Most of the buildOn volunteers and employees managed to take cover in one of the restrooms . Ahmed , however , was one of the exceptions . In an attempt to appeal to the attackers , he stood up and tried to talk to them .
Meanwhile , a standoff with government security forces ensued as the restaurant was engulfed in flames . The surviving buildOn crew managed to escape , but the casualty count was horrific , with 29 people killed and more than 120 wounded . Ahmed was one of the 29 .
The news arrived in Santa Rosa Beach days before The Sonder Project was scheduled to leave for Africa . While the trip was canceled , the attack would deepen The Sonder Project ’ s commitment to its mission in Burkina Faso .
To demonstrate that commitment , they hired Martin as Sonder ’ s in-country project manager to directly oversee the impact of The Sonder Projects ’ future efforts . They would also raise the $ 11,000 necessary to drill a clean water well in Ahmed ’ s home village of Loanga . In February of 2017 , The Sonder Project would establish its first field office in Burkina Faso .
And so The Sonder Project ’ s work continued — sometimes in ways , no one could have imagined .
HURRICANE MICHAEL
In October of 2018 , the nonprofit ’ s attention would be drawn to a tragedy unfolding just a few miles from home . Although never conceived as a hurricane recovery agency , The Sonder Project was about to become one — at least temporarily . On October 10 , Hurricane Michael made landfall in Panama City as a Category 5 hurricane , devastating the city and neighboring communities . The storm killed 59 people and caused over $ 25 billion in damage in the U . S . alone .
Over the next few weeks , the 360 Blue offices were transformed into a major staging facility for relief efforts , with over $ 611,000 in donations coming in from local communities . Sonder would facilitate over 6,600 volunteer hours , serve over 2,600 meals , and impact 233 households . Sonder volunteers brought electricity to homes , cleared debris , tarped and replaced roofs , and rebuilt three homes .
A RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL MISSION
The following year , The Sonder Project would transition its focus back to Africa , where the organization could make the greatest impact at the most efficient cost through high-impact , sustainable development .
THE LAST WORD THE SONDER PROJECT beachLIFE 113