Wednesday, December 2

Africa, Nike, Soccer, AIDS

After my first trip to Africa in May, and my second just last month, I've fallen in love with Africa. With the people. With their culture.

From my ugly Nike shirt days as a teenager, to my passion for browsing through any Nike store, and vowing to myself (and myself only) that the only running shoes I will ever own will be Nike's, I've always considered myself to be a Nike girl through and through. I even felt guilty when I bought my first pair of asics just a few months ago...which gave me blisters. Nike's have NEVER done that to me.

Soccer and I were friends when I was little. I played intramural in college. I love watching a good soccer match. And I love the passion that the Africans have for the game.

I don't normally blog about my job, unless I'm blogging to inform all of you (whomever all of you may be) about an upcoming trip, or the cool things I get to experience when I'm in Africa for work. But seeing that yesterday was World AIDS Day, and I work for the office of HIV/AIDS, I thought this was simply fitting.

Combine Africa, Nike, Soccer, and HIV/AIDS, and I give you why I love Africa, Nike, Soccer, and working for an organization that's dedicated to educating, treating, and preventing HIV/AIDS throughout the world.

USAID is funding part of Nike's grassroots soccer approach during next years World Cup in South Africa. I wonder if "working" with Nike will enable me to have an employee discount?

2 comments:

Xoxo Grandma said...

VERY INTERESTING. Nice to learn a little about your work.

JD said...

well, when you frame your Nike elitism under the guise of helping others, it's hard to make fun of.