Vibrams!!

So I got a quick call today from Vibram Five Fingers!!  And if you haven't noticed... ;) I plan to do the whole trip wearing them...  I have called them several times regarding a possible sponsorship and a rep called me back today inquiring as to my project.  She listened attentively as I (long winded as I am) tried to throw the whole project into a couple sentences.  After maybe two minutes of this I got in a, oh and I'm a former division I athlete and plan on getting after it over there!!  Right from there she decided to take my email address.  So maybe D-I makes more sense, but whatever gibberish I mumbled throughout wasn't 'wrong', because she wanted to send me a prospective sponsorship form to fill out and send back.

So small phone call, that means nothing finitely, but big deal to me.  What would only cost them maybe $60's from their merchandise pockets, would be hundreds for me to buy retail.  Money of which I don't have and couldn't spend.  This would mean using one pair for the whole trip, rain, mud, or shine - with no socks!!  I definitely need two or three to alternate with.  So we'll see.  With any luck (which of course I don't believe in) they will be able to give me a few pairs of shoes and a couple T-shirts to flaunt over there.  I can picture the photo already, me "chillin" with a school room full of kids having fun, giggling, staring at my shoes, and snapping poses off for the camera!!  Nice!!  ;)

Who likes Timmy's shoes!?!

 

Networking

Networking is going to be the most important, yet most complicated and time consuming aspect of this planning process.  The more people we know in Sierra Leone before I go, the more depth my trip will have.  There are going to be multiple aspects to this process, but in short they will be:

• A US based network of people, companies, and organizations 
• Individuals and organizations located in the US but already affiliated with Sierra Leone  
• Sierra Leone based organizations working in country
• Globally based individuals and organizations affiliated with Sierra Leone (new) 

The tricky part of these lists is that it is a lot of flat out tedious work.  To find, to research, to contact (and usually not get contacted back).  But this is what will make this project successful, so it must be a priority.