Health Issues

General, over-the-counter medications that are found in the US are available here. The equivalent to Tylenol here is Panadol (the main ingredient, paracetamol, is similar to acetaminophen in Tylenol). Cold medications, allergy medicines, etc. have been readily available at good prices. Worm medications and anti-malarial medicines are over-the-counter drugs here and are cheap compared to US prices. Unless you are taking a special antimalarial or will be immediately entering a malarial area, wait to buy the medicines here.

Malaria
DISCLAIMER: The following information is adapted from the web site of the Center for Disease Control. This should not be substituted for advice from a qualified medical professional. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/malaria/factsht_malaria_drugs.htm

Center for Disease Control has good information about medical matters for travelers to East Africa on their website at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/eafrica.htm

a. Mefloquine (Lariam) is the preferred drug. The adult dosage is 250 mg. once a week, beginning one week prior to entering a malarial area and continuing four weeks after leaving a malarial area. Some medical professionals, however, believe that it's best to load up one's system with Mefloquine before entering a malaria area by either taking the weekly dose for 6 weeks prior to exposure or by taking the weekly dosage each day for three consecutive days prior to exposure. (Check with your doctor!) Those who are hypersensitive to it, pregnant women, and children under 15kg should not use Mefloquine. (33 lbs.), those on beta-blocker medicines, and those with a history of seizures or psychiatric disorders.

b. Doxycycline is the preventive medicine for those who cannot take mefloquine. The dosage is 100 mg. a day beginning 1 to 2 days prior to entering a malarial area and continuing for 4 weeks after leaving a malarial area. Doxycycline can cause skin photosensitivity and vaginal yeast infections. It should not be used by pregnant women, those with a hypersensitivity to tetracycline, and children under 8 years old.

c. Malarone is a new antimalarial drug in the United States. Malarone is a combination of two drugs (atovaquone and proguanil) and is an effective alternative for travelers who cannot or choose not to take mefloquine or doxycycline. The adult dosage is 1 adult tablet (250 mg atovaquone/100mg proguanil) once a day, beginning 1 to 2 days before traveling to a malarial area and continuing for 7 days after leaving the malarial area. Malarone should not be taken by patients with severe renal impairment. Pregnant women or women breast-feeding infants weighing less than 11kg (24lbs) should NOT take Malarone to prevent malaria. Infants weighing less than 11kg (24lbs) should NOT be given Malarone.

All of these medications, with the exception of Malarone are available in Nairobi and are generally much cheaper than in the US and have not required a prescription.

Most expatriates do not take anti-malarial medications unless they live in a malarial area or until they are ready to go into a malaria-infested area. Insect repellents (available here) should also be used.

Prevention - Malaria Prevention

The best prevention against malaria is to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Mosquitoes that transmit malaria bite between dusk and dawn. Wear protective clothing (long-sleeved shirts and trousers) when outdoors. Use insect repellent on exposed skin. Insect sprays containing Tetramethrin/Permethrin/Pyrethrin, electric burners and treated chips, and mosquito coils are all available in Eastern Africa for use indoors when not staying in air-conditioned or well-screened rooms.

Medical Care - General Medical Care

Medical care is generally very good in Kenya. There are highly qualified pediatricians, general practitioners, internists, dentists, dental surgeons, optometrists, and ophthalmologists in Nairobi. Most drugs and medicines will be available in Nairobi -- sometimes they are cheaper, as well.

Immunization

Be sure that your children are current with their immunizations -- they will need them before entering Rosslyn Academy or RVA. Currently, the Kenya government does not require persons coming from the USA to have any particular immunizations -- however, that can change at any time. You will want to seriously consider getting immunizations for yellow fever, tetanus, rabies (especially for children and adults who jog or walk), hepatitis-B, measles, polio, and meningococcal meningitis. The yellow fever immunization is very important and the vaccine is very good.

Electrical and Electronics

The electrical current in Kenya is 240 volts, 50 hertz (or cycles per second). At times the voltage can vary from 200 to 265 volts. Voltage regulators/stabilizers are available in Kenya, but they are imported from Japan and, therefore, expensive. Several people use them for computers. Electrical outages and brownouts are common in certain parts of the country.

Stove

Opinions about whether it is better to use an electric stove or a gas stove seem to be fairly evenly divided among missionaries.

Electricity in Kenya is somewhat reliable, but it is more expensive than in the US. On the other hand, by using an electric range, you don't have to worry about keeping a supply of cooking gas on hand. In the end, it comes down to personal preference -- whether you like using gas or electricity --and what you already have.

Washer

It is advisable to bring the simplest machines you can find. They are less likely to have something go wrong, they are more likely to work with the 50 hertz current, and if they need repairing, you are more likely to be able to find spare parts. It would be advisable to bring spare belts for both washer and dryer and you might want to consider bringing a spare timer for your washer.

European 220-240 volts machines should work fine.

Computers

Increasingly missionaries are finding computers necessary for their communications and for their ministries. Bringing one is a personal decision. Many are able to bring computers into Kenya in their baggage with little or no tax or customs. Check with others in your mission as to the best way to bring in a computer.

Books

It should go without saying that you will want to bring books and other materials that you will use in your work -- i.e., your personal library. There are good bookstores in Nairobi handling a variety of topics.

Holidays

Food

Most things that you will need are available in Kenya. Most staples are readily available. A wide variety of pastas is available in Nairobi, both local and imported.

Currently, many imported food stuffs are available. Most are from South Africa and many are competitively priced compared to US prices.

There are certain items you will want to bring if you use them: Kool-Aid, popcorn, salt/seasoning, canned pie fillings, Dream Whip (you can buy cream or evaporated milk and make the real thing), maple flavoring, chili powder, salad dressing mixes, cake mixes, graham crackers (you can substitute digestive biscuits), pecans, walnuts, instant tea, instant decaffeinated coffee (drip and perc grinds are available), Splenda sweetener, premixed packaged seasonings (spaghetti, taco, chili, etc.), vegetable oil sprays like Pam, salt or butter substitutes (regular salt, butter, and margarine are available in Kenya), many American candies for special occasions or to ease homesickness, etc.

Water - Drinking Water

While you are at school, you will most likely want to use boiled or filtered water, at least for the first few weeks or months.

In most of Eastern Africa, you should drink filtered or bottled (mineral) water. Even though tap water in Nairobi was once considered safe to drink (potable) that is no longer the case. Good bottled water is available in most major towns and cities and is relatively inexpensive.

Clothing

The clothing you bring and wear will be dependent on your own personal style and taste, the climate of where you live, and the culture of the people with whom you will work. Generally, things are much less formal in Kenya than in the US. Do be sure that you bring comfortable shoes as you will likely walk much more here than you are accustomed to doing.

There will be times when you will want dressy clothes. There are nice restaurants in Nairobi. Men will sometimes need to wear a suit or sports jacket and tie when preaching or doing business.

Even if you won't be stationed at Limuru or other high altitude station, many people come to Greenacres occasionally and it can be pretty chilly there. June through September are the winter months and the temperatures can drop to 40 F at night and often stay around 65 F during the day (4 C - 18 C). In addition, there is a lot of fog and misty weather during those times so you feel colder. Those who live in warm or hot places feel cool even in Nairobi. "A word to the wise...." bring sweaters, jackets, sweatshirts, etc.

If you normally shop for clothes for yourself and/or your family at flea markets or places like the Goodwill Store or Salvation Army Store, then you might plan to shop in the local clothing markets. Mitumba, second-hand clothes, are available in much of the country and region and one can often find good quality, very inexpensive clothing there. Shopping in the markets does take time and energy. But, the rewards are low cost and high interaction with Kenyans. If you commit yourself to doing everything in Swahili, it will help your language and culture acquisition immeasurably.

Do bring underclothing and socks for the entire family. What you find here is of very poor quality and you will not find everything you need. If your children wear athletic/tube socks a lot, gray ones work well (if you can find them and if your children will wear them). White socks turn orange very quickly because of the dust and mud.

Home Setup

Furniture

You will most likely want to bring the furniture that you have. If you need or want to buy new furniture to bring, take into consideration that, as a general rule, upholstered furniture here is of poorer quality and is higher priced than in the US. On the other hand, you can get good quality and relatively inexpensive solid-wood furniture here -- often custom made.

Good quality innerspring mattresses and box springs are now available in Kenya but you may still want to bring yours from the US even though they take up a fair amount of crate space. Good quality foam mattresses are available here in a variety of thicknesses and densities. (If you like a firm mattress, you may be satisfied with the high density 8"-10" foam mattress manufactured here).

Money

Currency and Currency Controls

The Kenya unit of currency is the Kenya Shilling (KSh). The shilling is divided into cents -- 100 cents per shilling. Notes with values of KSh 50, KSh 100, KSh 200, KSh 500, and KSh 1,000 are currently in use. Coins are in values of KSh 20, KSh 10, KSh 5, KSh 1, and KSh .50 (fifty cents). At the time of this last revision, the US $1.00 is worth KSh 75.0 (August 2005).

Currency controls are more liberal than they have been in a long time. Incoming tourists and residents have not been required to declare their foreign currency since 1991. There are, however, still some restrictions on where one can legally use and exchange foreign currency. Unless it is absolutely necessary, do not exchange foreign currency at the airport -- you will get a much better rate at some foreign exchange bureaus (We recommend The Village Market Forex Bureau) or even a bank in Nairobi or Limuru. If you do have to exchange money at the airport, use the Barclays' Bank office (to the left as you face the exit from customs) -- their exchange rate has been consistently better than other banks.

Getting Around

Driving

We drive on the left side of the road and the driver sits on the right side of the car. Learning to drive on the wrong side of the road (wrong from the American perspective) is not as difficult as it sounds -- many say it's harder to readjust to the American way on furlough than to adjust to the Kenyan way. Almost all cars have manual transmissions that you shift with your left hand -- accelerator, brake pedal, and clutch are operated with the same feet as in US cars. If you are not used to driving a manual transmission vehicle, get some instruction and practice before leaving home. That will help your transition to East Africa go more smoothly.

Don't leave home without getting an International Driving License. In the US, at AAA, the only requirements are the fee (about $5), a valid state driver's license, and a passport-sized picture -- you do not have to belong to AAA. If you have the International Driving License and your US driver's license, you will automatically be issued a Kenyan Driving License (it may still take several months to actually receive the Kenya license). If you don't have one, you will be required to take the driving test -- you don't want to do that. If
you don't have a local AAA office or the local office can't help you, call the regional or national office and find out how to get the License at another office or by mail.

Public Transport

It is important to note that you can travel around Nairobi and the country through public trnasport. However, it is dangerous and can be more expensive in terms of actual cost and time to use them compared to owing a car.