at the check-in counter at least two hours before take off. They start checking passengers in then and you cannot get a seat assignment until this check-in. The check-in process goes very slowly so please be prepared to wait. Large carry-on bags will likely be refused.

8. Arrival in Banjul. You must have both your passport and W.H.O. card when boarding a flight to Banjul and upon arrival. While English is spoken by most airport employees, it is advisable to ask the Volunteer you are visiting to meet you or try to have someone meet you at the airport. You will have to open all bags for inspection. Try to keep all your bags in sight once they come into the baggage area. There will be men pressing to carry your bags for payment. Carry your bags yourself if you can. If not, negotiate a price with one person before allowing anyone to take your bags. If no one is going to meet you at the airport, get instructions ahead of time from the Volunteer on how to take a taxi to your next destination.

9. Accommodations. Your best source of information about where to stay is the Volunteer whom you are planning to visit.

10. Photos. Be advised that picture-taking is never allowed at an airport or any military installation.

11. Identification and Registration. Visitors are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Banjul and have a certified copy of their passport made. The certified copy should be carried at all times, with the original locked in a safe place.

Wow, that was a long page! Hope it provided you lots of info.