From wanderlust to world change:Yasmine El Baggari forges visa-free connection across cultures
6 min read
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 Moroccan native, but she was realistic about the barriers she’d face, like visas and the money needed to fund her adventures.
Now, Yasmine is creating her dream world without restrictions through Voyaj, 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
“I believe we’ve 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,” Yasmine says.
Connection is at the heart of Voyaj, founded in 2016, where Yasmine is trying to bring back curiosity. “I feel like we’ve 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. We’re all human beings and it’s a miracle we’re all here on this earth.”
Yasmine is a fan of the 10,000-foot view to give her perspective: “When you look at the Earth from above, you realise we’re so tiny compared to the universe. I find it helpful to remember that we’re 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,” she says, crediting travel and experiencing new cultures as a less didactic way to indirectly influence someone’s view.
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.
“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,” she adds.
Yasmine’s obsession with travel started by watching Hollywood movies. “That was my glimpse into another possibility, seeing women own their own businesses or being professional dancers, travelling the world.”
Family holidays to Spain also sparked questions, with Yasmine wondering about the lives of these people outside of Morocco. “Who are they? What were they thinking about? I’m fascinated by people and I wanted to talk to them, but I didn’t speak the language,” Yasmine recalls. “I knew I had to learn English to be able to communicate with the rest of the world.”
"There’s so much suffering in the world, but there’s so much beauty as well. There’s war and peace, there’s 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 master’s 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 that’s still important for the entrepreneur.
“These 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. I’ve seen the ‘aha’ moment happen thousands of times when people become curious,” Yasmine reflects, thinking about when she travelled around all 50 American states on a Greyhound bus, staying in people’s homes around the country.
“When 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.”
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Instead of seeing these preconceptions as frustrating, Yasmine sees them as an opportunity. “There’s still work to do – if everyone suddenly believed [in my mission,] I wouldn’t need one anymore!”
Working as a young female entrepreneur hasn’t been easy for Yasmine. Her business model has been questioned, but Yasmine’s deep conviction is what keeps her going. “There’s so much suffering in the world, but there’s so much beauty as well. There’s war and peace, and there’s 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 wouldn’t need to.”
Growing up in Morocco, Yasmine was told that young women shouldn’t travel alone, but she wanted to overcome “that feeling of restriction and break down barriers.”
She also recognises that a lot of her challenges are self-imposed. “Sometimes I lose confidence in myself and limit my own capacity. I’m 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.”
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: “I’m always thinking about how to bridge my world here with my world back home, as well as globally.”
As for what’s next, Yasmine has her eyes set on space. “There’s 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, STEM and space. My mission is to reunite humanity, and so why not the moon?"
Isabella Silvers is a 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
Follow her on Twitter: @izzymks
