Health
Disclaimer: The advice on this page is based on the experiences of past volunteers. You should always follow the advice of your doctor.
Immunizations
As soon as you decide to come to India, go to your local Health Department and start getting the vaccinations, and save your receipts for reimbursement from PC(USA). You should have your Tetanus/Diphtheria and your MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) up-to-date. You will also need Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, and one polio booster. Getting vaccinated against Meningitis is a good idea, as well. You may also want to consider going through the Rabies pre-exposure series and the Japanese Encephalitis series. These will take several weeks, so start as early as possible. Rabies is a serious problem throughout India. Japanese Encephalitis is mostly a threat around agricultural areas. Consult your doctor and the CDC Website for the latest up-to-date information.
Malaria
Theoretically, Kerala is free of malaria. Each volunteer must make a personal decision regarding prophylaxis. You will almost certainly want to use one when traveling in other parts of India, so use your judgment about the quantity to bring along. It is also available in pharmacies here, at a fraction of the cost in the US. Some volunteers use anti-malaria drugs year-round, some not at all, and others only when traveling.
Prescription Drugs
Before stocking up for the whole year on prescription drugs, check to see if they’re available in India. Even so, plan to bring a month’s worth of medication with you.
Over-the-Counter Drugs
Definitely bring anti-diarrhea medicine, i.e. Immodium, with you. Also bring small amounts of other medications that you may use for heartburn, gas, colds, allergies, mosquito bites, pain, motion sickness, etc. These drugs are available locally but may have different brand names, so jot down the chemical names of the drugs you prefer.
If you use them, you may want to bring along multivitamins.
Mosquito Protection
The amount of mosquito protection that you require will depend on the location, the season, and the time of day. Indians fend off mosquitoes with devices that are similar to nightlights and/or screening or netting (Buy these in India). This is sufficient protection for them. The mosquitoes, however, might find you tastier than the average Indian. Therefore, as an added precaution, you may wish to apply spray or lotion to your feet and arms in the evenings, when the mosquitoes are at their worst. Any repellent that contains a 20% or higher concentration of DEET will suffice. This is most likely enough protection for almost all circumstances. If you're still concerned, consider investing in permethrin. This is an insecticide that is applied to clothes, and prevents bites through your clothing. An easy way to handle this is to purchase two to three 8 oz. bottles of concentrate (13.3%) per person, and wait to use it until you've purchased clothing in India, then follow the directions for six-month effectiveness, and reapply halfway through the year.
Sun and Heat Protection
Southern India is HOT, especially during the months, of March, April, and May. The sun is very strong when you’re so close to the equator. You can protect yourself in a variety of ways.
Some Indians, women especially, carry around umbrellas that have a silver underlining to reflect the sun's rays. Plan to buy one of these when you arrive. Sunscreen is also helpful but not available in India. Some volunteers regularly use it; some rarely do. Bring at least one bottle of SPF 15 or higher.
Expect to sweat a lot in the balmy weather.
It is very important to keep yourself hydrated. You may find yourself drinking a liter or more of fluid everyday. Some volunteers have found drink powders, such as Gatorade or Cool-Aid, to be nice to have to stay properly hydrated and to reduce bad tastes in water. You don’t need anything special to carry water, but you may want to bring a sturdy water bottle that holds both very hot and very cold water and doesn't leak.
Attire
Plan to bring some modest clothing. Two outfits are enough; five are plenty. Choose lightweight cotton or linen fabrics.
Men's Attire
Men in Kerala traditionally wore a mundu outdoors, which is a long piece of white fabric that is wrapped around the waist, and a khadi shirt, which is a loose, long-sleeved shirt that extends below the hips. These items are still quite popular. Men also regularly wear long pants such as chinos and khakis, and short-sleeve, button down shirts. Solid-colored t-shirts are also acceptable. Pants should be the right length for walking around barefoot in homes and churches.
Women's Attire
Women in Kerala traditionally wear a sari outdoors, which is a long piece of fabric wrapped several times around the body. Most young women today usually wear churidhar, a long tunic, loose pants, and usually a shawl. Long dresses or skirts and blouses are also acceptable but are worn less regularly.
Virtually all women wear jewelry (ornaments). You should expect to regularly wear inexpensive earrings and a small chain. If you don’t have pierced ears, bring some clip-on earrings. Also, most women use hairpins in their hair. If you have light-colored hair, you may want to bring some along since only black pins are available in India.
For the women volunteers, a pair of comfortable, light cotton or linen pants is recommended for your stay in India. A pair of capris are also suitable to bring. These items may be worn around your site or for extensive travel, especially while on a train, where you may find it more comfortable to wear a blouse and these pants.
You may also want to bring a few long skirts that reach below the knees. These may be worn with buttoned blouses, and are also a comfortable and appropriate outfit to wear.
Underwear
All underclothings should be lightweight and cotton. For women, a few non-padded cotton bras would be most helpful during your stay. The climate is hot and humid, and fancy, padded bras do not dry as quickly and may keep you more sweaty than comfortable. Bras are readily available in Kerala should you need to purchase any during your stay. You may bring sport bras to wear with T-shirts for your comfort, but know that most churidhars/sarees are designed to be worn with a regular bra, and a peeking bra strap may be embarrassing.
For men, if you're a boxers man, bring a year's supply. If you're a briefs man, bring a year's supply. If you're a brightly colored bikini-briefs guy, welcome to underwear heaven.
Indoor wear
When in your own room, you can wear whatever you like, such as t-shirts and shorts. Many women in India wear a housecoat when indoors. Men wear a kiley, which is similar to a mundu. These are both widely available in South India.
Clothing for Other Occasions
You will have occasions for swimming, so bring along a modest swimsuit. Women will want to wear clothing, such as a t-shirt and shorts, over their swimsuits.
Also bring clothing for occasional cooler temperatures: a lightweight jacket or sweater, pants, and a couple pairs of socks. You should bring a pair of jeans or the equivalent.
Shoes
Indians almost always wear sandals. They should be sturdy, comfortable, and easy to remove for entering homes and churches. Buckles are ok but can be cumbersome. You may want non-leather shoes for during the rainy season. You'll also probably want to bring or purchase in India a pair of flip-flops for indoor use.
Personal Care
Some aspects of personal care in India are very different from in the U.S. Indians. Most people have dry skin and hair; they use hair oil to prevent their hair from becoming brittle. Almost all adult men have facial hair; it’s a sign of manhood. Few women apply face makeup except for special occasions, but nail polish is fairly popular. Popular culture considers fair skin to be the ideal. Handkerchiefs are used instead of tissues. Such paper products are available but are expensive.
Indians usually do not use toilet paper. Indian toilets are also different from the WC in the west. Click Here for an interesting explanation on how to use the squat-type Indian toilet.
Despite these differences, many types and brands of toiletries that are found in the U.S. are also available in India. Thus, you can bring only small amounts of what you need for the first week or so. However, don’t expect to find your specific facial cleanser, sanitary product, body wash, etc. Bring the items that you ‘re really picky about and purchase the rest when you arrive.
The following toiletries are not readily available: deodorant, tampons, hair conditioner, sunscreen, decent toothpicks, and products designed for oily hair or skin. However, many of these are available in Sri Lanka.
You do not need to bring linens, towels, cleaning supplies, etc.
Electronics
Electrical Current
India uses 240V AC Current. All outlets require round pins, but the size and spacing is not uniform. Surge protectors and plug adapters can be easily found and are much cheaper than in the U.S.
Batteries
Batteries are easy to get, though rechargeable batteries might be hard to find. Be aware that Indians burn their trash, so you want to avoid tossing batteries. If you’re bringing items that require special batteries, you may want to bring some extras.
Items to Bring
Definitely bring a camera. It is easy to develop film in India. Digital cameras are fine; make sure you have a decent amount of storage space in the camera. You can find places to print digital pictures in India.
Definitely bring a battery powered travel alarm clock
The current can be quite unreliable, so consider bringing a small flashlight. You can purchase one in India, if you prefer.
Consider bringing a portable CD player or the equivalent. This can be really nice during times of homesickness and loneliness.
Items not to Bring
Most electronic equipment is available in India, i.e irons, teapots, fans, etc. Your site may even provide such items for you.
The Laptop: to bring or not to bring
If own a laptop, you may be wondering whether to bring it. In some placements, a laptop may be really useful. In others, it might be completely unnecessary. So talk to your site coordinator. If you plan to bring one, keep in mind the following:
Some computers will operate on both U.S. and India voltage, so check before you go crazy trying to get a voltage converter. You can probably get whatever you need to plug in your computer in India.
Get a USB drive if your computer didn’t come with one.
In India people more often use a dial-up or cable modems. It’s best if your computer has both Ethernet and dial-up capabilities.
Communication
Post
It's very easy to send letters and postcards. Mail coming from the U.S. takes about one week to arrive. Mail going to the U.S. can take longer, about three weeks. Sending packages from the U.S. is expensive. It will take three to four weeks for packages to travel by air. It can take several months for packages to travel by sea.
Telephone Calls
You will be provided a cell phone. ‘Minutes’ are prepaid and easily obtained. Incoming calls (from anywhere, USA and Kerala included) are free. Sending texts and making phonecalls (within Kerala) is quite cheap; making outgoing calls and sending outgoing texts to the US is much more expensive by comparison. Your best bet, in terms of keeping in touch with your family via phone, is to familiarize your family with skype; they can buy skype credit and call your Indian cell phone relatively cheaply.
You will have opportunities to regularly check your email at either your placement site or at an Internet café. As mentioned above, having a USB drive will allow you to maximize your internet café time, save money, and write emails/blogs in your free time and at your leisure.
Cultural Customs
It will take several weeks or months to figure out all of the various rituals and mannerisms in India, but here are some tips to get you started.
- When entering homes or places of worship, remove your shoes.
- When greeting someone, put your hands together as if praying.
- If you're male, sit on the left side of the church, sit with other males during lunch.
- If you're female, sit on the right side of the church, sit with other females during lunch.
- To indicate "Yes," tilt your head from side to side or shake it as you would when saying "No."
- To indicate "No,"squeeze your eyes shut and slightly shake your head.
- Deodorant
- Tampons
- Hair conditioner
- Toothpicks & Floss
- Hand sanitizer (***see note below)
- Products designed for oily hair or skin
- Tissues
- Clip-on earrings (for women without pierced ears)
- Hairpins for light-colored hair
- Sunscreen
- Powdered drink mix such as Gatorade or Cool-Aid (However, you CAN find oral rehydration salts at pharmacies)
Almost everything else can be bought upon arrival. That said, here is a suggested list of items to bring along. Please read through other sections for discussions on these items. Many volunteers have liked having: Two to five modest outfits. Choose lightweight cotton or linen fabrics.
- Jewelry (for women)- earrings and small chain
- Hairpins (for women with light hair)
- Cotton Underwear
- Some socks
- Lightweight jacket or sweater
- One pair of jeans or the equivalent
- At least one t-shirt
- At least one pair of shorts
- Modest swimsuit
- Sandals (see “Attire” for details)
- Flip-flops
- Small amounts of any toiletries you use
- Sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher
- At least one month of any prescription medications
- Anti-Diarrhea medication
- Small amounts of other OTC drugs that you use
- Daily multivitamin, if you use one
- Small packages of tissues or camping toilet paper
- Bug repellent with 20% or higher DETE
- Thin, quick-dry towel, such as a camping towel
- Camera
- Battery powered travel alarm clock
- Sturdy water bottle that can hold both hot and cold water
- Powdered drink mix
- Small, decent flashlight
- Digital MP3/Media Player: ipod or the equivalent
- Pocketknife
