Friends of Malawi: Learn About Malawi: About a Volunteer's Life in Malawi

The following list is geared toward volunteers planning an extended stay in rural Malawi. These are suggestions to help you think of the range of things you may or may not need. You must choose what pertains to you and your work.

Note that you can't bring everything on this list – if you did, you would exceed the weight limit and have a hard time transporting it all to your site. Many of these items are available in Malawi, but at a much greater cost than you would find Stateside. Because many volunteers’ budgets are limited, consider bringing it, bringing money to buy it, or having it sent to you.

Clothing
The best clothing for Malawi is made so that it can get dirty. Darker colors help hide the red-tan road dust. Sturdy fabrics are also a must—hand washing is not a gentle process, and the bleach necessary to keep whites bright takes a toll over time.

Styles should be conservative. For women, this means skirts that do not show knees and do not fit too tightly. Malawians consider thighs to be suggestive—if standing in sunlight allows people to see the shadow of your legs through your skirt, you will need a slip. People who will be working in a professional setting (including schools) should pack clothing that will cover their upper arms. It does get cold, so bring a pair of warm clothes. And for the rainy season consider bringing quick-drying, breathable clothes. Remember that even the briefest rain (and it rains almost every day in the rainy season) will render your clothes wet and mud-splattered. But above all, the most important point is not to pack too many clothes—three or four outfits are sufficient for Staging and the beginning of training. More outfits can be bought cheaply in the market.

- Sleeveless shirts or sundresses (keep in mind that these are not considered professional dress)

- Swim suit (one-piece, very sturdy)

- An outfit or two for in-town wear (you won’t want to wear your utilitarian clothes in the city, and you’ll probably go out to a club in the evening)

- Long sleeve t-shirts (cotton)

- Mud-splatterable trousers for mountain biking in rainy weather

- Shorts and other clothes like drawstring pajama pants for lounging around your house

- Culottes for biking (all bikes are men's bikes with a horizontal bar that makes it difficult to bike in a skirt)

- Women can and do wear trousers in the city and while traveling

Professional Clothes:
(NB: All dress clothing should be durable, practical clothing. Having them ironed is not a problem, though the irons often don’t have low settings—some irons are actually made of iron, with a place to insert hot coals! Avoid fancy clothes that require (or looks like they might require) dry-cleaning.)

- (women) dresses that go below the knees (no slits above the knee and preferably not tight-fitting (these are plentiful and cheap in the market, so only bring a few for training)

- (men) a tie and a button-down shirt—dress pants are not necessary, but dress shoes and khaki pants are

- Knit hat and gloves (higher elevation areas can be pretty chilly)

- Good quality raincoat (light-weight and breathable)

- Hooded sweatshirt or fleece (fleece is nice because it stays warm even when wet)

- Heavy-duty poncho (huge umbrellas are available all over Malawi)

- Light-weight, all-weather jacket

- Sun hat (whether it be a baseball cap or a straw hat)

- Sturdy work gloves (for gardening/manual labor)

- Wool sweaters or polar fleece (don’t bring more than one or two)

Footwear and Accessories:

- Teva or Chaco sandals (river shoes)

- Sneakers and/or hiking boots (2 pair: either 1 of each or 2 sneakers) boots are
handy for rainy season though

- Teaching shoes (close-toed and good to stand in all day)

- House shoes (slippers) (NB: you can buy flip-flops cheaply in Malawi)

- Belt (expect to punch new holes)

- Bandana or hand kerchief

- One set of long underwear

- Tons of underwear, bras, and socks (not white) (consider packing a few pairs of hiking socks)

- (women) tights or thermal underwear (for wearing under skirts in cold weather)

- (women) heavy-duty sports bra

- (women) cotton slips (bring one for training—more can be bought in the market)

Personal Hygiene and Toiletries
(NB: At the beginning of Training Peace Corps will supply you with a medical first-aid kit that contains sunscreen, insect repellent, lip balm, dental floss, condoms, pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medicine, antacids, nasal decongestants, throat lozenges, and ibuprofen. Peace Corps also provides malaria prophylaxes starting at Staging.)

- Tampons/pads for Training (after training these are provided by PC)

- Deodorant (like most of the items here, a good example something that is available but expensive in Malawi)

- Hand sanitizer (bottles work better than towelettes, which inevitably dry out)

- Multi-vitamins (if this is of concern to you. Keep in mind that low concentration vitamins are available)

- Razor, extra blades, and shaving lotion

- Manicure set (finger-nail clippers, tweezers, etc.)

- Hair cutting scissors

- Hair clippers (battery-operated)

- Prescription drugs: a 6-month supply (afterwards, these are provided by PC)

Kitchen Items
Tip: Send food stuffs to yourself before you leave. Consider foods like Kool-Aid packets, cheese powder packets from Macaroni and Cheese (pasta can be purchased in Malawi), Power Bars/granola bars/breakfast bars, soup mixes, gravy mixes, chocolate, herbal or specialty blend tea bags

- Heavy duty frying pan (think carefully before bringing non-stick frying pans—pots in the village are scoured with sand)

- Good knives (vegetable, paring, bread, meat)

- French press (if you value good coffee)

- Ziploc-bags (these are also useful for packing)

- Tupperware/Gladware containers

- Mess kit cooking set

- A set of silverware

- Nalgene water bottle (plastic that won’t take on a taste is particularly important when you are using something non-stop for 2 years. Look for Nalgene at REI or L.L. Bean)

- Light-weight, water-proof tent w/ ground cloth (tarp) for travel

- Leatherman/Swiss Army knife

- Compact sleeping bag w/ stuff sack for cold weather

- Bungee cords or backpack straps

- Flashlight or headlamp w/extra bulbs (MiniMags—which can be used like a candle—are great and easy to pack)

- LED headlamps use much less battery power and are brighter than halogen bulbs, plus the LEDs don’t break. Look for one that uses AA or AAA batteries.

- Short-wave radio (much cheaper in the U.S., and very entertaining in Malawi)

- Solar-powered rechargable batteries w/ recharger (or have someone from home
keep you supplied with American batteries via packages. The batteries available in Malawi are not nearly as powerful—most can’t run a CD player)

- Portable saw w/ wood and metal blades

- Hammer (Don’t bring because heavy and can be bought in the market in Malawi.)

- Heavy-duty scissors (the kind that is spring-assisted, and can cut thick items)

- Elmer's glue or glue stick (for when the good envelopes run out!)

- U.S. stamps so you can send your letters with Volunteers who are returning home

- Maps of the U.S. and the world

- A few pens and pencils (Sharpies or markers are handy too)

- Lonely Planet Guide for Malawi

- Camera: 35mm point-and-shoot (100 or 200 speed film only. The sun near the equator is bright and makes 400 speed film grainy and fuzzy.)

- Field guide for flora and fauna of Sub-Saharan Africa

- Seeds for herbs, spices, and vegetables (even if you don’t garden now, you probably will want to there)

- Battery-powered alarm clock

- Sheets (double flats)

- Personal money (you can leave it in the safe in the office)

- Games (scrabble, chess, frisbee, yahtzee, etc.)

- Walkman with a large variety of cassettes (CD players use too much battery
power)

- Musical instrument (guitar, harmonica, mouth harp)

- A few novels (you'll swap with other volunteers)

- If you have a hobby that requires something lightweight (like a sketch pad and
colored pencils or a really nice camera with tripod), bring it (you’ll have lots of free time to indulge)

- Luggage should be tough and light-weight. Consider a hiking pack with an interior frame (they’re easy to carry and lockable) (a large rip-stop nylon bag – like a pillowcase – with a drawstring closure can be handy for keeping backpack straps from getting damaged.)