December is here and I’m kicking off the holiday season in the very cool city of Portland! I’m here all week to team up again with Rachael Rapinoe to give presentations on the Darfur United Soccer Academy and our recent trip to the camps. We’re really excited to connect with people and groups in Portland and to spread the message and mission of i-ACT and DUSA. We’ll be presenting to existing connections and partners such as the Never Again Coalition as well as new audiences like Nike! Our presentations will show what the first Darfur United Soccer Academy looks like, what is next for the Academy, and how others can get involved in supporting our efforts of empowering the refugees through sport.
I’m always a little nervous to present. While I’ve come to appreciate public speaking, I always worry whether I’ll convey the message and my passion in a way that has the audience feeling more informed and more empowered to act and to join our efforts. That said, in my experience, when people hear about Darfur United, the Academy, and what the program aspires to do for the refugees – the pictures and videos of the Darfuris and their stories all speak for themselves. I’m just there to make sure they’re heard.
So Portland we’re looking forward to connecting with you this week! Stay tuned, I’ll be blogging updates about our presentations and sharing about the companies, organizations and people we meet with!