Marc Zboch is an active philanthropist and business leader. His mission trips have taken him to such diverse locations as Cambodia, China, Philippines, El Salvador, and Egypt. Many of his projects concern health, medical, and food insecurity issues.
Zboch has a business background, so he has the ability to fund and carry out complex projects. As time has gone by, he has discovered that coming in from outside with a radical idea is not likely to help local residents. Instead, it is better to work with community leaders and see what needs they have assessed for themselves.
Zboch has found that many people from around the world are affected by conditions that they cannot control. These include war, natural disasters, hunger, and political instability. He feels personal sympathy for these people, but he is not motivated by pity. His goal is to help these people live better lives with the proper community and global support.
As a philanthropist, Marc Zboch has also founded a scholarship fund for students who are interested in supporting good works in the world. This $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a deserving undergraduate or graduate student. High school seniors who have been accepted to an institution of higher learning are eligible as well.
What is your favorite thing about traveling?
My favorite thing about traveling is experiencing a new culture firsthand. I have always had a strong feeling of curiosity about how other people live and what is important to them. Many of the people I visit make less than $2 a day. They are resourceful and typically very generous and happy. They spend time socially interacting in person, building deep relationships. We pretend to do this on Social Media, but there is no comparison.
Do your travels include “Dark Tourism” locations?
Yes, whenever possible. I’ve been to live voodoo ceremonies, communist torture camps and several bombed out cities. It makes you appreciate how quickly normal societies can be turned upside down.
Do you have any exciting travel dates or itinerary planned for the future?
I am planning a visit to Africa to help community leaders build a church and help with water access projects. The average walk for water is 3.7 miles. A full container weighs 40 pounds. The cost of installing wells has come down dramatically. Bicycle powered water jets can replace expensive drilling rigs. PVC pipe and a 30-cent check valve are replacing hard to maintain steel pumps and piping.
What are some travel tips you’d give to an inexperienced traveler?
My first travel tip would be to be safe but not too safe. Many places that we view as dangerous have less crime than most large US cities. Just obey the laws, particularly in the Middle East and Asia.
Be sure to keep your passport secure. It is doubly important that you keep all of your family members’ passports secure as well. Take pictures of them that you can access with your phone. If the child is not old enough to be completely responsible, carry the passport yourself.
I would also advise that travelers check the weather and the style of clothing that others will be wearing when you get there. This is particularly important for women. You can upset local sensibilities if you arrive there with “inappropriate” clothing. You will only make yourself miserable if you don’t dress for the weather. Make sure you have plenty of extra shoes and socks if you are in a wet area. Men and women should have zippered or buttoned pockets particularly in areas that don’t take credit cards and require cash.
Where would you like to go?
I would love to see Iran when tensions subside. It has amazing history and is a colorful place.
Where would you like to revisit?
I would like to go back to Cambodia and check on a leprosy project I helped build. They are inspirational people. Most have incredible stories of surviving Pol Pot’s genocide and work camps then later having to deal with painful leprosy. Despite their hardships, they are generally positive, happy people. They just want to be independent. So I was able to help them build a farm.
Do you travel alone? Why?
Sometimes, but I try to take at least one of my kids. They have learned that the world is not a scary place. When you get lost in the middle of a city with four million non-English speaking people, you learn to problem solve. Richard Branson’s mother used to drop him off miles from home and let him find his way back when he was as young as six.
Kids learn that they can be much happier without the screens and clutter in our lives. They see miracles that we just don’t find in our “safety net” society. And they get a soft heart from seeing people go through hardships Americans don’t have to deal with.
If you could pick the top three places every person should go, what would they be?
I recommend Petra Jordan, North Korea, and Sharm El Sheikh Egypt. Take the back nine-mile hike into Petra. You will not see a single tourist, but you will go through several Bedouin camps and be able to go inside 5,000-year-old buildings carved into the cliffs that are off the beaten path. North Korea is clean and bizarre. Sharm El Sheikh has great beaches and is a top 3 dive spot in the world. You will pay about $60 a night for a modern, luxury resort that’s only 10% occupied. Here’s why. In 2015 ISIS shot down a Soviet passenger plane leaving Sharm El Sheikh’s airport. Tourism has not come back even though ISIS is gone, and planes now take off over the ocean rather than the mountain outside of town. The locals are wonderful and friendly. My guide and his family had us over for dinner at their home.
Do you travel light, or do you pack up the house?
I can go a full month in a tiny Travel Pro. Patagonia makes lightweight synthetic trekking pants and long sleeve shirts that don’t wrinkle or stain. They dry quickly and take little space. They keep you cool in the heat and warm during cold nights. Yes, its not cotton. But cotton is bulky, heavy, wrinkles and is hard to clean.
