...
- Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and a hat to wear outside (I figure since we're going to have to wear very modest clothing, this shouldn't be a problem)
- Use Insect spray containing pyrethroid insecticide
- Sleep under bed nets treated with permethrin. See Insecticide Treated Bed Netson the CDC malaria site.
Travel within Mauritania
Over estimate prices since they tend to fluctuate here... so I'm giving you numbers that are more than likely higher than what you actually pay (i'm adding 500um to each price). Sometimes they charge you for baggage - it's hard to say.
The current rate is $1 = 260um (this has been fluctuating quite a bit recently - last week when I checked it was 270um to the $1).
- From Nouakchott to Boghe = 3500um (um = ouguiyas) = $13
- From Boghe to Bababe = 1000um =$4
- From Kaedi to Bababe = 1000um
- From Boghe to Kaedi = 1500um = $6
I would plan round trip Nouakchott and then a handful of trips between the 3 sites.
Also for food - budget about 3000um per day, which would include buying bottled water (you can also use water tablets to treat your water if you choose to drink from well water).
Typical meals:
Breakfast:
bread = 100um
butter/jam/cheese = 50um (per 100um bread)
coffee = 50um
coffee with milk = 100um
Lunch:
restaurant meal = 300-500um (rice with different sauces - meat, fish, and/or veggies)
Dinner:
(bean or meat) Sandwich = 200um
1/4 Chicken = 1200um
couscous = 400um
1.5 L filtered water bottle = 200um
snacks (cookies, milk, etc) = 100um-300um per snack
little hard candies = 5um/piece
If you eat with host families, I would recommend bringing vegetables with you to improve the nutritional value of the plate - perhaps you as a group won't be allowed to at first, but the volunteer with you will probably help subsidize this, so you might want to give money to the volunteers...
If you want to rent, it may be 10,000um - 20,000um per month for all of you, depending on the room(s) & whether or not you choose to stay with a family... you will be more than welcome to stay with volunteers in these areas. That decision will come later of course.