One Last Time

How do you start a reflection or a thank you post after every single person you have met in the last 4 weeks has impacted you so much? I will attempt to put it all into words…so bear with me, this is going to be scattered. It might some clique’ and it might sound like I a mimicking some Hollywood movie start accepting an award but I owe ultimate thanks to Allah firstly; Alhumdullilah, all praise be to God, who has been so generous in the opportunities He has given me.

Who knew that 4 years ago receiving a scholarship from the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation would give me the chance to apply for grant allowing me to go abroad and fulfill a lifelong dream? They have given me countless opportunity after opportunity, supporting me throughout in so many ways throughout the last few years. To all at the Network who are always dreaming, learning and sharing - thank you! I would totally encourage anyone to learn more about this amazing organization and it’s future plans.

Cross Cultural Solutions! The staff, the values, and the approach of this organization blow my mind. Thank you for absolutely everything. CCS does anything and everything to make sure you are having an incredible experience. If you ever go on a trip with CCS, which I think you should, you’ll volunteer side-by-side with local people and experience another culture like never before. Although I was only in Morocco for 3 weeks I feel that I was able to absorb the culture. What a beautiful country, with so many contrasts, you will never fall short of learning something new everyday. Like Candice and Kelli have mentioned before, you attain a whole new perspective. Speaking of those 2, they have totally enriched my experience and have offered me different outlooks on life. We got a little too close, hmm.. ☺? Of course, being at an orphanage has also made me appreciate my parents, family, friends and the communities I am a part of on a whole new level. Thank you for everything.

So…those kids, those orphans. Saying goodbye to them was nothing like I have ever experienced. They were old enough to know that I wasn’t coming back, their expressions confused when I was hugging them extra long with a face full of tears before their afternoon nap. I think by leaving I was most overwhelmed by the fact that their future was so uncertain and that all they really needed was more attention and more love (and a toothbrush, toothpaste, new playground equipment, etc). But they don’t know they need these things. They are content with the position they were born into in life (for now). They wake up and they smile and are happy to eat their first meal of the day. They are excited to play with a plastic bottle and if they are lucky get their chance at the swing set during playtime everyday after breakfast. That is all they know and those little things in life continually satisfy them. Who doesn’t wish for this contentment…for this simplicity? Their childhood may be stripped of some very basic things and experiences but they don’t know what they want or need because they have nothing to compare themselves to. How could they when most of them haven’t even left the 4 walls of the orphanage? All I can truly say is that they are each unique in their own way and have so much to offer the world. Each of them has this light the glows so strongly in spite of their dark situation. I can only hope that our paths somehow cross again and that they will be well treated by whomever they encounter, insh’Allah.

So what is the next move? I don’t know. But what I do know is that we now have an obligation and responsibility to relay the message and lessons from the orphanage and from Morocco so that maybe we all attain a greater cultural understanding where as a result there will be more tolerance and respect for one another. Maybe I will just talk (as if I don’t do enough of that already) about the experiences that I had. I invite anyone to ask questions and share your own experiences with us. Share as much as possible and hopefully we all become inclined to make a positive impact and take action for the causes we feel passionate about.

Viva la Maroc! Thank you for reading and for your continued love and support.

Majeda Fyith


I swore never to be silent whenever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. — Elie Weisel

Reflection

Well, we are certainly back to our lives here in Alberta, and I am seeing everything through a new lens. Everyone naturally believes where they are is the center of the universe, or the place where everything happens and that it’s the way to be/live. We get caught up in the daily thoughts, feelings, disappointments, tasks to be done, exciting times, etc. By experiencing a little bit of Morocco, and Africa in general, I can now say that we are each in our own little corners of the world, and believe it. Right now we can get all flustered about school, jobs, or routine things that are known to cause stress in our daily lives. It is easy to. I think about the tough times that others might be going thru though, and it quickly puts things into perspective. Yes, we are entitled to be involved in our lives and feel those things, but it is important to keep grounded and keep those others in mind. We should be grateful for the opportunities, freedom, health, and supporters we have here. I cannot say how thankful I am to have my friends and family to come back to. I appreciate you all on a whole new level. Thank you for being there from the beginning of this process and encouraging me every step of the way.

I have learned so much from not only the kids at the orphanage, but their caregivers, various locals, the CCS staff and other volunteers. We met some amazing people from many different corners and they all had something to offer the experience.

I need to send out a shout-out and huge thank-you to the staff at Home-Base Rabat for everything. They were there as professionals, teachers, mentors and friends. Each person has a story and I am extremely lucky to have met you. We miss you already!

To our fellow-volunteers: we shared something totally unique and I am happy that we were there together. From sharing about our days and being there for each other on the tough ones, to having some fun on our days off, I am thankful also to have met each of you, and want to keep in touch. Who knows where we might meet up one day??

Kelli really hit it when she said that there is so much more to tell than any blog or newspaper article could ever convey. I would also like to extend the invitation to share the experience with anyone who is interested. I’d like to note as well that there were photo restrictions from the orphanage and that is why no pictures have been posted from there. I whole-heartedly encourage a trip like this for anyone. We met and stayed with people of all ages and from all backgrounds … from students, to career-driven adults, to young families. If anyone has any questions, please ask! There is always a place that needs extra hands and hearts.



On a final note, I need to thank my two travel buddies for the times we had. These girls gave so much of themselves to the experience and we learned a lot about each other. They were an inspiration in each their own ways, and I am grateful to have had this past month with them.



Thanks for keeping up with us!

-Candice

New Perspectives

Well, the trio has arrived back in Canada safely, even after flying for what seemed like (especially at the end) far too long! Even with life here back in full swing with what seems daily, more and more things on the "to do" list, one thing that seems not to escape my notice is the changed perspective through which I view pieces of the familiar, much the same world to which I returned.

I would never really have defined myself as a "kid" person before the trip, although I would also not define myself as being a anti-kid person either, quite obviously I wouldn't have been volunteering at an orphanage if this had been the fact. However, I would have always defined myself as a caring person.

In my mind this is essentially the common thread that it all comes down to. Everyone in our lives needs to be shown care and in turn feels the necessity to care for others in their lives. This is an immaterial part of ourselves that we can always give to others, with the only question being whether we are willing or able to. Knowing that I was a caring person is what provided me with the confidence to make the huge decision to be able to volunteer abroad. I knew that there would be countless unknowns, communication issues and hurdles in the process, but in the end all that mattered was that I had the tools to be able to do ultimately what was the most important...show the children we worked with that unconditionally someone cared for them. This is a powerful feeling we all know, in some form or another by for instance being asked how our day was or by experiencing that random act of kindness.

I would definitely like to think that I had an impact (however small or fleeting) upon the lives of those people we encountered both at the orphanage and through the CCS program. Everyone had a different story to share and there were always new, intriguing perspectives to be learnt about and from. Everyone in our lives has something to offer, if we just slow down and take a breath long enough to listen to what it is. The children at the orphanage had plenty to offer in their own right, as the innocence of a child can show you many things no other person in your life can. They don't feel sorry for themselves or lament the circumstances of their life or existence...they simply look at the world as a place of joyful things, somewhere to explore and have fun in. One thing I simply will never forget is the looks on their faces and open arms when we'd arrive in the morning.

So even as life seems to have accelerated back to its usual hurried pace, I can say without doubt that I look at things within it through a new perspective. But, the tricky thing is how to put it all into words that would do the experience I had justice, a far move difficult thing than I could have ever anticipated. Hence, this is were I would like to extend an invitation to all our readers, family and friends. Find me on Facebook, give me a call if you've got my number or stop me on campus or back in good ol' Lac La Biche to chat about the trip as there is so much more to tell than any blog or newspaper article could ever convey...I know it would be a pleasure to speak with each and everyone of you. I would also like to send out a grateful thank you to all those family members, friends and random internet followers who have accompanied us through their readership on this journey.

-Kelli

My Inspiration

We are now at the end of our third and final week in Morocco, and I cannot believe how quickly the time has passed. I have also come to know the vibrant little people in the room I've been working in, and over the past few days I've realized how difficult it is going to be leaving there. 

I am going to be completely honest and say that even though I know that these children have most of their basic needs met, and they bond with each other like brothers and sisters (they are not alone given their circumstances), some facts about them stick with me everyday: The likelihood of adoption for the children in the room I work in is low, since most people look to the newborns when they consider adopting. More girls are adopted than boys. Many of the disabled children have the potential to get better but the orphanage just does not have the resources to explore those options. So, for now these children look to their caregivers for what they need moment-to-moment, and enjoy any spare attention from temporary visitors.

Then yesterday, I had a conversation with a woman that gave me a broader perspective...

During the morning at the orphanage, I was able to play one-on-one with this little girl from my room named Khawla. Everyone knows her, everyone watches out for her, and she always receives hugs and kisses from people passing by. She has some disabilities, but they don't stop her from getting around and exploring new things (I've come to learn that she loves feathers). As Khawla and I were in the yard outside, a little girl came up to us and jumped into the game we were playing. She had a huge smile on her face and stated, "I'm four!" Since she spoke English and I hadn't seen her before, I thought that she must have been a visitor. I had a chat with her about how she seemed to be way older than her age, and soon a woman approached us. She spoke English as well and I found out that she was from Washington. We talked for a while and she told me that she used to volunteer at the orphanage, and that she and her husband adopted a baby girl from there four years ago. 

That lively, playful, happy-go-lucky little lady we were playing with was their daughter! The woman told me that she and her husband wanted to show her where she came from, and they were thinking of adopting again. In awe, I just stood there in front of this giving family. 

Soon after, Khawla got our attention. As I picked her up, the woman asked me what her name was. When I told her she had this shocked look on her face and asked, "Khawla?!"  She told me that she used to be in the same group as her daughter. I realized then that this whole time, Khawla has been in a room with younger children than herself. The woman held her for a while, as her daughter ran freely to play with other children. 

Meeting this woman has proven to me that the children at the orphanage should have a lot of hope. Things will happen as they will, but at least for now they are being cared for as best they can be. By being there and witnessing tough times and fun moments, I know that these children are survivors that will in one way or another find their calling. I have learned so much about appreciation, acceptance, love, understanding, compassion, and life in general from these children. They are my inspiration. 

-Candice

 

Life Attracts Life

The title and quotes are from The Alchemist by Paul Coelho. Fittingly, I read this book on my way back from the Sahara Desert. It is true that 'You don't even have to understand the desert: all you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation.'

Everything I read made sense and resonated with the experience I have had thus far in Morocco. Especially in the Orphanage, I have found that the journey and test in life is different for every single person.

'Making a decision is only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.'

Its true, I would never have dreamed that by making the decision to volunteer in Morocco would bring such life lessons. I have been so fortunate to be able to gain a glimpse of the journey that these orphans are on. Each child emits a light that brings the hope of a better future…one where they are adopted and have the privilege of receiving undivided attention. Unfortunately, I work with children who are 4 to 6 years old and have a very slim chance of ever getting their own family. Most who adopt, adopt from the newborn room. But…

'It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.'

I have gotten to know the children in my room and have grown to really love them. They call me Majda or Momma and always blow me kisses as I leave the room. They trick me into saying words like booger in Moroccan Arabic and hysterically laugh at me when I repeat it. I have learned happy birthday in three different languages and sing each version at least 3 times a day. Also, I went on a field trip last week with a younger group of children to the shorelines of Rabat to eat ice cream…what they call “magic park”. It was the first time they have ever been out of the orphanage and they were 3 years old. Having the windows down in your car, imagine feeling the wind blowing in your face for the first time. Seeing each child experience this was priceless.

'It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.'

One sentence for each of the children does not do justice to their vibrant personalities but I will try and describe the dynamics of my room… Ameen is the “man” and takes care of everyone. Fadwa is the little obedient ray of sunshine that just wants to smile and learn to count with the seeds that fall off of the tree. Taha is in a wheel chair and spends the most time with me wheeling around the playground. He begs for a balloon from the head nurse every afternoon and once he gets it, he is satisfied for the day. Nadia has no toes or fingers but is the most rhythmic of the bunch. She can sing any song and can dance to any beat. Salema is always rocking back and forth because I think she wants some sort of touch or she is trying to keep her self occupied. Husam is shy and has taken some time to open up but when he does you take advantage of the time to play patty cake or insy binsy spider. Hatim is the baby of the bunch and is protected by Ameen. Omayma is a complete diva and is a 25 year old in a 4 year old body. I am convinced that whether she gets adopted or not that she will be a movie star or a talk show host when she is older. Kassim has down syndrome and can’t express himself through words. He speaks through his eyes and smile. It is true that a smile is the universal language of the world.

'There was a language in the world that everyone understood, a language the boy had used throughout the time that he was trying to improve things at the shop. It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired.'

Makhtub. And so it was written.

MOROCCO 101

Well, our trio, or band as Maj would say, has been in Morocco now for approximately a week and a half. Even in this short time we have been able to get a great sense of day-to-day life in Morocco, realizing the little idiosyncrasies from the way that CCS has structured their program here, things we take for granted but that those back at home wouldn’t know unless they themselves came here. 

FOOD: A popular tradition in Moroccan culture (that we experience everyday for ourselves at the home base) is tea-time. This period of siesta happens daily in the late afternoon at approximately 4-5 pm. Traditional mint tea, which is loaded full of sugar as most Moroccans enjoy their food and beverages, is served along with some sort of tasty delight. Main course meals for a typical Moroccan family are usually some sort of tajine dish with BREAD! Only the more wealthy families, or those that are having special guests over for dinner, will serve more than one dish for a meal. The serving of multiple dishes, such as a meat, potatoes, veggie-type meal typical of back home, is definitely not the tradition here. However, at the home base, our wonderful cooks, Aicha, Fatiha and Leila, lovingly prepare far more than this traditional standard of one dish per meal each lunch and supper to accommodate the many different individuals in the house. Personally, as I have said many times over the short period we have been here…is that I have never eaten so much bread in my entire life. Much of the each meal is starch or carbohydrate-based, which is a change from normal for most I have met. Bread is definitely the star component of a Moroccan breakfast. The freshly-squeezed orange juice alone is a reason to buy a plane ticket here ASAP!

 Desert in morocco is understated, usually a simple fruit platter. We have all discovered a type of yellow melon, similar to honeydew, which sadly has no English equivalent name, but what the locals call a football melon…very good!

TRANSPORTATION: The main ways of getting around in Morocco are by public transport (bus or metro line in Rabat, which is currently under construction to relieve traffic congestion), moped, bicycle or taxi. For those who have their own vehicles….well, that’s a different story altogether.  To sum it up eloquently, I would coin the phrase ‘orchestrated chaos’. People don’t signal, but they feel free to honk and almost expect their fellow drivers to announce their presence with the obligatory honk. Picking lanes and staying in them is highly overrated….why make a choice if you don’t have to?

ECONOMY: With current exchange rate, one Canadian dollar is worth approximately 7.2 Moroccan Dirhams…which is about the price of a bottle of Coca Cola in Morocco. If you’re feeling a little bit hungry, then only $3.00 Canadian can get you a cheese burger meal at McDonald’s. The cost to travel from Rabat to Fes (about the same distance as travelling from Lac La Biche to Edmonton) first-class on the train will set you back (for a round trip) only $33.00. Note: Travelling first class means a guaranteed seat on the train with air conditioning, while in second class, it is often standing room only. The main economic industries in Morocco are agriculture, fishing, tourism and phosphate exports. Apparently, in the northern parts of the country, large cannabis (locally called kif) crops are grown mostly for export to Europe. There is also a very prevalent section of cottage industries run by local artisans most seen in the medina where you can even watch rugs, blankets or leather goods being handmade. Minimum monthly salary in Morocco is set at 1800 Dh which is less than $250 Canadian. Sadly, although this is a legislated standard it is often not met and many people receive far less. The nurses at the orphanage where we are volunteering make roughly 2500 Dh, which is about $345 Canadian per month. An interesting comparison is that an Army General in Morocco makes about 140 000 Dh per month, which is $19 352.00 Canadian per month.

GOVERNMENT: Morocco is governed by a monarchy. The current King is Mohammed VI and one of the first things we noticed were the pictures and billboards of him absolutely everywhere. On our trip to the Sahara, the driver even had a picture of the King in his van!! He is definitely a revered individual here! The King was quoted in a recent issue of Forbes magazine as the 7^th richest ruler in the world, with the country of Morocco itself being the 126^th richest in the world. The bible of travelers, Lonely Planet, claims that upon ascending the throne, the King vowed to right the wrongs of the era known to Moroccans as the Black Years. Today Morocco’s human rights record is arguably the cleanest in Africa and the Middle East, though still not spotless.

AGRICULTURE: Our trip out to the Sahara was an amazing opportunity to get an idea of the agriculture in Morocco. On the long, long drive we saw countless fruit trees of almost any kind imaginable along with herds upon herds of sheep and goats. The watchful eye of a young boy or man tends each herd as fences, even along the large twin-lane highways are rare. Most cattle that I saw were Holstein dairy cattle and are part of privately owned and operated dairies. Olives,

 vegetables and grapes to make wine (mostly for export to Europe) are also a large part of the agriculture in Morocco.

DRESS: Styles of dress vary widely within the country. In larger, metropolitan cities such as Rabat, dress is varied and most definitely not as conservative as that seen once you leave the city. We had the opportunity to see types of rural dress on our journey down to Merzouga. Even with the incredible heat, both men and women can be seen out on the town in full-length traditional, conservative covered dress.

HISTORY: Well, I’m going to have to cop out under this category, as there is far, far too much to put now, but however I will leave you with the tantalizing promise of a future blog post dedicated specifically to the sites we have seen thus far in Rabat.

LANGUAGE: In Morocco the main language spoken is Arabic, with French being common as well, but more often used in academics, government and other official business. The dialect of Arabic that is spoken here is a unique mix of French and Arabic.

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FUN OR NOT SO FUN RANDOM FACTS:

-Rabat Population: 1.7 Million

-The indigenous people of Morocco are called the Berbers. Their culture is still very much a part of Moroccan life. Alongside them, live a prevalent Arabic population and interestingly a smaller Jewish community.

-Illiteracy rates: 51% overall, with higher rates seen among rural populations.

-Unemployment: At least 16%, however statistics on this are not readily available or actively recorded so realistically rates are predicted to be much higher.

-The coastal area by Essaouira is uniquely known for its Argan trees that are used for their oils in cosmetics and some food. Tree-climbing goats, as they are called, actually climb up the trees, eat the fruit, and poo out the seeds from which oil is pressed.

-Avoiding the phrase “cool dude” is smart as the literal translation in Arabic means “eat worms”!

-Pink toilet paper is NOT uncommon and plumbing here is also NOT good so the T.P. goes in the garbage :-S

-There is an unreal amount of stray cats in Morocco. On a typical day without specifically looking for them, you can easily see 15-30! Meowwwww

This coming Thursday and Friday are holidays in Morocco due to the Anniversary of the King and the People and it is also the King’s B-day. We will be taking advantage of this opportunity to take a whirlwind tour of some popular and historical cities around coastal and central Morocco, such as Fes, Marrakech and Essaouira. More on that later!

Hey Everyone!

We went to the Sahara Desert this weekend! It was amazing and almost indescribable. It was like a scene from a movie the whole weekend (minus the 11-hour drive there and back). We travelled from Rabat all the way down to Merzouga. On Friday night we stayed in Azrou, a mountainous town with beautiful scenery. Friday during the day was intense. We hiked through the Atlas mountains and saw these crazy Moroccan monkeys who were chowing down on peanuts and bread. After that we saw "the tallest tree in Africa" and while taking pictures of that we got to see a group of little boys playing on their donkeys. Our night in Azrou was interesting. It was tough to sleep with a wedding celebration going on until the wee hours of the morning.

On Saturday we continued our trek down to the Sahara, only 25km away from the Algerian border. Along the way we had stopped at some amazing places and got to really experience the differences between each small village, town or city. We saw nomad tents, fields of rosemary and countless valleys. It was incredible to see aqua marine water at the foot of some of these very dry and barren areas. Towards the end of the afternoon we arrived in Merzouga and it was...ummm.......... HOT! Boiling water anyone? No seriously, we had boiling hot mint tea when we arrived. Supposedly, it is supposed to "cool you down". Soon we were all changed, packed up and getting ready to mount our one-hump camels. Our "camel crew" consisted of Merzouga locals who guided us through the sand dunes, our guide Hamza and 9 other CCS volunteers.

After our 1.5-hour ride into the middle of the Sahara desert we arrived at our camp for the night. This oasis was unreal. Interestingly, if you dug 2 meters down anywhere in this area you would find cold water. Amazing! We settled near our tent (we slept under the stars) and had chicken tajine for supper. The Merzouga locals then entertained us with beautiful melodies of Berber music. The instruments included a string guitar and "bongo" drums (derbekee). As we settled onto our carpets the group watched shooting stars and fell sound asleep... with the exception of Katie, who got bit in the ear by God knows what.

We awoke to the camels grunting and to a beautiful sunrise. We saddled up once more and rode back to our van. It was a long trip back to the home-base but it was WELL WORTH IT. Tomorrow we are back to the kids, whom we missed so much!

Stay tuned for more in the coming days... we are trying to upload our videos.

Majeda & Candice (Kelli is sleeping....) lol.