Hi Everyone, Andy here.
For the last few weeks, an especially the last few days, we have been gathering all we need for the trip. As anal as I am sometimes, I have my packing list from the 2007 trip. Needless to say, the 2007 list I made was very, very detailed (it accounts for numbers of each type of battery, etc). All of the things for this trip are now laid out on my living room floor. This includes the 5 bikes, in boxes, donated to us by R Community Bikes, here in Rochester.
Our original plan was to drive the luggage, bikes and ourselves to NYC, get on a plane and leave our car with a friend. However, I very much understand how leaving a car in NYC with a friend is actually not a nice thing to do to a friend. So we're renting a car to move the bikes and drop off at the airport.
I do want our supporters to know, that there are a lot of these types of expenses that the Netlife Team members cover. Chystal's vaccinations, for example, cost her about $500. Our bikes were donated, so thankfully that was free. But we bought tool kits, helmets, extra tubes, saddle bags, pumps, etc, with our own funds. Technically, we will keep these receipts and have them as tax-deductible donations to Netlife. I write this, because I want our friends out there to know that we're in this too. Our volunteers have and will give up so much time and effort to help distribute these nets. They've bought their own plane tickets.
We do this, because we believe in responsible, efficient outreach work. When I get a letter from E. H. Miller (the 2nd grader who donated his paper route tip money), I want him to know that his donation buys mosquito nets and gets them to where they need to be, not paying for my plane ticket or a back up bike tube.
Ok, sorry for the rambling. Tomorrow we are off.
Anticipated challenges:
1. Getting from the Dakar airport (my least favorite place in Senegal) to the hotel with 5 bikes
2. Working a smooth transition from nets on a shipping freighter to trucks going to Kedougou
3. Travelling with African newbies on our team - I will be explaining and translating a lot.
4. It is crazy hot there, even crazier hot when we travel accross the country
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I am Mary Sherman, Andy's mom and a member of this year's netlife team. I teach high school at West Fargo High School, Honors English and American Literature. I have traveled quite a bit, but this is definitely going to be the most challenging and probably the most rewarding trip I will ever take. At some point last year, several aquaintances told me a shouldn't do this. Well, I am Irish and my hackles were raised. I am so proud of what Andrew and Jesse have accomplished that I want to help them in any way I can. It will be wonderful to travel with my children, Andy and Allison, and be a part of this amazing endeavor. Thank you to all of you whose financial and moral support make netlife possible and a special shout out to my son, Jamie, and husband, Doug, who have been so generous financially. Thanks to the student council of WFHS and the Sunday School classes at Trinity Lutheran, you make this project a reality. Love to everyone and to everyone of a certain age, go for it while you are able. Soak up life!
ReplyDeleteI love "soak up life"!
ReplyDeleteMeta here. I know you are on your way across the country right now and I wish you a safe journey with plenty of bissap, minimal potholes and lots of moments the kind you can ONLY experience on the road in west africa : )
i am there in spirit. Mi yetti Kedougou, BC, Bandafassi, Ibel e Thiokethan nabbe FO!
Bismillah -
Meta Diallo
(back to my marathon michael jackson video retrospective)