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.

I am wondering...(Day 1 in the Orphanage)

Do we consider a piece of garbage to be equivalent to a dora doll?  Do we think that seeds from a tree inside a run down "sandbox" can teach a child how to count? What about bread and butter everyday for breakfast - would you "get sick of it"?  How often do we consider the true weight of the words - Alhamdullilah, Praise be to God?

All of these questions and more run through my head every second I am with the kids at the orphanage.  Day 1 at the place was so many different things that the amount of adjectives I could use right now would cover this whole blog.  I got into the room I was assigned and had to jump right in.  I introduced myself to the nurses in Araby and began passing out bread and milk to the kids.  Almost immediately, two boys called me "mamma"... a word defined by new faces coming in and out of their rooms every few weeks.  They do not understand what a mother is.  There is no consistency in this word, yet there is still so much love attached to it. This observation was confirmed by the kids running up to the only male nurse outside and the 2 male volunteers during playtime yelling "baba, baba! (dad, dad)".  After I got over the initial shock of the standards of living and the many disabilities "normal" kids have, I began to converse, sing and dance with these cute, energetic, AMAZING, children.  I had the urge to say "la! (no!)" to a girl breaking a piece of hilwa (a mint given to them by a volunteer) in her mouth and distributing tiny little spectacles of green sugar and germs to her eager friends, but then I realized that is their only real "treat" for the day.  The spread of germs was unstoppable, so I figured that they might as well enjoy it while it lasts.  

Speaking of "hilwa" (something sweet in arabic), I am going to spit out my gum and jump into be.  I can't wait to see them again tomorrow!  Taha, the most physically disabled yet mentally the smartest kid I have ever met, already knows my name.  

Much love back home.  Facebook is super slow, so I apologize for the lack of response.

xoxo, Mush

Musings.....

Wow...what to say! So much has happened in so little time, on so many levels. Today, even as I was talking with the girls about our volunteer experience thus far, I had to stop for a moment to ask if it really had only been our second day of volunteering. 

These children are pure joy to be around. It is so easy for us to focus on what they may not have in their lives, yet from their innocent smiles (or sometimes mischievous) and cheerful giggles I find it easier to see what they DO have in their lives. The nurses that care for them, as one volunteer said truly are saints. Especially after learning today in our educational talk on Morocco what wage the nurses work for, I have even more respect for their compassion and hard work. 

From the meager experience we have had it is hard to imagine what is to come in the weeks approaching. Yet, I find myself awaiting eagerly as the little bit I have experienced, even taking the challenges into consideration, has opened my eyes as to the impact even one small person's hug, kiss or foreign words can make. 

Those Smiles...

So yesterday we had our first day at the orphanage ...... and WOW. 

I didn't know what eye-opening meant until yesterday morning. 

The 3 of us went in the first van trip downtown at about 8:30. Once we got there, the guards let us in and we followed Mohamed into the building. We could hear many little voices in the rooms above us. Some of the caregivers, or nurses as they are called there, met our group in the hallway and separated us into the rooms they needed the most help in. Maj was in a room with 4-6 year olds, and Kelli and I were in a room with 2-year olds. They were all sitting at tables when we walked in and welcomed us with big smiles. 

It has been tough since that moment to understand what the nurses expect exactly from us because of the language barrier, but so far we have just kept open minds, been willing to do anything they need, and tried to communicate with broken English, French, a few Arabic phrases and of course gestures.

In the past 2 days we have helped in feeding and changing the little people, and bringing them outside to play. This is my favorite part of our time there, as we really get to interact with the kids, and learn more about their developing personalities. There is not much for playground equipment, considering all the groups of children there that come out to play at the same time, and there are no toys. It is amazing how much love and attention each one of the children need, and how they fight each other to get it. It is a draining experience but as everyone who has gone there before us has said, the most rewarding too.

At the end of the shift, I am constantly thinking about the kids- their smiles, tears, hunger, developing minds...

and also the nurses, for their strict, yet their sincerely compassionate ways. It really takes angels to do what they do everyday...

The Home-Base

Hi everyone... Bonjour! Salam!

Well, a lot has happened here since we got to the Home-Base!

We arrived Saturday afternoon, Moroccan time. Abdou, our transportation buddy, and Mohamed, our country director, came for us at the hotel. On our way through the city of Rabat to the house, we saw many interesting buildings, people, plants, you name it! We soon came to realize that we will be staying in a fancy part of town, in the house of an ex-diplomat. Not too shabby!

Once we arrived, we had a tour of the house, unpacked our bags, and met one other volunteer. That afternoon we had tea-time which is all about mint tea and some kind of pastries or sweets, and is part of our routine now. We then waited for the other volunteers to come in. We only met the volunteers with the same start-date as us, as some of the people who were already here from weeks before were out on weekend treks. It seems that we are pretty much even for numbers of Americans and Canadians in our group... and everyone is getting along so well. We are sharing stories from back home, and talking about our future plans here. Most people are staying between 2 and 4 weeks, whereas one girl is staying for 12! We had our introductions and ate an amazing supper together. The ladies in the kitchen give it their all every meal. So far we have met Leila and Fatiha, and they are so cute! I thought the food would be a shocking difference from home, but other than the spices and chicken liver in our rice tonight :) it hasn't been yet. We've had variations of potatoes, pasta, rice, salad, lentils, pastries, fresh fruit.... mm mm good!  It was a quiet night and we didn't go far. Today we explored a bit of the neighborhood...

This morning we had orientation. Mohamed told us more about the area, the house, our placement (with the help of Abdellah, who is a Martin Luther King look-alike!), and he answered many questions, amongst many jokes. We went on a scavenger hunt to find the post office, cyber cafe, and spa. We even had some basic Arabic lessons. I now know *shwiya* (a little), including "thank-you" (shokrun), "you're welcome" (la shokrun ala wajib), and "what's up?" (shnu). We hope these phrases will help us get by tomorrow, which is our first day at the orphanage! We were fortunate to read some evaluations left behind by past volunteers that included things like challenges faced, expectations, tips, etc. Tomorrow will be an interesting day...

Other than that, Maj, Kelli and I went with 2 other people from the house to the ACIMA (small mall) near the house. It was really cool to see their grocery store. It was filled with things we'd find at home (Betty Crocker and Coca Cola), mixed with a lot of local products. After that, we went for a walk around the block and saw a mosque up close. The architecture here is beautiful... it's a photographer's dream!

Anyway, I better get going here. It is after midnight and we have work tomorrow!

Hope everyone is well. It's nice to see my family's faces on Skype!!!

Goodnight,

C

      

More Mush...if you really want it :P

Hey everyone,

Since I am an ultra nerd, I also have daily banter on: www.majedainmorocco.blogspot.com

Kelli, Candice and I will still be posting on this one regularly, with a lot more pictures and stories. Stay tuned!

Close captioning is brought to you by... :)

In Rabat

Hey everyone,

We are finally in Rabat!!!!!! WOOT. I don't think the total hours of sleep in the last two days amounts to too much so I may just end up rambling in this post (that was a run on sentence, right?)...

I zonked on the Edmonton Intl flight to Chicago after a emo goodbye to my mom and sister. I don't like to hear the worry in my mauji's voice. Got into the land of lollapalooza and had the best panini in the world. Seriously, Chicago has the best food (the cousins are right), even in the airports. Spoke and texted with some of my Chicago relatives during our 6 hour lay over. Too bad I wasn't able to see them... maybe on the return flight.

Chicago to Paris flight was about 7 hours. We had the most comfortable seats and had a good little nap until a lady got sick and there was a call out on the intercom for a medical doctor. Kelli and I contemplated jacking the nice blankets but we are good girls and know its bad to steal. Listened to some podcasts (Meccaone Radio), read a bit of my trusty lonely planet guide books and watched a bit of "I Love You Man". The chick who was acting in this movie was very sub-par. There was a few good laughs though.

Anywho, then we got to Paris. Oh the land of sweeeeetttt fashion. Ya Mom, I was a total HICK compared to them. I admit it! hahaha. It wasn't long before we picked up our luggage, switched terminals and hopped onto the flight to Rabat. We had some variation of couscous and pasta on the flight which I didn't really eat because I was half awake and feeling a little groggy. Best thing about this flight was on our eating trays... "Air France guarantees there is absolutely no pork in this dish." Sign you are going to a Muslim country, haha. Candice ended up sitting by an interesting Moroccan local who gave some great tips for our trip. She also got a glimpse of this while Kelli and I had our window shutter down...

It is the SHORT distance between Morocco and Spain. Apparently, due to poverty in Morocco, many people end up dieing trying to swim over to Spain (app. 14 km). We also just found out that we will be having a long weekend during our volunteer trip, so we will be able to go up to Fez, Tangir and take a ferry to Spain. Coool.

We got off the plane in Rabat, my attempt at Moroccan araby then began. The language barrier wasn't that bad between my broken lebanese slang and candice's french. The lady who stamped my passport refused to believe I was Canadian for about five minutes and kept asking me my origin and my dad's origin. Anyways, it all turned out good. Our taxi ride was an adventure in itself, but I will save that story for later. I will leave you with a picture from the balcony of our hotel room. Tomorrow is CCS orientation.

Piece hommies. xoxo. MF (does that have the same affect as "XOXO, GOSSIP GIRL"?)

Cross Cultural Sweetness

Our philosophy and values are fused into Cross Cultural Solution's approach to international volunteering.

Nearly There, Yet No Where Near...

It's almost here!!! Woke up this morning and it just hit me...WOW...this time tomorrow us groupies will be on a plane somewhere high over Alberta, heading on what will certainly be an amazing journey. But for now I leave you with only that small surreal thought as my suitcase and mound of unsorted papers beckon and only a few loose ends need sorting before I'm ready to depart….

Anxiously Awaiting....

Hi everybody!

So, we are a couple days away from taking off...and we are very busy. Amongst spending time with family and friends over the long weekend and finishing work in the last week, the 3 of us have been chatting off and on about the upcoming month. This morning we had a conference call with some of the other volunteers and our Program Manager, Sharon. It was refreshing to hear what everyone had to say about our placement in the orphange, transportation, reasons for volunteering, etc. We are anxiously awaiting our flight now and finishing up some last minute errands and packing.

Our plan is to be in Rabat on Friday afternoon, which will still be early Friday morning at home since Rabat is 7 hours ahead of home. Then we'll be arriving at the Home Base sometime on Saturday.

Well, I will post again once we get there. Just wanted to send out a hello!
Oh, and P.S. There is no such band that Maj is talking about. She has quite the sense of humor, that girl!