I would love to receive mail from you! Internet communication is possible, but letters are even more wonderful. Or download WhatsApp on your smartphone and we can send text messages to each other over data.
If you wanted to send me a package, know that I will greatly appreciate it and love you dearly. It seems that you can send about 10 pounds for about $80, which is expensive, so I have no expectations for packages. Many people have been asking for items that can be sent, so I will include a list below.
I can start receiving visitors after January 2017 so that I have time to settle into my community without influences from the outside. Kruger National Park is very close to Swaziland as are many other large parks in KwaZulu-Natal. Swaziland even has its own national parks and preserves also with the Big Five (elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo, and leopard) that will be just as much fun to visit. And, of course, you can visit my village and meet my host family.
Items you can send:
- Boxed Annie’s or Trader Joe’s mac and cheese
- Packaged pastas and dry soups (such as Knorr Italian sides)
- Nuts (cashews, pistachios, almonds, and peanuts) or trail mix (I like the ones with nuts, raisins, and chocolate pieces, like Target’s Monster or Trader Joe’s Happy Trekking)
- Crackers (Wheat Thins [Target’s generic version are identical], Cheeze-It’s regular orange squares or the Grooves in white cheddar)
- Fruit pouches (applesauce [plain or cinnamon] or the fruit + veggie combos)
- Jerky (My favorite is the FieldTrip brand, which I have seen at Target and Sprouts. I like the peppered turkey. I also like ones that are plain or with a spicy seasoning like chipotle. No teriyaki or BBQ. Turkey, beef, and bison are ok.)
- Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, or caramels
- Ziploc bags in any size
- Crafts for children from the dollar store or Target’s dollar spot (crayons, markers, colored pencils, chalk, coloring books, crafts, etc.)
- Magazines (Mother Jones, National Geographic, Nat Geo Traveler or Adventurer, anything food related)
- Pictures of you
Food should have “use by” dates that are far into the future. Please bag anything that could escape its packaging.
My address:
Alison Kemp, PCV
US Peace Corps
PO Box 2797
Mbabane H100
eSwatini/Swaziland
Africa
*Make sure you include Africa in the address so the package doesn’t end up in Switzerland. Also, I have been told that writing sayings like “Jesus saves” will help protect the package from being opened. Do not pay for faster shipping because everything takes two to seven weeks. Use USPS because it is the cheapest.
travelin' the globe 