- Maternity leave. Adequate maternity leave will be required for female students, for pre-natal, delivery and post-natal care.
- The policies cover the costs of incountry travel and facilitata returning you to your home country following a medical crisis.
- Repatriation of Remains Coverage. In the event where you pass away, coverage for repatriation of remains provides financial assistance to your family to return your mortal remains to your home country.
You can get student health insurance anytime after setting foot in The UoG, or even before you travel. Depending on the policy, your coverage can start as soon as the next day after purchase.
All Personal Health Information is confidential and not shared within university or elsewhere without your written consent, other than in event of an emergency.
Anoul student medical insurance fee is 50 USD
Tips on staying safe in the city
While violent crime rates are low in Gondar, pickpockets and theft can be an issue. Try to avoid walking alone at night and always keep your valuables close to you. Be aware of your surroundings and try to travel with other people you know.
Keep a journal to document your experiences- studying in a foreign country can be a challenging but extremely rewarding experience. Naturally, there will be ups and downs, and it can help to keep a journal. Writing down your thoughts and experiences is a great way to reflect on your experience. Even when you may be having difficulties, it is helpful to put your thoughts down on paper. At the end of your time in Gondar, you will be able to look back at the journal and track how much you changed.
Travel and Transportation
Tips on traveling in and around Gondar– there are several methods of transportation in Gondar. Many people travel by taxi. When you tell the taxi driver where you need to go, you will have to negotiate a price with the driver. It is advisable to find a taxi driver you trust and call him whenever you need to go somewhere. Many people also travel by minibus. These are essentially shared taxis that drive along a predetermined route.
Amhara Regional State offers many great destinations for day, weekend, or week-long trips. There are many tour operators in the Gondar city that will arrange for a flight, local driver, and guides.
There are also many modern buses that offer confortable transportation services from Addis Ababa to Gondar and also across the country. Their ticket offices exist both in Gondar and Addis Ababa.
Managing Money
Opening a bank account- There are many banks in Gondar. Some of the most common ones are Commercial Bank, Dashen Bank, and Nib International Bank. Please note that you cannot transfer money from an Ethiopian bank account to an account outside of Ethiopia.
Approximate costs for food, travel, accommodations, etc: Overall, Gondar is an inexpensive place to live, however costs of imported goods can get expensive. Eating out is relatively cheap if you order Ethiopian food. International restaurants will be pricier.
Budgeting: During your first month, try to save receipts and keep track of how much money you spent on different items (food, groceries, entertainment, travel). This will give you an overview of your expenditures and will help if you need to cut back in one particular area.
Customary Practices in Ethiopia
Brief overview of customs/cultural characteristics of the country: It’s important to note that Ethiopians use a different clock. At 7am “international time” the Ethiopian clock begins at 1:00 and uses a 12 hour clock. If someone tells you a time, be sure to ask whether that time is Ethiopian or international. In addition, Ethiopia has its own calendar. The Ethiopian calendar is seven or eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. Please also note that its calendar has 13 months, having 30 days each. But the 13th month is just five or six days long. Ethiopian New year happens on September 11/12.
Markets– It is also advisable to be aware that price is negotiable in most shops, boutiques etc. But, please note that in coffee shops, hotels, restaurants, big supermarkets etc prices are fixed.