If you don't ask...

One of the questions that people often ask me is:  What can I send you?

This is what Christ Church CofE Primary School, Barnet gave to me on my last trip back to London:

They also donated £100 cash which purchased some of these items and yet more books are due to arrive in the post over the coming weeks.  A MASSIVE THANK YOU to all the parents and children who fundraised and bought items for us...everything is being put to good use already!!!

Some of the above items were given by my sister too - I love my sisters!

So, in answer to what you can send, if it's for work:

- kids' books

- toys

- puppets (or socks - *clean* - to make puppets)

- felt material

- crayons

- permanent markers (Sharpees are excellent!)

- blutack

- liquid glue

- paintbrushes

- craft knives (stanley knives)

- phonics materials (books/cds...)

And as the work I do out here is supposed to be sustainable - anyone have any alternatives to blutack?  Do you know how to make it?

As for supplies for ME...well...

• sermons, worship songs on a flash (the internet is too slow to download/stream)
• packet/pocket tissues (eg. Kleenex) - the stuff they have out here is rough on the nose!
• tea lights (although I don't think you can send flammable items...)
• travel-size toiletries (toothpastes are always good!)
• photos, cards, drawings, paintings - any artwork!  (One of my former students has sent me out handmade cards and even origami...I LOVE IT - thank you Hana and Taiga!)
• savoury snacks - nuts, crackers, cereal bars, jerky, seaweed...
• sweet snacks - chocolate, biscuits, chocolate, gummy/chewy sweets, chocolate...oh, and did I mention chocolate?
• packet soups/sauces (a colleague asked me what the difference was seeing as I use soups as pasta sauce!)

This is NOT a request for items.  I have been extremely thankful to those who have sent me out goodies from Hong Kong to LA, (inc. many from UK and even Mexico!)  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I always get asked the same thing so I thought I'd put it up in a blogpost.  I am not without here - and it isn't as though these things are essential but it is always nice to receive mail (so long as it isn't a bill...)  These items are my bit of luxury and comfort.

I remember when I first arrived here and the list of things that I wanted was MASSIVE but gradually, the list shrunk and became minimal - at a stretch I have come up with the list above!  People have so little out here but they're ok (mostly because they don't know what else is out there!)  My colleagues laugh at me when they see the parcels that arrive for me and wonder what I need with all the items.  Like I said, creature comforts but not exactly neccessary to survive.  I come from a world of plenty, of choice and excess...sometimes that is just stress in itself.

Please note, if you are planning on sending me out a parcel - it can be quite pricey, often the postage itself costs double, if not triple the cost of the items you're sending.  It takes roughly 6-8 weeks for a parcel/letter to get to me (even if you send it via 'express' delivery - please don't waste your money on that!)  Please also check the expiry date on items to make sure it'll last the journey!  And finally, THANK YOU FOR THINKING ABOUT ME!

Lastly, my address - although it should be on the side of this blog post if you're reading from a desktop/laptop (but not a smartphone.)

May Mak

c/o TTC St J. Baptiste, Cyahinda

PO Box 224, Butare

Rwanda

Hope that's useful