The Sonder Project | 2017 Annual Report 2017 | Page 2

THE SONDER PROJECT YEAR 2017

A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR

BY SARAH HOCKETT
What an amazing year it ' s been ! It ' s been so exciting to be a part of this organization ' s growth . 2017 has been an especially outstanding year . Not only were we able to build 5 schools , drill a well , provide eyeglasses and install honeybee hives , but this year has really been a turning point for the organization .
After returning from our first trip of the year in January , we started working towards where the next year would take us . That first trip was to Burkina Faso , where the need is tremendous . We learned this the first time we traveled here , but after working in other areas , the need here seemed so much more significant .
It was after that very first trip of 2017 that we decided without hesitation that we would be working here exclusively in 2018 . Not only will we be working here , this year , but we will be creating new programs tailored specifically to the needs of the rural communities here .
Late in 2017 , we hired our first international employee , Martin Nansia and opened up an office in Burkina ' s capital city , Ouagadougou . In addition to our other projects , we spent the last months of the year gathering as much data as possible , so that we can do amazing things in the coming year .
We ' ve got some incredible goals for 2018 , so as we prepare for our best year yet , I have just one question for you : You in ?