Mid-project reflection
As I pass the mid-point of the project it seems only appropriate to take a moment to reflect on the highlights of this incredible adventure. The month began with Bushfire, a weekend-long concert featuring up-and-coming and established artists from around the world. The concert was a wonderful opportunity to get acclimated to Gone Rural and Swazi culture, food, art and music. The following weekend we camped at Top Farm, a beautiful campsite located approximately one hour from Malkerns, nestled among the mountainous Swazi terrain. The Sunday of that weekend we visited Hlane National Park for our introduction to a few of the “Big Five”, an experience later outdone by our safari in Kruger National Park where we saw all five of the Big Five within the morning of our first day. I must say though, that without a doubt, the highlight of this trip has been the people. It has been an absolute joy to meet the artists behind the beautifully handcrafted Gone Rural products, and to observe first hand the social and economic impact of providing entrepreneurial opportunities to communities through grassroots investment and non-traditional partnerships. Equally captivating has been my time spent learning from my teammates and the Gone Rural staff. Whether “learning” how to drive standard from Dana, our resident stick-shift expert (okay, just starting the car and putting it into first gear); or hearing from my teammates about their upbringing, and how it has motivated them to work in international development, I am constantly amazed by their tenacity and strength of character. Working in such an entrepreneurial environment has also expanded my business acumen. I am a highly process-driven individual. When faced with a problem, my first thought is to construct a framework. This thinking, while valuable in certain contexts, is not always practical. Gone Rural is a business borne from the belief that a business intermediary linking rural artisans in a tiny country the size of New Jersey to international buyers can transform lives. The business would never have flourished without the creative passion and flexibility of its founding members and the zeal and commitment of its current staff.