Beautiful People of Morocco

Young Canadian volunteer and freelance writer, Elena Fenrick is this month's guest columnist and writes about her three-month adventure in Morocco. The article was first published in the Edmonton Journal and is reprinted with permission of the author.

Beautiful people of Morocco

With a vibrant culture, rich in contrasts, Morocco claims a unique spot in both Africa and the Arab world. Ancient tradition merges daily with pop culture and modernity. This is a country where nomadic Saharan guides are Celine Dion fans and veiled women eat McArabia sandwiches at McDonald's.

In the Anti-Atlas mountains, "Long Live King Mohamed VI" is spelled out in Arabic script formed by white rocks. Near the same mountains, on the outskirts of an oasis town, several disabled Moroccans drive high-tech motorized wheelchairs across a stony plateau.

I was fortunate enough to call this gorgeous land of contrasts "home" for three months as a Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer. Headquartered in New York, CCS operates home bases in 12 countries around the world.

After graduating from high school in 2007, I wanted to travel and experience living somewhere other than Lloydminster.

Morocco was at the top of my list of places to see, it being a unique fusion of Mediterranean, African and Middle Eastern culture. I wanted to experience the Arab world for myself rather than stereotyping a society based on media portrayal.

CCS Morocco's home base is located in Rabat, the country's political capital and current imperial city. Gorgeously situated on both the Atlantic Ocean and Bou Regreg River, remainders of the French Protectorate are still visibly ingrained in the architecture and style. Only a fortress-like wall separates the Ville Nouveau (new city) from the ancient Medina (old city).

Ranging in ages from eight to 82, nearly 50 volunteers went through the house during my 12-week stay. Each seemed to be on both a personal journey and a quest for a greater good in the world. Hearing their wealth of travel experiences made me want to see and do everything, all at once.

The home-base staff is composed entirely of Moroccans, which helped me to feel less like a tourist and more like a part of the country. We were educated on different aspects of culture, people, language and religion through speakers, field trips and activities.

Before arriving in Morocco, we'd been given information about our volunteer placement. Honestly, I was apprehensive about working at a children's hospital, but I went in with a determination to not let it scare me.

There was nothing to be afraid of.

We were warmly welcomed, even by the mothers who had spent weeks at their child's bedside. Many of these women were from rural areas and spoke only Arabic. I couldn't understand their words, but I did understand that they were both the toughest and most personable people that I'd ever known. Communicating was an interesting challenge, with more than a few hilarious misunderstandings.

Our days in the oncology ward were spent colouring, painting, playing board games and doing puzzles with kids, all of which promoted a constant exchange of English and Arabic.

Though grief and sadness also existed in the ward, the positive attitude of the children shocked me. These kids seemed wise beyond their years, yet most were able to temporarily dispel their fears by laughing and socializing.

Day-to-day life in Morocco was an adventure.

Traffic in Rabat is hectic, and the fast-moving city buses are often crammed wall-to-wall with passengers of all ages. Tickets are cheap at only four dirhams (roughly 56 cents Cdn), and foreigners who take the city bus usually leave with some memorable stories and observations.

On the weekends, volunteers have the option of travelling about the country. For me, this included trips to the Sahara desert dunes near M'Hamid and to Fez, the country's "spiritual capital."

Buying a train ticket to Fez is an easy transaction; getting on the correct train is not quite as easy. (Six of us spent a half-hour stranded in Kenitra, waiting for the train we should have taken.)

Fez was fantastic and fulfilled my childhood dream of being in Disney's Aladdin. The Medina, famous for its tanneries and one of the world's oldest universities, comprises thousands of medieval streets and alleyways.

Our guide led us to an Amazigh (Berber) carpet house, a women's co-operative that produced silk scarves, a herbal pharmacy and the famed tanneries.

In my opinion, Morocco's greatest asset is its people. Family is a priority to them, and time isn't measured as rigidly as it is in Canada.

The genuine kindness of strangers was a recurring theme wherever we went. People wanted to help us. Yes, there were those who wanted to sell us something such as a henna tattoo or their guiding services. But, many were simply curious about why we were there and wished to show hospitality to foreigners.

The local shop owners in the souk (marketplace) and waiters at certain cafes began to exchange pleasant greetings with us. When I brought a few friends back to a specific jewellery shop, the owner recognized me and gave me a tiny, silver Hand of Fatima necklace as commission.

In a pilot project, some of the volunteers met regularly with a group of students from Mohamed V University. To help them with their English, we discussed a wide variety of topics and saw Morocco from their perspective.

Getting to know the students was a great opportunity for cultural understanding. Most hadn't personally known any North Americans before, and some thought that westerners wouldn't like them because they are Muslim. We explained that we were their friends and wanted to learn about their country and Islam.

One girl explained to us the phenomenon of educated Moroccans going to live abroad. Instead, her intent is to use her education within Morocco to help strengthen the economy and create jobs.

Morocco deals with huge issues such as poverty, unemployment and high rural illiteracy rates.

Organizations such as CCS or the Peace Corps can't solve these issues, but they can make a difference. Helping cultures to better understand and appreciate each other creates friendships that can lead to lasting, positive change in all areas of society.

Before going to Morocco, I hadn't travelled alone and was paranoid and suspicious of strangers. Turning on the TV or picking up a newspaper can give people a thousand reasons to be afraid of the world.

Yes, there are valid reasons to be cautious, but it's so easy to forget about random kindness and compassion.

Though I was the volunteer who was "helping others," the people of Morocco taught me much more than I taught them.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news