Marhaba (Welcome in Arabic),
Dear friends, thanks to our great student organisation IAAS, which brings together students in agriculture and related fields worldwide as a close-knit family, I had a great time in Morocco for more than a week.
The goal of the ExCo Meeting was to improve our internship program (ExPro) with Exchange Coordinators and other IAAS-members from all over the world, pass on older members' experiences to younger members and finally form a close-knit group of friends. Friendship and trust are the most important ingredients for a good cooperation. It’s a shame however I couldn’t attend the event from the beginning and missed a lot of the part about ExPro itself, because of university work. Nevertheless there were information tutorials, brainstorms, discussions, soft-skill trainings and eventually also votings to improve the system in general and everybody’s knowhow.
Ever since my arrival in Casablanca and on the train to Rabat on the way to the event, it was clear that Morocco is a country full of hospitable and spontaneous people, ready to offer help where they can. On the other hand, Morocco is also a country of contrasts, where conservative habits balance with the youth who want to taste the modernity of the West; where African, Arab and European influences come together. As in a lot of Mediterranean/oriental cultures, the planning and organising wasn’t always as it ought to be. But even from those moments, I have amazing memories. Those moments you’re doing nothing and waiting as one group, can be the most bonding.
After getting a lot of experience from others, having had incredible discussions and connecting conversations with all kinds of young people and participating in unforgettable activities, I return to Belgium with a lot of motivation and the hope to make IAAS even bigger here in Belgium, so that even more people can enjoy all these benefits.
A lot of boergenot
Kamiar, ExCo Leuven
