When you travel overseas to help with Lifewater Canada projects, your five greatest health and safety risks are:
Heat stroke
Gastro-intestinal illness
Traffic accidents
Injury on the job and/or a transfusion with tainted blood -- after not working safely!
Being mugged in cities or attacked in remote areas -- after walking alone
So . . .
Wear a hat, drink plenty of fluids, and stay out of the sun as much as possible
Carefully choose what you eat and drink
Carefully choose with whom you travel -- and wear seat belts
Work safely and wear the proper protective equipment
Avoid being along in busy cities or remote areas
When traveling in vehicles, always keep your doors locked and windows rolled up. If you want to hear what is going on around you, crack your window, but just enough to hear.
Be a safe vehicle passenger in urban areas:
Pay attention to people walking around your vehicle when it is stopped. Street kids and vendors sometimes test door handles and trunks to learn if they're unlocked
Keep wallets, purses, backpacks, phones, cameras, and hats secure and away from your window
If you need to talk on your cell phone, hold it in your hand furthest from the window
Whatever you pack, weight is very important. Most airlines allow two pieces of luggage (maximum 23 kg each) to be checked free of charge only if you obtain a humanitarian luggage waiver in advance. Bags weighing 23-32 kg will be assessed an excess-baggage fee of $50-$100 per bag. Bags over 32 kg may not be accepted or the fees will be very high.
