Ouarzazate - TechCamp Caravan is back this year and for the first time, it was hosted in Ouarzazate from April 26-27, under the theme of “Technology in the Service of Society.”
TechCamp Caravan is an intensive two-day training session for civil society leaders organized by the U.S. Embassy in Rabat. In addition to Agadir and Ouarzazate, the training took place in Ouajda and Assilah as well.
Fatima Zahara Aboukir, a Youth Programs coordinator at the Embassy said that TechCamp caravan was an idea that they developed at the Public Affairs Section after the first TechCamp training in Rabat in 2012.
“The first TechCamp was a big success. We got people from different countries and trainers from Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc,” Aboukir said. “We thought that instead of organizing the training in one city, we would rather have a caravan, and have it in other cities for the benefit.”
Samuel Werberg, the U.S. Embassy Rabat cultural attaché said, “We realized that there is a huge need in Morocco concerning the basic technology training, and we know for sure that people benefit from Facebook, Google, and other free technological tools. We want people to better understand and use those tools effectively to make Morocco a better place.”
Mohamed Aitaha, founder and president of Generation Leaders, expressed why he thought the event was important. “We are hosting this event, first because of the importance of the training to association members. Second, we want to contribute to the development of the city and the regions. Finally, we ourselves network through these events with many NGO’s,” Aitaha said.
The agenda for TechCamp Caravan Ouarzazate included five workshops:
1. Your NGOs communication: How to make it significant on the Internet
2. How online collaboration tools enhance team productivity
3. Tools for events dissemination through the media and social networks
4. Start an e-commerce business in 2014
5. Digital storytelling concept
Saida Elamrani, a participant from Tata said she was thankful for the opportunity to participate.
“I rarely use internet, I thought it is a waste of time and energy, but now I learned that technology could make a big change in my business,” Elamrani said. She also stressed the importance of using technological tools to communicate better and market products, especially for rural associations.
Another participant, Abderrahmane Ait Lqous, a university student majoring in Sociology of Enterprise in Marrakech, was also glad he was part of the event. “During these two days I learned that technology does not only consist of Google or Facebook, but there are a wide variety of Software programs and websites that can helps us improve our work, and achieve our association’s objectives.”
Mohammed Bensoltana, a trainer, said, “I am glad to be part of the caravan again for the fourth time; I learned from participants and corrected stereotypes I used to have concerning associations dynamism and activeness. I met with people who started from scratch and now they have developed a big business. I am very inspired by their stories.”
Abdelwahad Aitouarrou, a social assistant in Ouarzazate, believes that the organization went beyond the expectation in terms of variety, timing and benefit, and he would love for this program to continue.
“We are glad that we have been able to train over 600 participants all over Morocco. We believe that technology is not the absolute answer, but it can help us to find the answers we are looking for,” Aboukir said.
Edited by Saba Naseem
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