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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS OF IHP

MONEY

How much should I bring?

The U.N. suggests that every foreign visitor have from at least $400 to $500 in cash on him/her in case of an emergency when traveling.

If not purchased in advance, you will need to have one $100 bill to pay Immigration for the VISA to enter the country.

Bring U.S. dollars in higher denominations as they get the best exchange rate.

They must be new bills, the $100 bills must have the blue stripe on them. (Post 2006)

$50 bills must be newer than 2006.

$20 bills or less get a very poor exchange rate.

We will assist you with either going to a bank with you or by having the cash on hand to do your exchange for you at the best rate into Tanzania shillings.

Do not bring lots of $1.00 bills for tips. That doesn’t work. You’ll just end up taking them back home with you. Coins from your home country will be of NO value in Tanzania as they cannot be exchanged.

Do not bring Traveler's checks. There is NO PLACE in Tanzania to cash them.

Bring your ATM or Credit Card that can be used in an ATM but make sure you know in advance what your charges are going to be for a foreign transaction. And, BE SURE to let your bank know you’ll be traveling to Africa or they may block your card. The ATM receipt will show your totals in Tanzania Shillings but only your bank statement will describe additional bank/ATM charges.

CLOTHING

Shoulders and knees are considered sexy, both for men and women and are not to be exposed. So, please honor Tanzanian culture and keep them covered.

Men do not wear shorts except when playing sports unless they are shorts that come down to the knee or below.

Women can wear long loose pants and shirts or T-shirts. It’s good to have at least one skirt or dress that falls well below the knee for going to church or out into the community. Jeans are fine. Tight clothing is inappropriate.

Slacks that are cut off below the knee are fine but we do have grass fleas and that gives them that much more skin to suck on.

Going on safari is a different story, you can wear whatever is comfortable for you. By the way, climbing in and out of safari vehicles calls for some strength and dexterity and clothing that is loose and flexible.

The dress code in the city of Dar es Salaam and Dodoma is much more relaxed. They are cosmopolitan cities and they’re used to seeing foreigners. But up in Chihoni Village, respecting cultural norms for modesty is honored.

We will have a pool eventually (but not yet as of 2026), so please bring a modest swimsuit and cover-up. The pool is in the guest area of the compound and private from the village. However, our workers are present everywhere.

Leaving clothing behind is also fine. We give first choice to our workers and then everything else goes to the clinic staff and then to the village chairman to distribute in the village.

SHOES

Tennis shoes or trainers are fine. Work shoes are fine, as are boots. Sandals are fine for wear but not practical in the clinic for the work site.

TEMPERATURE

Daytime temperatures are typically around the high 70's to the low 80's F. (25 to 28 C.) and temperatures at night are high 50's to low 60s. (16 to 18 C.) You will be visiting Chihoni in the dry season so there is little to no rain and lots of sun, with a breeze from the East every day, but it is not usually humid. The elevation around us is 3732 Ft. which accounts for a cooler, dryer climate. Because of this, mornings can feel chilly below 70 F. (21 C.)

FOOD

WE ARE SENSITIVE TO PEOPLE WITH ALLERGIES. JUST LET US KNOW SO WE CAN FIX FOOD YOU CAN EAT.

Breakfast is always with Paula on the porch of the house. Think American cooking most of the time, eggs, pancakes, toast, French toast, oatmeal, etc.

Lunch and dinner are fixed by our wonderful cook Lucy and her helpers. That consists of vegetables and fruits that are available, fish, chicken, and occasionally beef. That will also be served in the guest house.

We are very careful about food handling and want you to be, too. Typhoid is endemic in the water. All fruits and vegetables are soaked for 20 minutes in a weak bleach solution. All the dishes, flatware, pots and pans, etc. are washed and rinsed in a bleach solution. We ask that before you touch anything on the table that you either dip your hands in the bleach solution provided or use hand sanitizer.

If you want certain specific snack foods, then please bring them yourself.

Bottled water will be provided. Also water that has been boiled and filtered.

Breakfast is served at about 8:00 A.M.

Lunch is around 1:30 to 2:00 P.M.

Dinner is around 7:00 to 7:30 P.M.

The coffee/tea table is always open/ready for you to serve yourself. Sodas are provided at $1.00 each other than one served free at mealtime.

SHOTS

Please go to CDC.gov for the latest recommendations.

At this time Yellow Fever shots are not required unless you are coming from a country where it is endemic. If you stay in Kenya for more than 12 hours, then you will need a Yellow Fever card.

DPT booster is good, especially Tetanus. The vaccinations are good for 10 years unless you have an injury, then 5 years is the recommendation. Pertussis (Whooping Cough) is also recommended every 10 years now. We recommend the latest Covid shot and having had a Flu shot.

For Medical people, Hepatitis A & B.

Prophylaxis for Rabies is recommended for people working around animals. It is an option, not necessarily a recommendation.

You must be on an Anti-Malarial.

There are 2 options. Malarone and Doxycycline

Malarone is a daily pill. The package says start taking it a day before travel. We suggest you take it 3 days prior so it's in your liver and working. Take the EXTRA dose on the plane. It's better to have extra in your system rather than to arrive wide open to your first mosquito bite. You must continue to take it 10 days to 2 weeks after you return home.

Doxycycline: Same as above. However, some people are allergic to it or it makes them feel nauseous. Better to find out while you are still in your home country. There is also the sun sensitivity issue with it. (And Chihoni is 6 degrees off the equator where the sun is stronger and more direct.)

ACCOMMODATIONS AT CHIHONI

We are building a very large guest house/hostel at Chihoni. Paula and David will be there. You will be in a bed that has a mosquito net on it. There are bunk beds and full sized beds. In each of the guest rooms at the Lofstrom house/hostel there is a double bed and either two singles or a bunk bed and bathrooms with showers, sinks, and toilets.

If you could please bring donatable towels, washcloths, sheets, blankets/quilts, pillows/pillow cases, it would be very much appreciated.

The cost is $50 a day full room & board.

COST OF A SAFARI

We recommend Pure Afro Travels. (www.pure-afro.com)

We have known them for years and their company and services can be trusted.

Please go to their website and check out for yourselves what is available and what the costs are.

Vesna gives very personal service and gives a discount to all our medical students and volunteers. It's her contribution to supporting our mission. Contact her, vesna@pure-afro.com, for options and costs.

Teams coming to Chihoni might opt for Selous Game Reserve, (Largest in Tanzania, split with Northern part renamed Nyrere National Park in 2019), because it's closer and cheaper than the Northern Circuit (Serengeti, and Ngorogoro Crater) but that's just one option. There are over 30 game reserves and 22 National Parks, all of which cover about 40% of the nations land area.

People may also climb Mount Kilimanjaro or visit Zanzibar. Vesna can arrange whatever you want.

WHEN YOU CAN COME TO CHIHONI

At this time, Paula and David are in the U.S. doing fundraising from October through March annually. Guests can come from April through September. We do not accommodate guests when Paula and David, or Charles Powel, are not there to host.

TYPICAL DAY

If you are Medical:

The clinic opens at 8:00 am. You will be supervised by Dr. Bon, or by our head nurse, Miriam.

Students are expected to be at the clinic whenever patients are there.

Please bring your own scrubs with the idea of leaving them behind. We especially like “Happy/Pediatric” scrubs.

Visiting doctors will spend a few days with one of our clinicians until they are comfortable with what they may be seeing, i.e. malaria, typhoid, and other common infectious and tropical diseases with which they may not be familiar.

Dr. Denny recommended Strickland's for a good Tropical Medicine review.

Students may have the opportunity to observe at one or two other facilities depending on what can be arranged when you’re there.

If you are Construction:

We eat breakfast about 8:00. Probably the night before your team will have decided on what the plans/goals are for the day and the work will be laid out. Our head of construction operations, Sele, will be available to assist with tools, logistics, and planning for each day. You’ll probably work from about 9:00 A.M. until perhaps 12:30 or 1:00 pm. Return to work after lunch until about 5:00 PM.

Everyone:

At 6:00 PM we gather on the porch to watch the sunset and grade it from 0 to 10. (So much better than television!) Reaching a consensus can sometimes take a lot of discussions. Sometimes a mild libation taken during adjudication may influence the process. It’s a good time to share what happened during the day.

Dinner at about 7:00 PM. After dinner is a good time for devotionals and planning for the next day.

WILL MY CELLPHONE WORK AT CHIHONI?

Maybe. It's most practical to buy a SIM card when you arrive. (We can assist with that) Find out what your "roaming charges" may be with what you have now before you travel as they can be quite expensive.

We may have a couple of local cell phones on hand to loan for you to use.

IS THERE INTERNET CONNECTION?

Yes, but it is limited and not free. Our modem can support 5 units, but we ask $1.00 an hour to help defray the costs. And please no downloading or net surfing as we’re charged by the time as well as the MB. It adds up quickly. Keep in mind the network services will only be consistent in their inconsistency.

ELECTRICITY

The electricity is 220-240/ and cycles at 50 Hz/second. We have universal ADAPTORS in all the plugs, but NOT CONVERTER/TRANSFORMERS. A converter brought from the U.S. will change the 220 to 110, but it does not change the 50 Hz. to 60 Hz., so things can easily overheat and burn out depending on its power draw.

Many devices will switch automatically to the network voltage and they’ll work just fine (mobile phone chargers are typically mulit-voltage) but please do check your own before bringing.

Don’t plug in anything here unless it is in a surge protector! Those are provided in each of the bedrooms.

The electricity from the grid is not constant as it is in the US, so it has peaks and waves of power that can burn out an electrical appliance, computer or anything electronic in a second. Do Not Take Chances by plugging into a wall outlet without a surge protector on it.

Electricity can go off at any time and be off for ten minutes or four days. Bring a flashlight or small lantern. We will have solar on many of the rooftops as soon as we can afford it.

If you have a small solar charger for your electronics you would like to bring, it will be of great use to you.

TOILET PAPER

We supply toilet paper similar in quality to what you buy in the U.S. and use western toilets in the clinic and guesthouse.

SHOPPING

Souvenir shopping can be done in Paula's Store, or can be purchased in Arusha or Moshi if the group stops there.

Groceries are bought in Dodoma or along the roadside.

LANGUAGE

Swahili is spoken by the indigenous people of Tanzania, as well as their native tribal languages. English is the second language of the country. All of our medical staff speak very good English and the rest of the staff speak a little (or at least understand) English.

PERSONAL APPLIANCES, CURLING IRONS, AND HAIR DRYERS

Some women have used them without their burning out. But it is taking a chance. Chihoni is not a place where one worries much about “dolling up.” Best advice is to not carry the extra weight.

FEMININE PRODUCTS

Down in Dodoma there are stores where they sell sanitary napkins. But it’s best to bring your own supplies.

PHYSICAL ADDRESS FOR Chihoni Medical Center

Chihoni Medical Center

Plot #671, Block D, Chihoni Street

Nala Ward, Dodoma District

Tanzania, East Africa

The land is about 24 Kilometers Northwest of Dodoma. You can go to Google Maps and put in Chihoni, Tanzania.

-6.13093500, 35.6292300 are the coordinates just inside the gate to the property.

TRANSPORT

We will meet you and pick you up when you land at Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) between Arusha and Moshi, and see that you get back to it as well, when the time comes. If we have to rent a bus and driver, the cost will be $120 each way. Taking the local buses is way too dangerous. Most international flights land very late at night, so your first night will probably be spent in Arusha. We can recommend accommodation for that.

INSECT REPELLENT

People ask what we use and I say, “whatever the guests leave behind.” Deet is fine. There are other products and that work fine, too. The mosquitos that carry malaria (only certain species of mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus—and only females of those species—can transmit malaria) come out when the sun goes down, so that’s when to spray with whatever you choose. The mosquitos are teeny tiny fast little things. You really can hardly see them they’re so small and there aren’t “swarms” of them, but they’re there. We do have screens on the windows and porches, but a few still manage to sneak in.

TIPPING

It is not part of the culture here as it is in the US, but at the hospital at Chihoni, tipping is totally optional for the services provided to the guests. Some groups give each construction worker or Lucy and her helpers some money. That needs to be a group decision. The gift of 25,000 to 50,000 Tanzania Shillings is a real bonus to a person here. That’s $10.00 to $20.00 USD. Smaller amounts are also fine. You’ll be working with the people and see for yourselves.

Tipping on safari – take suggestions for that from Vesna.

EMERGENCY CONTACT

If someone needs to get hold of you while at Chihoni and you don't have a cell number that works?

Please give them Paula's phone number: 870-404-4491

Or Sele's phone number. Dialed from the U.S.: +255 767 141 777

We use What'sApp every day at no charge via cell service or WiFi.

Email is paula@ihptz.org.