Motherland Connect expanding to Asia

Students from FAMU in Dubai during the 2019 Spring Break trip. Photo courtesy Tahir, @thevirtouslion

For four years Motherland Connect has been connecting continents through travel. The nonprofit organization had its first trip in 2014. Several students from FAMU, Clark Atlanta University and FSU had the opportunity to experience the trip first-hand. There have been trips to South Africa and Dubai, but now the organization is expanding to Egypt, Thailand, and even Paris. The primary goal of the organization is to give back to students by having discounted trips out of the country.

Motherland Connect not only allows American students to travel overseas but also has trips for South Africans to Miami and Thailand.

Modjinah Coby, a former FAMU public relations major, has been working with the organization since 2018 as the director of operations for North America. One of the things she values most about being able to do these trips is being able to give these students opportunities they might not have had otherwise.

“Just because I see and feel traveling is so important, the fact that I can present students with such an affordable price,” said Coby. “It’s amazing to hear the students tell me how traveling has changed their lives and how they see the importance of traveling now too.”

The organization’s primary focus is to allow students to travel, but Motherland Connect is also focusing on community service as well. Last year’s community service project was going to an orphanage and simply having fun with the children there, dancing and playing around with the students. This year they will be having a fundraiser so that they can give back more to the children at the orphanage. Chris Daniels, an international relations professor at FAMU, helps the organization with volunteer experiences and charity events for Motherland Connects.

“This year we will be volunteering with several different organizations, one of them is called See More Possibilities. The purpose of this organization is to encourage entrepreneurship in South African townships,” said Daniels.

Although the organization focuses heavily on community service there are several other activities student can enjoy while being on this trip. Students can experience wildlife such as lion cubs, learning the culture, or experiencing the nightlife. Motherland Connects student experience coordinator Christopher James Bryant II has been on the trip for the past three years.

“There is so much to do that your schedule is packed the whole time,” Bryant said. “There is an endless amount of activities, it’s a lot of fun. You get to play with lions and experience wildlife.”

Motherland Connects dedication to students being able to travel has allowed for students from around the world to experience different cultures. The organization allows students to go to Dubai, South Africa, Egypt, Thailand, and several other places.  Whether students are traveling or helping with community service they are given an experience of a lifetime with these trips.

For more information visit motherlandconnect.org.