botswana - Council on International Educational Exchange

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up the process of replacing your documents should they be lost or stolen. Be especially cautious in areas frequented by tourists, such as airports, train stations, museums, and U.S.-style restaurants. Be aware of the heating situation provided by your host institution and host residence. For locations where carbon monoxide producing appliances may be present – i.e., any appliance that burns fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal – detailed information on the possible dangers associated with such appliances, along with safe operating instructions, will be provided in the on-site program orientation. For further information, please visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website at www.epa.gov. You may wish to take a small battery-operated carbon monoxide detector to have in your housing. If you are the victim of a pickpocket, or if something is stolen, inform the Resident Director who will help you make a report. Is it safe? Incidents of terrorism against U.S. citizens in Botswana and the likelihood of being the victim of a terrorist attack are not common occurrences in Botswana’s history. Indeed, the danger of travel in the region has been greatly exaggerated. Still, you should take certain precautions to avoid possible danger. We advise you to avoid bars, restaurants, night clubs, or resorts known to be frequented by U.S. military personnel. In most cases of terrorism it is not an individual that is the target, but a symbolic location. Please keep the Resident Staff informed at all times of your travel plans. Trap: Letting down your guard When visiting a foreign country, you may well be enchanted by your surroundings and engage in behavior that is not typical of you. This may cause you to let your guard down and be susceptible to crime. Practice common sense and exercise good judgment. Remember that you are more likely to be a victim of crime if you have been drinking alcohol. COMMUNICATIONS AND MAIL Telephone Cell phones are a part of everyday life in Gaborone. Participants who have tri-ban phones are able to bring their cell to Botswana and purchase a SIM card that will work during their stay. Remember to bring all PIN codes with you. Other participants will be able to purchase cell phones for a reasonable price once they arrive on-site. They then purchase a short plan for the semester. Details on how to do this will be provided during the on-site orientation. Typically, incoming cell phone calls are free for the user. This allows parents and friends to call the participant’s cell phone without incurring additional fees. Past participants on CIEE programs have also used an Internet phone provider to secure inexpensive call rates. Currently, Skype (www.skype.com) is the leader in this area. Bringing a phone card is a good way to avoid phone bill hassles in a shared apartment. There are public phones on the University campus. Students can buy local calling cards to make local calls. Participants say... It is recommended that students purchase a pre-paid calling card so that they may contact their parents after arriving in Botswana. Fax The cost for a fax to the United States depends on how much time it takes to send the fax. Costs are often lower between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. If you need course approval in order to guarantee a semester credit, the CIEE Office will allow you to send a fax with no charge. Incoming faxes should be addressed to you, using your full name, C/O the Resident Director. The CIEE Office fax is only available for business related issues. E-mail and Computers Students have access to computers in the UB library and within the various academic faculties. The library includes a Late Night Study Area that is open 24 hours a day for student use and local Internet cafés are also available. If you have a laptop, it is wise to bring it. You will need to type your assignments for class and students are able to register their laptops and use them in the computer labs on campus. Windows-based computers are most common. If you do bring your own computer, you may not have access to the Internet and e-mail from home, as only some residence hall rooms have internet connections. Make sure to insure your laptop if you decide to bring it along as CIEE is not responsible if it is lost or stolen. Additionally, we recommend that any students taking a laptop consider installing security/theft recovery software. One example of this software is Computrace LoJack for laptops, made by Absolute software. 18
Participants say... If you have your own laptop computer bring it. You don't need it but it makes things easier. Get it insured and don't forget to bring an adapter and converter. Mail Service Mail service from the United States to Botswana is normally very slow; it can take about three weeks to receive letters from the U.S. Packages Packages can be sent through regular mail (note that this is VERY slow), or with a courier service (for example, DHL), and they should be sent to the program address. Once packages arrive there, students will be notified to pick them up. There is no fee for picking up packages. If packages are sent to you, make sure they are labeled "secondhand/used" and give a very low dollar values to the contents. Otherwise you will end up paying expensive import tax. Trap: Don't mail cigarettes or alcohol It is illegal to send cigarettes or alcohol through the mail. MONEY AND BANKING Arrive in Botswana with several ways to obtain money, so that in the event one method fails or is inconvenient, a back-up option is available. The best options are to bring a few traveler's checks in denominations of $50 or $100 and an ATM/Debit card. Please note that traveler’s checks are no longer as popular as they used to be. Students tend to prefer ATM/Debit or credit cards, although traveler’s checks can be cashed in a few places. Money The unit of currency in Botswana is the Pula (which translates into ―rain‖). Note that denominations are 10, 20, 50, and 100, with the largest coin being 5 pula. The pula is made up of 100 thebe. American Express Traveler's Checks are a safe form of payment, although they are not as easy to use as an ATM/Debit card. They can be converted into pula or other currencies at many banks in most countries you may visit. As long as you have a record of your traveler's check numbers, you can recover stolen or lost amounts. Be sure to buy your traveler's checks before you depart the United States. You will need your passport to cash them. Tip: Credit card and traveler's check numbers Remember to keep a list of your credit card numbers and traveler's check numbers separate from the cards and checks. Leave a list at home, too. Banks cash traveler's checks but do charge a commission rate. Forex (foreign exchange) bureaus have better rates for largedenomination checks. American Express and Thomas Cook do not charge a commission for changing traveler's checks. Shop around. You can, of course, bring and exchange dollars for new pula, too; the exchange rate is slightly better, but the risk is higher than with traveler’s checks. Avoid roadside money-changers; currency transactions with private individuals are illegal. ATM/Debit and Credit cards Since ATM's are widely available throughout Gaborone and on campus, students should consider having a parent or guardian maintain their bank account in the States so that they can withdraw funds as necessary. CIRRUS and PLUS cards can be used to access ATM's. Check with your bank regarding international access fees for overseas transactions. Trap: PIN numbers For both credit cards and bank cards, inquire with the issuer to verify that the card is valid for an international banking system. And memorize your PIN in numbers not letters; foreign phone pads are often configured differently. Although ATM’s are located throughout Gaborone, you will still want to bring some money in the form of American Express Traveler’s Checks for emergencies and back-up cash when traveling independently. An easy way to use and transfer money for personal spending is through Visa and MasterCard Debit Cards, which are widely accepted. Diners Club and American Express Cards are accepted in most restaurants and tourist destinations. Cash advances on credit cards typically have very steep interest rates that are normally much higher than the purchase APRs. Be sure to read the fine print for your credit card. Students in the past have also relied on Western Union for money transfers. Participants say... ATMs are easy to use. It is very easy to open a bank account here; money can be wired. Medical Facilities The University of Botswana medical facilities on campus are open to all students. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Basic medicines are available at no cost from the UB campus 19
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Page 11 and 12: University of Botswana staff will a
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Page 23 and 24: CONCLUSION: THE CHALLENGE IS UP TO
Page 25 and 26: WEBSITES We also encourage you to l

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