69 days to go until our foundation EXPEDITION 2012!
You find the most profound quotes in the most unusual places – never doubt the deepness of some Hollywood movies initially classified as anything but deep:
Spot this one if you can:
“It’s what you do right now that makes a difference”
TomTom is now our first official equipment partner – Roger will be meeting with them this week in order to finalize the 2012 collaboration as well as the handover of a brand new GPS for our 2012 4×4.
Gerard from Billabong says that they are on board one way or another, just waiting to hear if that will be for the COASTAL Project partnership and equipment or simply equipment for 2012. Quiksilver have now also expressed interest in being an equipment sponsor, so now it is just a race to the finish between these two rivals in the surf retail industry.
Anton from Nedbank has also confirmed their collaboration as part of their sustainability department; however, we are waiting for a similar finalization as with Billabong.
Roger had a long chat with Lowna from FairFood, a worldwide organization that works with companies in making sure their produce is fair, free, sustainable, environmentally and socially sound. This could be an ideal partner for our FOOD Project.
We are proud to announce that we now have a new team member in the form of 22-year-old Maddy Savitt from Putney, London, England. Maddy is a recent graduate of Birmingham University and is already an avid traveller and charity supporter. Her dream is to one day start her own charity working with the children of Africa. The EXPEDITION Project is to be the start of her dream and we are looking forward to helping her all the way.
Aside from submitting an introduction article, and then interviewing Roger, Maddy had a busy week securing 106 nights worth of accommodation for 2012 via sponsored guest houses, B&Bs, hotels, reserves, camps and inns. A great success for a week’s worth of dedicated emailing. We are absolutely blown away by the support and generosity of the small-town hospitality establishments. In a day and age where we are meant to be in a recession, it is the people with the least money that are helping us out ultimately. Let’s hope the larger corporate companies jump on board before they miss an opportunity.
Maddy is looking for funding and donations for her trip from London to Cape Town in December so that she can volunteer her time on The EXPEDITION Project’s foundation year. If you are willing to sponsor her, no matter how small the donation may be please let her know via: [email protected]
Duncan from ETC Africa has been extremely welcoming in support of TEP’s visit to KwaZulu Natal next year. We may even call upon Duncan and his team to be our KZN reps and hosts in that province.
Another set of thanks must go to Limpopo Tourism and Park for their willingness to assist not only with our projects once we get to the Limpopo province but also with the sourcing of accommodation for us in the area. Thanks to Rob and his team!
Our invitation has been sent to the Mayor of Cape Town Patricia De Lille to attend our January project launch/departure, and so far it is looking promising – you never know.
Also from the City of Cape Town, we have lined up a meeting with Cllr Pascoe for 6th December 2011 to discuss collaboration with the Department of Social Development as well as Tourism in the Western Cape.
Finally, The EXPEDITION Project has been nominated for the 2011/2012 Climate Change Leadership Awards (CCLA) – this is a tremendous honour, so please take the time to follow up on our nomination by voicing your approval of this chance to become a recognized crusader of world change.
Oh, and we almost forgot – word has it that a new Western Cape vineyard is interested in The EXPEDITION Project as a vehicle to promote their new wine – not literally, but as a promotional platform. We can’t tell you too much at this stage but be assured that you will be the first to know when they join our team of partners. Thanks to Dirk from What’sUpCapeTown and Quirk Advertising for their assistance with this.
PS: Could this mean we get free wine?
PPS: We have also heard via the grapevine that a Vancouver-based sports coach may be joining the team formally very soon. And this may not only be as our resident expert for The SPORTS Project but maybe even as a Head Office consultant.
In the words of Bob Dylan – lyrics as profound in the ’60s as they are now:
“How many times can a man turn his head,
and pretend that he just doesn’t see?
How many times must a man look up,
before he sees the sky?
And how many ears must one man have,
before he can hear people cry?
And how many deaths will it take till we know,
that too many people have died?”
This week’s meeting schedule:
- TomTom equipment handover
- Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) introduction
- SANBI introduction
- Discover SA collaboration presentation
- Maria Vasco events assistance for The BEACH Festival and TEP Fundraiser
That’s it for this week, but…
Until next week!
The EXPEDITION Project Team,
Cape Town, South Africa
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