Yes, mail will sometimes take 6 weeks to arrive to my post in Cameroon. Which means that if you want to send something that will arrive around my birthday, you're going to have to send it next week, before I have even left the country! I find that particularly amusing. It takes so long because it takes a while to get from the US to Cameroon, but then from there, in the capital Yaounde, it goes out to the individual sites. Mail runs obviously do not occur every day, and so mail might sit in the Peace Corps Headquarters for a while before being sent out with the delivery person to the training sites and later sites. I believe I will be in the north of the country as well, which means more travel time and less infrastructure.
However, don't let this discourage you! I know that I will love letters, whether they are a day old or 40 days old! So please, write away! I think that regular mail from my loved ones will be the most cherished possession I have, as email access may not be very reliable or frequent, and they will be one of the few connections with friends and family. To know what is going on in all of your lives will be more precious than silver. I too, will try to write as much as possible; however, I do know that when I am extremely lonely, I tend to withdraw a bit rather than reaching out, so your contact will be so much appreciated!
Some tips for mailing:
Write "air mail"/"par avion" on the outside of the letter or package and send it air mail. Items sent ground mail sometimes take years to arrive. (and I still remember sending a "ground mail" package home from South Africa which arrived many months after I arrived back home.)
If you are mailing a package, it is helpful to write on the outside the general contents of the package. (I.E. "cookies, t-shirt, watch" rather than "oatmeal raisin, j.crew, rolex") This will discourage people hoping for money or other items and might prevent it from being opened.
However, don't let this discourage you! I know that I will love letters, whether they are a day old or 40 days old! So please, write away! I think that regular mail from my loved ones will be the most cherished possession I have, as email access may not be very reliable or frequent, and they will be one of the few connections with friends and family. To know what is going on in all of your lives will be more precious than silver. I too, will try to write as much as possible; however, I do know that when I am extremely lonely, I tend to withdraw a bit rather than reaching out, so your contact will be so much appreciated!
Some tips for mailing:
Write "air mail"/"par avion" on the outside of the letter or package and send it air mail. Items sent ground mail sometimes take years to arrive. (and I still remember sending a "ground mail" package home from South Africa which arrived many months after I arrived back home.)
If you are mailing a package, it is helpful to write on the outside the general contents of the package. (I.E. "cookies, t-shirt, watch" rather than "oatmeal raisin, j.crew, rolex") This will discourage people hoping for money or other items and might prevent it from being opened.
Sending mail in a padded envelope rather than in a box might help to disuade people from opening it.
Also helpful: drawing religious symbols (a cross or fish) on the outside, or addressing it to "Sister Elizabeth Moore", which might discourage pilfering and enhance speedy delivery.
Occasionally volunteers go back to the states and friends and family go to Cameroon to visit volunteers. When this happens, all the volunteers tend to group together in terms of helping each other out with mail. There is a box at the country capital entitled "Next Departure." People put their mail in there and then the next volunteer returning home will take it and mail it once back in the US, which of course, speeds up delivery. On the other end, parents and friends might be able to hand deliver mail from the US to Cameroon if they are coming for a visit. (of course, we're talking letters and small small packages, not huge things, as it is a blessing and a favor they are doing for us!) That way, you could send the item to them and then they could carry it over in their luggage and deliver it to the Peace Corps Headquarters, or even to the volunteer if they are in nearby villages. This of course, cuts way down on delivery time. There will most likely be a network for parents that will inform people of when visits will occur, and volunteers will be aware of that and let their loved ones know.
Also helpful: drawing religious symbols (a cross or fish) on the outside, or addressing it to "Sister Elizabeth Moore", which might discourage pilfering and enhance speedy delivery.
Occasionally volunteers go back to the states and friends and family go to Cameroon to visit volunteers. When this happens, all the volunteers tend to group together in terms of helping each other out with mail. There is a box at the country capital entitled "Next Departure." People put their mail in there and then the next volunteer returning home will take it and mail it once back in the US, which of course, speeds up delivery. On the other end, parents and friends might be able to hand deliver mail from the US to Cameroon if they are coming for a visit. (of course, we're talking letters and small small packages, not huge things, as it is a blessing and a favor they are doing for us!) That way, you could send the item to them and then they could carry it over in their luggage and deliver it to the Peace Corps Headquarters, or even to the volunteer if they are in nearby villages. This of course, cuts way down on delivery time. There will most likely be a network for parents that will inform people of when visits will occur, and volunteers will be aware of that and let their loved ones know.
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