Hello! This is Miwa, a member of the Project Manager Team! I would like to write about our sponsorship activities.
Back in November 2020, after a couple of months we started the whole project which now called HIP HOPE. It all started with my simple comment, “Why don’t we ask corporates to sponsor this activity?” At that casual comment I said, I had no idea really what that means. Well, to be honest, there were many times I stopped working on the proposal because I didn’t realize how to write proposal to corporates, which I’ve never done before. Even so, we could see what we wanted to convey and the dream of HIP HOPE and proceeded with the proposal. It took me long time and write and rewrite many times with Yumi of Pangaea, Project Coordinator. At the end, I did it!! I was filled with a great sense of accomplishment as I had never faced a single task for such a long period of time.
Then, on March 25th. I, Maru, and Yumi visited a company to ask for sponsorship for HIP HOPE, just as the warmth of spring was beginning to set in. It was my first time giving a presentation to a stranger. I was so nervous that I could not eat my breakfast and lunch, and I was very worried about my ability to speak well. When I gave my presentation, I was sitting next to Yumi on my left and Maru, a fellow member of the project management team on my right. When I finished speaking, I felt relieved and thought that I would like to give presentations at various companies in the future.
We are high school students, and I think we may have some shortcomings. But I am so glad that we were able to participate in HIP HOPE, which is an activity that cannot be experienced in normal high school life.