note from peace corps to friends and family of volunteer
Irregular Communication
The mail service in Tanzania 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 Tanzania to arrive in the United States via the Tanzanian 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. We would also like to suggest that you consider the use of "aerograms," generally a blue sheet of paper which folds into an envelope. These are available in most stationary stores or at post offices. Volunteers have had good success in receiving their mail in this form. 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!
If, for some reason, your communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for three months, you should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at Peace Corps Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470. OSS will then contact the Peace Corps Director and ask her/him to check up on the Volunteer. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS at 1-800-424-8580, ext 1470. If there is no response, you may also contact the Duty Officer at (202) 638-2574 so that the Volunteer will be informed as soon as possible.
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. Since we are not authorized to send packages to Volunteers, 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:
Peace Corps Director
P.O. Box 9123
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
We recommend that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. Custom fees can be quite expensive. For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), several services, such as DHL, FedEx, TNT, and UPS operate in Tanzania. These services however, are very expensive, and can cost as much as $70 for a letter. If you do choose to send items through them, you must address the package to the Country Director, c/o Peace Corps, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. (The street address of the Peace Corps office in Dar es Salaam is: 36 A Zambia Road, Oyster Bay, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania). If you send the item to the Country Director, no liability can be assumed.
In addition to sending personal packages to Volunteers, family members may want to mail donated items, such as books or computers. As much as we would like to assist our Volunteers in this process we are not authorized to ship these items. Generally, Volunteers make arrangements with the organizations with whom they are working to solicit support and help with shipping costs.
We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania. We understand how frustrating communication difficulties can be when your family member is overseas and we appreciate your using this information as a guide. Please feel free to contact us at the Tanzania Desk in Washington, D.C. if you have any further questions. Our phone number is 1-800-424-8580, ext. 2323 or locally, 202-692-2323.
The mail service in Tanzania 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 Tanzania to arrive in the United States via the Tanzanian 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. We would also like to suggest that you consider the use of "aerograms," generally a blue sheet of paper which folds into an envelope. These are available in most stationary stores or at post offices. Volunteers have had good success in receiving their mail in this form. 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!
If, for some reason, your communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for three months, you should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at Peace Corps Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470. OSS will then contact the Peace Corps Director and ask her/him to check up on the Volunteer. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS at 1-800-424-8580, ext 1470. If there is no response, you may also contact the Duty Officer at (202) 638-2574 so that the Volunteer will be informed as soon as possible.
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. Since we are not authorized to send packages to Volunteers, 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:
Peace Corps Director
P.O. Box 9123
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
We recommend that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. Custom fees can be quite expensive. For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), several services, such as DHL, FedEx, TNT, and UPS operate in Tanzania. These services however, are very expensive, and can cost as much as $70 for a letter. If you do choose to send items through them, you must address the package to the Country Director, c/o Peace Corps, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. (The street address of the Peace Corps office in Dar es Salaam is: 36 A Zambia Road, Oyster Bay, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania). If you send the item to the Country Director, no liability can be assumed.
In addition to sending personal packages to Volunteers, family members may want to mail donated items, such as books or computers. As much as we would like to assist our Volunteers in this process we are not authorized to ship these items. Generally, Volunteers make arrangements with the organizations with whom they are working to solicit support and help with shipping costs.
We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania. We understand how frustrating communication difficulties can be when your family member is overseas and we appreciate your using this information as a guide. Please feel free to contact us at the Tanzania Desk in Washington, D.C. if you have any further questions. Our phone number is 1-800-424-8580, ext. 2323 or locally, 202-692-2323.
posted by Jane at 3:18 PM
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