From wanderlust to world change:Yasmine El Baggari forges visa-free connection across cultures
Yasmine El Baggari always dreamed of living a life of freedom. The idea of travelling the world and living in different countries was appealing to the , but she was realistic about the barriers sheād face, like visas and the money needed to fund her adventures.Ģż
Now, Yasmine is creating her dream world without restrictions through , a platform that connects people around the globe to foster one-on-one exchanges.
The goal is to build understanding in an increasingly divisive world, promoting peace and taking the time to talk to people from different backgrounds.
"Every human being has an amazing story. There is tremendous inequality in the world, and the more we expose ourselves to different ways of being and doing, we can bridge that gap"
Yasmine reminds us of what brings us together
āI believe weāve lost the ability to understand each other. When we get down to human stories and talk to people, [we realise that] everyone has the same dreams and fears. That gives me hope that there are amazing people everywhere. With all the wars going on, we can get sidetracked from the truth of the goodness of the human heart,ā Yasmine says.
Connection is at the heart of Voyaj, founded in 2014, where Yasmine is trying to bring back curiosity. āI feel like weāve lost the ability to agree to disagree and understand that we might have different belief systems. We need to get to the core of why people believe certain things.
"We invented this notion of cultures making us different, but when we connect heart to heart, that seems to disappear. Weāre all human beings and itās a miracle weāre all here on this earth.ā
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Yasmine is a fan of the 10,000-foot view to give her perspective: āWhen you look at the Earth from above, you realise weāre so tiny compared to the universe. I find it helpful to remember that weāre all going to die eventually, so how do we want to spend our time on this planet?
"My belief is that finding common ground and helping each other is a worthwhile path to take. What drives me is inviting people into new experiences that might shift their perspectives,ā she says, crediting travel and experiencing new cultures as a less didactic way to indirectly influence someoneās view.Ģż
For example, a recent Voyaj event included a dinner in San Francisco, where a recent arrival from Afghanistan shared his story and shattered a one-sided view of the country.ĢżĢż
āEvery human being has an amazing story. There is tremendous inequality in the world, and the more we expose ourselves to different ways of being and doing, we can bridge that gap,ā she adds.
Yasmineās obsession with travel started by watching Hollywood movies. āThat was my glimpse into another possibility, seeing women own their own businesses or being professional dancers, travelling the world.ā
Family holidays to Spain also sparked questions, with Yasmine wondering about the lives of these people outside of Morocco. āWho are they? What were they thinking about? Iām fascinated by people and I wanted to talk to them, but I didnāt speak the language,ā Yasmine recalls. āI knew I had to learn English to be able to communicate with the rest of the world.āĢż
"Thereās so much suffering in the world, but thereās so much beauty as well. Thereās war and peace, thereās love and hate, it feels like life is full of paradoxes all the time, and I wonder if that gives us purpose to combat challenges"
Breaking stereotypes, barriers, and records
Yasmine graduated from Hampshire College in Massachusetts, America, before earning a masterās in human psychology at Harvard. But it was an exchange programme at 17 years old that sparked a sense of responsibility in Yasmine. The programme aimed to shift perspectives about the Middle East and North Africa, something thatās still important for the entrepreneur.ĢżĢż
āThese identities of being a young Moroccan woman who is Arab and African are perceived as negative. Meeting this shiny human who just wants to talk can confuse people. Iāve seen the āahaā moment happen thousands of times when people become curious,ā Yasmine reflects, thinking about when she travelled around all 50 American states on a Greyhound bus, staying in peopleās homes around the country.Ģż
āWhen people travel to Morocco and Egypt and realise that these countries are incredibly warm, hospitable and culturally rich, with a strong sense of community and family values.ā
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Instead of seeing these preconceptions as frustrating, Yasmine sees them as an opportunity. āThereās still work to do ā if everyone suddenly believed [in my mission,] I wouldnāt need one anymore!āĢż
āThereās so much suffering in the world, but thereās so much beauty as well. Thereās war and peace, and thereās love and hate, it feels like life is full of paradoxes all the time, and I wonder if that gives us purpose to combat challenges. If everything was perfect, we wouldnāt need to.ā
Growing up in Morocco, Yasmine was told that young women shouldnāt travel alone, but she wanted to overcome āthat feeling of restriction and break down barriers.ā
She also recognises that a lot of her challenges are self-imposed. āSometimes I lose confidence in myself and limit my own capacity. Iām working on dreaming bigger and reaching more people around the world; 90% of startups fail, so you have to really believe in yourself and your mission.ā
The next step is a Voyaj app, enabling more people to connect and share experiences.
Now, she wants to return opportunities for women, girls and young people to the area, having worked on collaborations with the likes of the World Bank to elevate young woman entrepreneurs across the region through mentorship, connections and cultural exchange programmes between the Middle East and the US: āIām always thinking about how to bridge my world here with my world back home, as well as globally.ā
As for whatās next, Yasmine has her eyes set on space. āThereās only been one woman in space from Africa, and I can think of a few from the Middle East. We need more women in technology,ĢżSTEM andĢżspace. My mission is to reunite humanity, and so why not the moon?"
Isabella Silvers isĢża multi-award-winning editor and journalist, having written for Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, Refinery 29 and more. She also writes a weekly newsletter on mixed-race identity, titled Mixed Messages
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