Aristotle may have said 'One swallow does not a summer make' but today I saw no fewer than three swallow swooping up into the eaves, and the Gates Foundation Facilities department evidently decided summer is on its way as all the picnic tables and chairs, umbrellas and even a giant outdoor chess set have appeared in the courtyard at the heart of the campus. The weather also decided to cooperate as it was positively balmy outside at lunchtime. The blueberry and strawberry plant in the ecological planters are all blooming so berry season can only be a month or so away.
Having heard the news of the Nepal earthquake over the weekend I was surprised by the lack of 'coverage' at work. I had assumed the Foundation would be at the front line supporting humanitarian efforts but so far I haven't heard anything other than one or two employees posting messages on our internal social media platform Yammer reaching out to those who have friends or relatives stranded in Nepal to ask if anyone at the Foundation may have contacts on the ground who might be able to assist. Will watch for more news in the coming days.
Update two days later: this morning the Foundation announced it has made a $700,000 grant to Oxfam in support of emergency relief work in Nepal!
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