Today we visited the Digital Development and Women’s Empowerment NGO, also known as ANDD. This is another nonprofit organization we have visited that focuses on the development of digital skills for women. They fulfill this mission by giving women the opportunity to develop their skills through workshops and programs that they organize. They not only offer these programs, but they also bring the programs directly to the women, making them easier to access. The programs are free, as the tutors volunteer their time, and ANDD is currently working to expand its list of sponsors which we did find out is zero now, but looking to expand in the future. 

I think it is really interesting to see how ANDD is similar to other nonprofits we have visited, but also very interesting to see how they are different. ANDD focuses not only on teaching digital tools, but also on empowering women. Othmane Ait Chouïa was a student in the KHATAWAT program, and when describing her experience, she did not even begin by talking about all the amazing things she learned. Instead, she talked about the confidence she gained from the program. She explained that she used to never want to speak in class and would always sit in the back, and now she is standing in front of all of us confidently sharing her experience. This honestly was such an amazing story to hear and I was very locked in because of it. I fear Mead was also locked in because at the end of our visit she found herself locked into the bathroom.

I think this small difference is what sets ANDD apart, because without confidence, even with all of these resources, many women would not come to class and there would be little impact from the organization.

Afterward, we went to a great restaurant called Dar Naji for lunch, and we had so much fun enjoying a large meal and laughing with friends. I cannot believe that this will most likely be one of our last meals together.

After lunch, we went to the women’s center, where the women were kind enough to show us some of the products and startups they have created. They shared their stories about where they started with promoting their products digitally and where they are now after completing the classes. One thing that all of the women had in common was an open mindset. They were all willing to participate in trainings and try new things, and this completely changed what they were capable of producing. It is a very difficult thing to have known one way of doing something your whole life and then have to relearn completely new concepts and skills. Even my mom is so against trying to listen and learn when I am explaining new techniques of tech to her.

I was so grateful that the women took time out of their day to show us their products because it also had an impact on me to be able to see, in person, the faces behind the products and how proud they are of their creations.