Farewell to Morocco!

It is with much sadness that I announce that my husband Malachy and I have left Peace Corps service due to unforeseen circumstances on the home front. Serving with Peace Corps Morocco was an incredible experience, one that we will carry with us for the remainder of our lives.  A part of our hearts will always remain in Demnate, our home town.  

We will never forget the wonderful people we met along the way, beginning with our Staj mates and our language learning family and continuing with our extended host families and those we encountered at the youth centers, handicapped associations, and throughout Morocco.  Please enjoy the following collage highlighting the very best of our Moroccan experience.

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A cactus garden at the ḍar šbab 

This winter and early spring at the ḍar šbab have been our busiest seasons to date.  I was fortunate to have applied for and received a small grant from “The King’s Fund,” established after Moroccan King Mohammed VI donated $100,000 to thank the Peace Corps for all it’s done for the benefit of Moroccan youth.  The donation has been used to fund various small grant projects, including my grant for expansion of our ḍar šbab garden. 

We decided to plant a cactus and succulent garden at the ḍar šbab, which would require less water usage than one of standard plants and flowers.  As we began to clear the lot in preparation for planting, the community came out in full force to assist us.  People of all ages grabbed picks and shovels and broke up the ground for ease of planting.  

Trees and bushes were donated in addition to those purchased with the grant, and assembly lines of youth planted a hedge of rosemary along the garden boundary.  

Young adults from the town’s championship soccer team volunteered to plant and transplant trees.  

Youngsters looked on and assisted while the cactus and succulents were planted. 

They also listened attentively to a speaker who visited to teach about garden upkeep and maintenance.  

In all, we had more than 50 volunteers assist with all stages of garden installation.  Many thanks to all! Youth continue to share in the chores of watering and weeding, and we are hoping to broaden the scope of Garden and Environmental Club activities to include off-site projects and activities.  Perhaps these youngsters have learned some skills they might use in future employment opportunities.  

This autumn has been a very busy season!  Not long after 3id Kbir, we enjoyed entertaining some fellow Peace Corps volunteers, our good friends Jenny and Steve, and nearby PC neighbor and friend, Morgan.  Jenny is an art instructor, and she gave me so many tips for using recycled materials in art projects.  She is also an avid gardener, and had great advice for the ḍar šbab garden we are hoping to expand – inshallah – including composting and rain water collection suggestions.  Meanwhile, Steve treated us to his gourmet pancakes, fashioned into animal shapes, before we headed to Marrakech to introduce them to the infamous big square.  

The following week, Morgan brought her youthful energy, and we enjoyed the requisite hike to Imi n’Ifri along with our dear friend and tutor, Soukaina.

Activities at the ḍar šbab got off to a bit of a slow start, although much groundwork was laid for planned projects, primarily of a garden and environmental nature.  I’m also teaching English, and started an aerobics class at the ḍar šbab. 

Not one to be inactive for any length of time, while waiting for activities to ramp up at the ḍar šbab, I decided to try my hand at cooking Moroccan cous cous, after buying Mal a cous cous pot for his birthday.  Don’t laugh, it appears I’m getting an oven from him for Christmas!  Anyway, I’m getting the hang of it, and have dared to entertain some friends in town even while in this experimental stage.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Moroccan cous cous, it is a mouthwatering blend of well-fluffed and steamed cous cous served on a platter with beef topped with vegetables including squash, zucchini, carrots, peppers, and more.

We introduced the Scouts and youth at our ḍar šbab to the American version of Halloween.  We carved a Moroccan pumpkin for the occasion and passed around lots of candy. 

We also hosted our first trash cleanup event in our neighborhood park, and had more than 20 volunteers of all ages join us in the effort.

 

Then, on November 5^th, Morocco celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Green March, a mass demonstration occurring in 1975 and coordinated by the Moroccan government to force Spain to hand over the disputed province of Spanish Sahara to Morocco. The demonstration of some 350,000 Moroccans advanced several miles into the Western Sahara territory, escorted by nearly 20,000 Moroccan troops. The events quickly escalated into the Western Sahara War, which, truth be told, is still underway.  Commemorating the Green March is a big celebration in our little town.

Not long after Green March, we travelled to Rabat and joined Peace Corps volunteers from across the nation for a traditional Thanksgiving feast. 

Upon our return, Mal and I managed to sneak in a little vacation time at Cape Verde – brown sugar beaches, glorious sun, turquois water, lots of swimming and a bit of snorkeling.  Just what we needed before the onset of the cold Moroccan winter.

We celebrated the actual American Thanksgiving quietly, although it was wonderful to connect with my New York family via skype, chatting away while their turkey was carved.  I hadn’t been to New York in more than a year, so it was wonderful to see some of the gang face-to-face.  A little homesick.  Mal and I made turkey stir fry, heavy on the sage, before reporting for work at our ḍar šbab.

Our town’s soccer team are the national champions, and Mal and I were invited by the team’s coach to attend a hometown game last weekend.  Imagine my surprise when I found myself to be the only woman in a group of about 500 men and boys cheering on the team.  Well, just add it to my šuma list.

And now Christmas approaches.  Tired of throwing away the remnants of our bottled drinking water (there is no plastic recycling in Morocco), Mal had a brainstorm idea for our Christmas tree this year.  He cut, fastened together and painted our overflowing supply of empty water bottles, attached them to a broom handle secured in an umbrella stand, and…voilà…a homemade Christmas tree.  I used additional recycled material for tree decorations, and with a little help from Carrefour, we are now ready for the holiday.  Oh, and I got my oven as an early Christmas present and I’m now ready to bake some cookies, date nut bread, and other holiday delectables.  This is actually the easiest holiday season I can remember since my youth, which is a good thing, as my Peace Corps projects are ramping up just now as I write a grant for environmental projects to begin - inshallah - after the first of the year.

The Big Eid - called 3id l-kbir in Moroccan Berber areas - is the most important Islamic holiday of the year.  It is celebrated by Muslims in commemoration of the occasion where Abraham heeded the command of Allah to sacrifice his son, Ishmael.  It is believed that, just as he was about to slay Ishmael, Allah called out to Abraham not to harm the boy.  Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son was proof enough of his obedience to Allah, and when Abraham looked up, he saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.  He took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.  Muslims observe the holiday by likewise slaughtering an animal, usually a sheep, goat or cow.

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As I awoke on the morning of 3id l-kbir, I listened lazily as villagers gathered for congregational prayer.  One of the selected gathering points in our village was beautiful Imi n'Ifri, and prayers rang down from the hillside even as a long procession of worshipers continued to make their way to the gathering place.

 

Immediately following the congregational prayers, families returned to their homes for breakfast and to prepare for the day's events.  Although we were invited by our friends, the Limouni's, to participate in the family's ritual sacrifice, I declined the invitation.  My husband Mal did assist in the procedings, however.  I'll spare you all of the gruesome details, but know that little of the sacrificial animal goes to waste, and one-third or so of the meat is shared with the poor.

The "sheep shawl" is worn for friendship & good luck.

And then the feasting begins!   Cubed lamb is spiced with onion, cumin, safron, ginger and other delectable spices, then skewered and barbecued as brochettes. 

Spiced brochettes ready for the barbecue.

We devoured untold quantities of the deliciously fresh kebobs.

In honor of the festive holiday, Mal and I donned some traditional clothing...

 

...and practiced our Berber dance routine.  Well, we've got a few more moves to learn...

We're so thankful to have been adopted into the Limouni's extended family, and invited to attend these wonderful cultural celebrations.

3id mubarak!

After a successful 10-day camp at our local ḍar šbab, Mal and I begin planning for our autumn program.  But summer is not behind us yet, so I will share many fun photos from the extraordinary summer camp (a picture paints a thousand words).

I so enjoyed re-connecting with counselors and campers who
were so welcoming at spring camp when we first arrived at our site

A visit from a clown friend made for enjoyable entertainment.

The food was good.  As always, lots of hubz.

Hungry campers!

Mal documented the events with a couple hours of video,
made into two movies.

Many energetic and enthusiastic counselors
work the various ḍar šebab camps

I particularly enjoyed volunteering to help
with art classes.

Mal calls this Superhero "Hatman".

Hatman #2.

90 kids hike to Imi n Ifri.

Imi n Ifri mzyan.  Cool water and swimming holes.

Follow the trail but don't drop any boxes!

Seriously, this is much harder than it looks.

Sack races!

This was an intricate game involving the transport of water
from one tub to another while manipulating a series of ropes.

Walking backwards along a path using a hand-held mirror.

A good counting game: separate the beans and seeds by type
 in record time.

A cap with a sharp nail protruding served as
a balloon-popping instrument. 

Pool time.

Final night's performance.

A beautiful Berber dance performance.

In the summertime when the weather is hot...