Guess I'll add that all the safety gear in the world won't do you any good unless you're wearing it. What that means at this stage is that you need to choose gear you'll actually wear in heat and humidity--I'd skip the leather jacket in favor of mesh, and if you won't wear proper riding pants at least get independent knee protection to add to whatever you'll be wearing (hence my mention of mountain biking armor, which is what I've started carrying when I'm not going to wear heavy pants).
Figuring out some way to protect your hands is key, too. Fingerless gloves are one such--because they don't overheat your hands, you're more likely to wear them, which means you'll be wearing them when you come off the bike. Besides, they'll protect you from the less obvious hazard of second degree sunburn on the backs of your hands.
Glasses are another good point. I wear wraparound safety glasses with built in diopters--twenty bucks or less in America, but unavailable in the Developing World.
Hope that's helpful.
Mark
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