From a young age, I have always admired fashion. I pride myself on my fashion taste, and I have invested way too much money in my closet. Although I have made many quality and ethical purchases, I am not proud of the fact that over half of my closet was mass-produced in a sweatshop. Over the past few years, I have become more aware of the cruelty of sweatshops, mainly through social media platforms like TikTok. For example, I’ve seen videos of people opening packages from Shein with messages inside from workers asking for help, and I have also seen videos of people showing blood on their brand-new clothes. Despite seeing these videos, I still find myself regretfully purchasing fast fashion because it is typically cheaper and more accessible in malls. It is obvious that fast fashion is unethical and therefore not the right option, but then what is the right option? It is hard to find trustworthy brands, and they are often much more expensive, as are handmade items. After learning about rural Moroccan artisan women who are robbed of the profit of their hard work due to a lack of market access, I was amazed while learning about the Anou Cooperative. I was impressed that the founders were able to design such a simple website for the women artisans to use successfully, despite high rates of illiteracy. I was also struck by how the company limits costs, such as website management, so that the women can keep 80% of the profit. The Anou Cooperative not only amazed me, but it also inspired me. I want to be more mindful of how my clothes and accessories are manufactured, even if that means paying higher prices. Furthermore, I am inspired to share what I learned about the Anou Cooperative with my friends and family members who, like me, make unethical purchases.

One of my biggest takeaways from the ecosystem lecture was how the pandemic forced Morocco to rapidly shift toward digital systems, which initially created many challenges but ultimately strengthened the country’s digital infrastructure and innovation capacity. Although it may seem obvious, I had never really thought about how other countries responded to COVID, especially those that were not already highly digitalized, like the US. In the US, we already had curbside pickup for groceries and plenty of food delivery apps to meet demand, but in countries like Morocco—where many people shop at small produce stands in the medinas—people had to adapt quickly. This idea of disruption leading to long-term progress is something my group plans to explore further during our visit to 1337 coding school. Even though 1337 coding school was launched in 2018, before the pandemic, I am interested in how it may have become more relevant as that digital shift accelerated. During our visit, I also want to understand how 1337 fits into this evolving digital ecosystem and whether its peer-to-peer learning model, absence of traditional teachers, and flexible, self-paced curriculum helped it adapt more easily to a world that suddenly depended on digital skills. Overall, this perspective will guide how I approach the visit, pushing me to look beyond just the school itself and instead focus on how it contributes to a more adaptable and inclusive digital ecosystem in Morocco.