I know I will have internet, at least for the first 10 days, in the evenings. After that, it is really up to where I am in placed in Butajira for training, and where eventually I will be placed for the remainder of my time in Ethiopia.
That being said, I have talked to volunteers who are serving currently and those who have returned. A current volunteer said this when it comes to communication: "It helps if you have a plan of contact like using skype to call your parents or Face time or WhatsApp, something that you know will work for everyone you want to contact... In terms of snail mail sometimes packages and mail come through in a couple of weeks, and sometimes they may take a lot longer. It is hard to tell how long a package or mail will take, so usually email is the better way to go. Most volunteers in Ethiopia will have access to email at least once a week. What I do with my parents is they are able to skype my Ethiopian cellphone. That is usually the most reliable form of contact.
It does depend on where you are in the country. A lot of towns have something called EVDO where you can have internet access in your home through an internet stick. Some towns will even have internet cafes. If your town does not have internet often you will be close to a "hub city" which will have internet access--- close being within a 2-3 hour bus ride. It is rare that a volunteer is posted something like 7 or 8 hours away from his/her hub city. However, even if you do have internet access often it will be unreliable, frustrating, and slow. We are extremely lucky in Ethiopia that we have access to internet at all. A lot of PC posts have much more limited access than we do. So... celebrate!"
So, here is how to contact me:
My email is:
librababystar@gmail.com
My mailing address is:
Kelsey Hill
c/o Peace Corps Ethiopia
P.O. Box 7788, Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Airmail from the US to major cities in Ethiopia takes 2-4 weeks. Packages take 3-4 weeks.
Please number, date, and include "air mail" and "par avion" on all letters and packages you may send my way!
The address listed above will be my training address for my first 3 months in Ethiopia. I will provide my "permanent" address for my 2 years in Ethiopia as soon as I receive my placement and obtain a P.O. Box.
(Instructions taken from Amy Sage's blog post.)
That being said, I have talked to volunteers who are serving currently and those who have returned. A current volunteer said this when it comes to communication: "It helps if you have a plan of contact like using skype to call your parents or Face time or WhatsApp, something that you know will work for everyone you want to contact... In terms of snail mail sometimes packages and mail come through in a couple of weeks, and sometimes they may take a lot longer. It is hard to tell how long a package or mail will take, so usually email is the better way to go. Most volunteers in Ethiopia will have access to email at least once a week. What I do with my parents is they are able to skype my Ethiopian cellphone. That is usually the most reliable form of contact.
It does depend on where you are in the country. A lot of towns have something called EVDO where you can have internet access in your home through an internet stick. Some towns will even have internet cafes. If your town does not have internet often you will be close to a "hub city" which will have internet access--- close being within a 2-3 hour bus ride. It is rare that a volunteer is posted something like 7 or 8 hours away from his/her hub city. However, even if you do have internet access often it will be unreliable, frustrating, and slow. We are extremely lucky in Ethiopia that we have access to internet at all. A lot of PC posts have much more limited access than we do. So... celebrate!"
So, here is how to contact me:
My email is:
librababystar@gmail.com
My mailing address is:
Kelsey Hill
c/o Peace Corps Ethiopia
P.O. Box 7788, Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Airmail from the US to major cities in Ethiopia takes 2-4 weeks. Packages take 3-4 weeks.
Please number, date, and include "air mail" and "par avion" on all letters and packages you may send my way!
The address listed above will be my training address for my first 3 months in Ethiopia. I will provide my "permanent" address for my 2 years in Ethiopia as soon as I receive my placement and obtain a P.O. Box.
(Instructions taken from Amy Sage's blog post.)
O God, you are present in every place. We pray you to enfold with your loving care, Kelsey, who is going away from us, and those who travel by land, sea, air or space. Let your fatherly hand be ever over her and her companions; prosper them in their way; grant them daily strength for their needs; and inspire in them an unwavering faith in you, that they may live always to your honor and glory. Amen.
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