Alumni TechCamp Caravan Organized in Morocco

By Asmae Azzamouri

Oujda - In collaboration with US Embassy, TechCamp Caravan,  which took place on the 12th and the 13th of April, called for active members in civic society to take part in its second edition in Agadir.

Participants of this chapter were Moroccan alumni from different exchange programs, including MEPI, IVLP, Access, and Fulbright alumni.

This multi-faceted immersion camp was designed to build digital literacy for a group of young activists from different areas in Morocco. It took the form of hand-in-hand training sessions as well as small group discussions. Participants had the opportunity to learn how to embrace the latest tools and technologies and use them in creative and effective ways.

“Three characteristics of this camp have contributed to its success: The quality of volunteering, the spirit of entrepreneurship, and successful coordination,” said Mrs. Sana Sekale, ESL/EFL professor at ENS–Rabat, continuing, “this was a perfect platform for people working on the thematic of culture, acculturation, inter-culture and socio-culture to meet and found common ground.”

In this two-day conference, alumni were exposed to a wide range of technological tools and techniques, such as video streaming services and web design. Additionally, they practiced using online platforms to raise awareness of social issues, build organizational capacity, fundraise for nonprofits, and much more.

“Techcamp is indeed an exceptional platform, and it provides a unique learning experience for members of civil society organizations,” said Ayoub Belgharbi, MEPI alumni, “for a world that is massively evolving, we are now entitled to keep up. Tech is the means.”

One of the most interesting topics was the use of digital storytelling, presented by Yasser Monkachi, a trainer at Techcamp Alumni. He explained the meaning of Digital Storytelling, the process it goes through, and how it could be used beneficially and influentially.

Funded by the US embassy, Techcamp caravan covered accommodation, transportation and meals for participants. The program will continue on its path to reach other cities in the coming weeks, including Ouarzazate, Assilah, and Oujda. Around 50 highly motivated participants will take part in this interactive event.

“This was one opportunity to gather people all over Morocco (north, south, east, west) with the aim to collaborate efforts and maximize outcome. By the end of the event, we feel we still wanted to stay (never got bored),” said Mrs.Sana Sekale.

Edited by Melissa Smyth