Towels, binoculars, note pad, oh my!

If you're just joining: this series documents the process of designing a one-year place-based inquiry across Africa, in real time. Start with the first post to follow from the beginning.

The purple tote is filling with things that aren’t clothes. Towels and washcloths. A blanket and pillow. Binoculars. Plug converters. Notebooks and pens.

I keep wondering whether these are Western conveniences—or staples.