PREPARING TO VISIT

While nothing can really prepare you for the emotions you will feel during a visit to your sponsored child, there are practical preparations you can make before your trip.

• Location

  Before you leave for your trip of a lifetime, it is advisable to find out as much as possible about the customs and culture of the country you are visiting. Your local library should have a number of travel guides such as the Lonely Planet or Rough Guides. More information can be found online on sites like Trip Advisor. Do remember, though, that most World Vision projects are away from the usual tourist sites. Our project may look easy to get to on a map, but the roads in developing countries are rarely of the same standard as those in the UK. If you need to check anything, we are more than happy to help you.

• Culture

  Always remember to dress modestly when visiting your sponsored child. Be sensitive about local customs regarding clothing. In most countries men should wear long trousers and women wear skirts or dresses that cover the knees and tops that cover the shoulders. In some cultures, drinking alcohol or smoking, especially for women, can cause offence. If in doubt, please check with the World Vision worker who accompanies you. As well as modest dress, other points to remember include:

  • In some countries, police and officials may not be as co-operative as those in the UK, so it is important that you do not cause offence against national dignitaries, political leaders or national monuments and not to make flippant remarks, which can be misunderstood
  • The best time to take photographs is at the end of the visit when goodwill and trust has been established. Before taking photographs, in line with our Child Safeguarding Policy, you should always ask permission from the World Vision worker as well as your sponsor child and their family
  • Although most of our field staff speak English, some of our local project workers may not. Please be patient! It is possible that you are the first person from abroad that the community has ever met. They will be extremely curious about you and perhaps assume that all Western people are like you
  • Be sensitive – don’t show too much affluence. You might not think of yourself as particularly rich, but to a person who is very poor, you are!
• Insurance

  It is essential that you have full travel and personal insurance for all eventualities including emergency evacuation. For further advice on this, please ask your travel agent or a reputable insurance company.

• Health

  It is vital to make sure you have had the correct vaccinations for the country you are visiting. These can be arranged with your GP or local travel clinic.  Allow plenty of time, as it can take up to six months to complete some courses. If you are visiting an area where malaria is prevalent, you must take anti-malarial tablets. Check the instructions before you travel, many tablets require you starting taking them in advance of departure. You may also need to continue taking them when you return.
  
  Please find out about any health risks in the area you are visiting. Also, be prepared – find out what to do if you get a skin infection, heat stroke, malaria or diarrhoea etc. Make sure you pack a first aid kit as well as basic medicines and include any regular medication you currently take.

  For more information, go to the Fit For Travel website

• Security

  Road accidents are an increased risk in developing countries. It is essential to know your blood group before you travel and to ensure that your own doctor and relatives have a note of this too. HIV/AIDS is far more prevalent in most developing countries than in the UK.

  For up-to-date, country-specific information, click here.

• Visas and travel documents

  Make sure that you have a valid passport and visa (if required). Check with your travel agent that you have all the correct documents required for entry into your sponsor child’s country. Travelling overland in developing countries can be complicated, so it’s vital to ensure your papers are in order. If in doubt, ask your travel agent or the appropriate embassy for assistance.

• Currency

  Make sure you have enough currency and/or travellers’ cheques to cover all your expenses. Travellers’ cheques are not accepted in some countries and US dollars are sometimes preferred to GB pounds. World Vision field staff are happy to advise you about this, however, they may not be able to arrange exchange of currency or other practical matters for you.

• Expenses

  Whether you are meeting your sponsored child in their home, or they meet you in our office, costs will be incurred which the project will be unable to meet. Please be prepared to pay these. Before you leave, our field staff will be happy to give you an estimated breakdown of the likely costs incurred when travelling to our project. These expenses include fuel and food costs for World Vision staff travelling with you and possibly your sponsored child and their family. These will need to be paid in cash on the day of your visit to the driver or accompanying World Vision staff member.

• Gifts

  It is a wonderful idea to take a gift to your sponsored child. A colourful book about the UK is a good idea, together with a packet of sweets or balloons that can be shared with your sponsored child’s siblings. It is thoughtful to take gifts for the whole family. A tea towel for the mother and a nice pen for the father are ideal gifts to take. Many children, of all ages, also like footballs or books and pencils to use at school. It is important that your gifts are modest and unlikely to cause jealousy in the community’s other children. Consult World Vision staff before considering gifts of money.