We’re in Morocco! Check out our progress on day 1 and day 2.
In addition to the details of the trip, we’re exited to share our volunteers’s stories. Randy Tate is a long time volunteer, member of the board (stay tuned for an upcoming series that introduces each of our board members), and our current Vice President. We’ve asked him about his favorite trips and why he’s motivated to volunteer with this organization.
Why is it important to bring technology to other regions of the world?
Education is freedom. Knowing how things work, how to build something, or even just basic math or language skills can unlock significant opportunity in almost every city or village throughout the world. Lacking these skills can lead to oppression and limited opportunity. I believe that access to a computer with basic educational applications and content can open the minds of kids and put them on a path of technology-assisted learning and working that is becoming increasingly prevalent in the 21st century. Using Open Source software for KoC labs is also important to me, because of the concepts of freely sharing knowledge, and the chance to build upon the advancements that others have made before us.
Have you visited this region before? Why are you looking forward to this trip?
Yea, two years ago my wife and I went to Morocco, Gibraltar, and Spain for 10 days. We hired a guide for part of our time in Morocco and it was cool to visit different parts of the country, from the urban souks in Marrakech to the Atlas mountains, to the edge of the Sahara desert near the Algerian border, then on to the Mediterranean at Tangier. We met so many nice people and saw firsthand some of the challenges of education for kids in rural areas. One thing I’m looking forward to this time is more delicious Moroccan tagine dishes. I’ve also invited another (younger) nephew to join me on this trip … so that should be exciting. Hopefully he doesn’t get too homesick, and can experience some things about life outside the U.S. that he wouldn’t get back home.
This isn’t your first trip. Please tell us about your favorite trips and your most memorable moment.
I’ve also been to Mexico and Nepal to do KoC lab setup. Both trips were amazing and I had a great time. The first KoC trip I joined was to Mexico a couple of years ago, and I brought a 17-yr-old nephew from Wyoming. He had never been out of the country, so going to Mexico was really exciting for him (and me). He had a great time working in the schools, meeting other volunteers (both from US and Mexico), and eating tacos. Going to Nepal with my wife and another volunteer couple was also a lot of fun. Probably my most memorable moment would be when my nephew and I found a 2nd class bus to get from Mexico City to Huajuapan de Leon. It was a long and interesting trip, including a stop to pick up passengers from another bus that had broken down … standing room only for a couple of hours!
Hope you enjoyed getting to know Randy. Does our mission excite you? Do you want to share your knowledge? Do you want to bridge the digital divide? Join our mailing list to get the latest information about our trips.