Ethopia Bogger Toolkit

ETHIOPIA July 9-16, 2012 BLOG & SOCIAL MEDIA MATERIALS

WHAT’S INSIDE 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

THE FH BLOGGERS TRAVEL HOTELS AND WEATHER MEETING YOUR SPONSORED CHILD TEC FAQS VACCINATIONS PACKING LIST EMERGENCY CONTACT INFO

the fh bloggers

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ethiopia | blogger trip | july 2012

travel

Travel For ease of travel for our group, we ask that you bring only one checked piece of luggage (up to 50 pounds). You can also bring one laptop bag and one carry-on.

If you don’t already have a Delta SkyMiles account, we strongly recommend you create one. This trip alone will accrue a significant number of miles, and it would certainly be worth your while to have this. It’s free of charge to create, and you can sign up very quickly here: http://bit.ly/DeltaSkymiles Write down your SkyMiles number and keep it with your passport for easy access at check-in. When you’re checking in for your flight, ask the agent to add your SkyMiles account number to your itinerary so you receive credit for all your flights.

FLIGHT ITINERARY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - We will all connect in Atlanta and continue on with this schedule for departure & return.

Since we have various departures into Atlanta & returns to USA locations, please check your personal itineraries for those departures and arrivals. Below is only when we are all traveling together.

DEPARTURE FROM USA Monday, July 9, 2012 Depart:

5:40pm (EST) Monday, July 9, 2012 Hartsfield – Jackson ATL, Terminal 1 (Atlanta, GA)

Arrive:

Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 8:45am Tuesday, July 10, 2012

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hotel & weather

Tuesday, July 10, 2012 Depart: 10:10am Shipol Airport Amsterdam, Netherlands Arrive: 8:20pm Bole International Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

DEPARTURE FROM ETHIOPIA Sunday, July 15, 2012 Depart: 10:20pm Bole International Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Arrive:

Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 7:00am Monday, July 16, 2012

(We have various returns to USA locations. Please check your personal itinerary) ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hotel We arrive Monday July 10 at 8:20pm and will be staying at Bole Rock Hotel in Addis on the first night.

While in Southern Ethiopia, we will be staying at Bethlehem Hotel in Zeway. Here is a link for pictures of the hotel: http://bit.ly/BethlehemHotel • The hotel rooms are well-furnished and include all the basic amenities.

• I will have to ask about hair dryers.

• It will be one person per room.

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Weather While weather is always unpredictable, we anticipate temperatures ranging from 80-90F during the day with cooler evenings.

It is also the rainy season, which means be prepared for rain.

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meeting child

Meeting Your Sponsored Child What should you expect?

The goal of the home visit is to learn more about your soponsored child and what life is like for them. The focus of the visit should be on relationship.

• Before the visit, ask the FH staff person what to do and what not to do, or what to say and what not to say.

• You may have to walk a far distance to visit your sponsored child as many of our families live in remote areas.

• While you may be treated like royalty, don’t go inside the house or sit until asked. If you are given the only seat in the house, graciously accept it. You are their guest and they want to give you their best.

• The house may be cramped or smell differently. Make sure your mannerisms are communicating respect to the family. Be aware of your body language and facial expressions – smile!

• Bring appropriate photos of your own family to share. Come prepared with questions to ask the child and family. Here are a few examples:

• Tell me about your family.

• Tell me about your work or job.

• How old are you? (To siblings)

• What do you enjoy? (“Favorite” does not always translate.)

• Ask about the “chore” listed on your sponsored child’s profile.

• How are you doing in school?

• Your sponsored child and their family may be shy and quiet. This does not mean they are not happy to have you in their home. You are probably the first foreigner to visit them, and they are taking in the new experience. It may be awkward, and there may be extended periods of silence, but your presence is one of the strongest ways the child and the family are going to know God’s love. Sharing photos or playing with bubbles can be a nice ice breaker.

• Take the food that is offered to you. FH staff has communicated to the family about what visitors can be served. If you are still in doubt, discreetly ask the FH staff person that is with you.

• Give the opportunity for the family to ask you questions.

• Pray for the family at the conclusion of your visit.

• Pictures should be taken at the end of the visit. Ask the family, and wait until the family has agreed, before taking pictures.

• The family may give you a gift like a chicken or blanket. While this may seem like too much or you have no use for it, graciously accept it. By accepting the gift, you are al-

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tech faqs

lowing the family to express their gratitude to you for your sponsorship, and it gives dignity to the family. (If an animal is given, FH staff will know the best use for it.

A Note about Gifts While it is nice to be able to give a gift as part of a home visit, the gift should NOT be the center of the visit. The relationship should be the focus of the visit. In-country staff will determine if and when a gift is appropriate.

An appropriate gift would be something small that can be shared among the family and will not create jealousy in the community. Items that can be given would include plastic dishes and educational supplies such as pens and notebook. If you are bringing your own gift, do not bring colorful gift bags or wrapping paper. We recommend using clear, one-gallon Ziploc bags for gifts. Please show your gift bag to your team host prior to your home visit.

Gifts that should NOT be given include the following: toys that need batteries or electricity to operate, any toy that can be a choking hazard, medicine, items that are violent or war-related (guns, army figurines, etc.) or soccer balls (balls of any kind should be given to FH staff to share among the community at school). Please do NOT give money to families or any community member. This creates jealousy and reinforces dependency in the community.

In many places, to ask is to promise. To ask about a child’s education or beds for sleeping, you may be creating an expectation that the family will receive the items.

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Tech FAQs Do not forget to bring your laptop (with its charging cord)! You will need this every day to write and upload your blog posts.

You are also welcome to bring your phone and/or iPad if you want to use it for data, Twitter, Facebook, or phone call access during the trip. Please note that this will be at your own cost, so it is entirely optional. Be sure to check with your service provider on the costs and necessary steps to activate your phone for international use. The fees and available plans vary based on your existing plan, type of phone, and data/voice preferences. Below are links to the international plans for each carrier, along with the phone number to call for more detailed information and activation.

• AT&T: 1-800-331-0500 • Verizon: 1-800-711-8300 • Sprint: 1-888-226-7212

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vaccinations

The hotel will have outlets for you to charge your laptop and other electronics as needed. You will have to purchase and bring the appropriate adapters/converters based on your own personal needs.

Electronics with internal rechargeable batteries (such as your phone, iPod, laptop, digital camera, etc) are designed with a voltage range that works anywhere in the world.

You will only need an adapter in order to plug the American cord into the outlet. Something like this should work great: http://amzn.to/TravelAdapter-Ethiopia Electrical items (such as a hair dryer or flat iron) will require a voltage converter as well as the adapter. If you are bringing an electrical item, you will need to bring a suitable step-down voltage converter like this: http://amzn.to/VoltageConverter ----------------------------------------------------------------------

VACCINATIONS Please contact Passport Health. Attached is the list of vaccinations you will need to consider for travel to Ethiopia. It is an inclusive list, but the vaccines that you should definitely consider for Ethiopia are as follows: • Hepatitis A (series of two) • Hepatitis B (series of three) • Typhoid (oral last five years, injection lasts two years) • Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) (Good for five years when traveling outside the U.S.) • Yellow Fever (lasts 10 years) • Polio (one adult dose) • MMR (need to have had two in your lifetime)

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packing list

Depending on length of stay and nature of activity: • Rabies Vaccines (Pre-exposure is series of 3 vaccines) • Malaria is on the rise in Ethiopia. You will need malaria medications.

To find a Passport Health location, visit their website www.passporthealthtn.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------

PACKING LIST This packing list is a general guide for your upcoming trip and is not intended to be an absolute or all-comprehensive list.

Documents • Alternative photo ID (driver’s License) • Cash for souvenirs (crisp, new $20 bills) • Insurance card • Passport and color copy of your passport • Plane tickets / flight confirmation Clothing • Swimsuit: (Optional: some hotels have pools) • Loose-fitting pants or shirts / long shorts would be fine as well.

• Neutral color clothing (blue & white attract mosquitos) • Sweatshirt or jacket for cooler climate Toiletries • Baby wipes/Antibacterial wipes • Body soap (hotel is nice, they will have these things as well.)

• Brush or comb • Contact lens supplies (Bring glasses or an extra pair of contacts) • Chapstick • Deodorant • Hand sanitizer • Insect repellent (w/ Deet) • Lotion • Manicure kit (optional) • Personal first-aid kit (optional) • Q-tips • Razor and shaving cream • Safety pins • Shampoo and conditioner • Sunglasses and/or hat • Sunscreen

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ethiopia | blogger trip | july 2012

emergency info

• Toothbrush and toothpaste Miscellaneous • Camera (and adapter/ converter) • Close-toed shoes (flip flops of evenings but not for field visits) • Day pack • Extra Ziploc bags (small and large) • Snacks like peanut butter, protein bars, dried fruit, trail mix, etc • Small bags to separate dirty laundry from the clean clothes • Powdered Gatorade or Emergen-C packs for a hydration boost • Prescriptions you will need while traveling (bring in original bottles) • Book to read or activities to do on the long plane ride • Bible What not to bring • Expensive electronics • Expensive jewelry and/or large, noticeable jewelry • Packing Tip: Lay out everything you think you need for your trip and leave 30% of it at home!

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EMERGENCY CONTACT If your family needs to reach you in the event of an emergency, they should contact Josh Kienzle at 602 315 6737 (mobile) or 480 609 7735 (office).

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ETHIOPIA FACTS Check out the following link for helpful information Ethiopia: http://1.usa.gov/WorldFactBook-Ethiopia

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