November 14, 2023

Rebuild a school in the mountains of Morocco

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Fer
igniter

Tarik, Morocco

“It is not only about travelling but more about helping people around the world.”

Hi, Tarik! Tell us a bit about yourself!

I’m Tarik from Morocco, 22 years old Muslim student. I am currently doing postgraduate in marketing and living between France (for work) and Spain (for studies).

I’m a backpack traveller who is passionate about music and cooking. I love meeting people from different part of the world and exchange knowledge with them. I have already travelled through Portugal, Spain (lived for two years), France (lived for one year),Saudi Arabia (lived for two years), Hungary, Turkey (lived for eight months)and England.

I always want to be healthy and surrounded by positive people. Professionally, I want to reach financial stability by doing music and able to create new ones.

Tell us something that you strongly believe in?

Equality is very important to me; we are all human and no one should judge others by his look, race or social position. I believe that we should help each other, be kind to others. If you give love, one day you will receive it back.

What was the most memorable experience in your travel?

When I was travelling in Morocco, I went with a group of friends to a village up in the mountains. We ended rebuilt a school for local children! We painted the walls, cleaned the classes, and created a little garden. This happened during Ramadan, a very special time for us as Muslims. It reminded me that Ramadan is not only about fasting, but also about giving your energy and time to people who are in need.


It was in a village in the mountain area where most people don’t have access to basic facilities. At first, we were just doing a quick visit to the area. The none of my friends who lived not far away, came up with this idea and invited us to join his parents building the school for local kids. And we thought, why not? We helped raise books, pencils, and backpacks to the students. We painted the walls, planted some flowers, and decorated their classrooms. We had a lot fun with the kids doing activities! It’s such a joy to see the improvement of their learning environment by the end of it.

We wanted that all kids feel safe and be aware of the importance of education. I´ve never thought that I would do these sorts of things, because I was always studying, doing part-time jobs, and thinking about how I could improve my life. Thanks to this travel, I got to realise how some people are struggling for electricity or young kids walking miles to reach school. When you see this reality, you start to become more grateful for what you have. You also realize that you can give a lot to help others. Not giving materials, but giving hope, a smile, having good conversations and letting them feel that humanity still exist. You are there to help them and make their life more decent and it is beautiful when you see the difference in the end.

And … have you come across any challenges in your travel?

The most difficult time was the day when I was robbed in Madrid. It was my first week there and I did not know how the transport works at night. I went out of a club, and I was waiting for transportation when I noticed a group of people coming on my way. They stopped and started talking to me, I tried to ignore them, but one of them made a move trying to take my chain. He broke it and then tried to search my pockets. I started running away from them and took a uber. After that, a lot of people told me that I was not the only one who got robbed there… So always watch out in these situations!

What are your top 3 tips for people that are starting to travel?

·      Always have a clear goal and a vision of what you want to do or achieve with this.

·       Trust in yourself and your abilities, you are capable of it.

·      Never stop learning in your way. You are going to meet amazing people that have different qualities, so learn with them.

 

What are your favourite apps for travel?

Everyone should download the app `Fever`. Fever helps you discover what to do in your city, where to go and what to visit. Find exclusive events, secret places, and trendy pop-ups where you can enjoy new experiences. When you buy something there, you get a score and accumulate points, you get money to buy other tickets for example

 

Another incredible app is `Too Good To Go: End Food Waste`. At the end of the day, usually restaurants and grocery stores can’t sell some food as it’s going to be old for the next day. Instead of throwing away in the trash, they sell the food cheaper.

If you could change 3 things in your experience to make your travel experience better, what would you change?

- Financial planning is essential for everything.

- Define a date to start and have a clear objective.

- Know what you want to do, and not what people want you to do.

If a travel company wanted to engage traveller like yourself to travel with them more, what advice do you have for them?

I would be more responsible for my spending. For example, try to use promotion codes to  expense while travelling.

I would learn some local language before travelling, it makes life a lot easier.

The last one is using the banking system to change the currency instead of doing it in the airports. It saves a ton of money!

How would you describe Gen Z generation?

I would describe us as a generation of 'starters'. Everything is changing rapidly nowadays, the way we live, work and communicate. We are creating a new world and Gen Z are contributing to it.

Would you like to share your stories with us?

Please get in touch for more information: ignitecollective@addverve.com

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