Women's Empowerment Conferences

Rabha teaching Maternal Health and Childcare

Just before Ramadan I started planning a set of Women's Empowerment Conferences. Reflecting upon my two years here in Morocco, I found that the vast majority of my service was spent teaching women that they are entitled to the same opportunities as men are. In fact I even told my Country Director, Peggy McClure, during my exit interview in Rabat a couple weeks ago that the theme of my service was women's empowerment.

Things as simple as running each morning in Toon Town opened women's eyes and showed them that they can do whatever they can dream. Obviously, it isn't as simple as just telling them they can do/be anything they want to do/be. There are cultural barriers and stigmas which can only be overcome in time and by time I mean way more than my two years here in Morocco. 

But, as always the first step is planting the seed and that is what I have tried my best to do. And little by little progress has become apparent. During my last six months in Toon Town I was approached by numerous women while I was running, who asked if they too could run with me. While the grown women never did actually run in public with me, many teenage girls did and at least the older women had the idea that it was something they could do too. It is obvious that change in Morocco will happen by the will and desire of Morocco's youth for a better life. 

My time spent with Rabha has changed her drastically as well. She has travelled all over Morocco with me for craft fairs and is now doing so on her own, a strong and independent woman. She has gained the confidence to speak in public at various events and is now a role model to other women. She teaches regularly at the Boumia weaving school and also travels around to different associations and cooperatives teaching others the natural dye process and showing the other women that a woman's role is not just in the home anymore. I am SO proud of her. 

The Women's Empowerment Conferences took place this past Sunday and Monday and I am happy to say with great success. Sunday approximately 35 women showed up for the conference in Midelt and Monday's training in Boumia also resulted in about 35 women too. It was so rewarding to sit back and watch the women lead and teach the others. In reality all I did was present a suggested curriculum to the two women who run the center in Midelt and Boumia and from there they organized and facilitated the entire operation. 

The program I suggested was this: 

9-9.15am          Introductions & Welcome-Annemarie

9.15-11.00am  You Can Dream Video-Rabha

11-11.30am     Tea Break

11.30-1pm       Maternal Health & Childcare Training-Rabha

1-2.30pm          Lunch

2.30-4.30pm    Moudawana Code & Women's Rights-Saida

4.30-5pm          Tea Break

5-6pm               Guest Speaker-Boutahir Lala Aicha

The suggested curriculum was adopted and presented by the women with enthusiasm. The 'You Can Dream Video' was created by a Peace Corps Vounteer and showcases the lives of six Moroccan women who had goals and successfully achieved them by not giving up regardless of how many bumps in the road there were. In between each woman's segment we paused the video and Rabha asked pertinent questions and encouraged a group discussion amongst the women. The women were engaged and I could not have been more proud of Rabha for her leadership at the event. In fact, on the second day I was so overwhelmed with pride for Rabha that tears streamed down my cheeks as she led her segments of the training. 

The maternal health and childcare training is the same curriculum we have been presenting to the women of the outer duars of Toon Town for the past two years. We tweaked it just a bit as the women of Midelt and Boumia are a tad more educated and know the importance of going to the hospital regularly throughout their pregnancy. Still the information was well received and the women were responsive and engaged. 

For the Moudawana Code and Women's Rights portion, Saida the president of a local handicap association presented two short cartoons which highlighted the women's role and rights when getting married or divorced. The Moudawana Code was put into play in 2004 by the King. Many women have not been thoroughly informed of their rights and so I felt it was important to highlight the Moudawana Code during the conference. 

The final session both days was a guest speaker which the organizer's of each training center identified and invited. Both speakers were women from the region who had a dream of starting their own business and have successfully done so. Both women stressed to the girls the importance of finishing their education (high school and beyond) and the importance of setting and fulfilling goals for themselves.

I also chimed in and told the girls that we are all given one life and that life is what we make of it, so dream big and don't ever give up on yourself. I also told the girls that if there is a career they would like to pursue, find a related outlet where they can get some voluntary experience/internship to give them a good look and step into what it is they want to do. I also explained my role as a Peace Corps Volunteer and how my two years as an unpaid volunteer will (enchalla) help me when I pursue a career. 

It was an extremely rewarding two days and I was happy that my friend Clare who happened to be visiting from London was able to attend and see the work that I am doing here in Morocco. Hopefully the women left feeling just a little more empowered and inspired too.

Until next time,

Miriam xXx

A Random Act of Kindness

Driss with his gifts

Driss's Gifts

A few months ago, I wrote a blog entry about the café owner, Driss, in Toon Town. A grandfather figure during my service, I’ve had many memorable times with him, sipping sweet mint tea and watching the people of Toon Town stroll by the café door.

He is one of the truly ‘good ones’ who has a kind heart and always welcomes me and my friends as his own family. While he only makes a small (tiny) income from his café business, he always has gifts of eggs, milk, yogurt and sometimes, even kefta (mincemeat) and he never accepts payment for tea or soda which he insists you drink until you can’t take the sugar anymore.

‘Driss’s Café’ was and is my most popular blog entry to date. I received many kind words from friends and family who read the entry and also from strangers who just happened to stumble across that entry. One reader was particularly touched by the story of Driss’s Café and contacted me via e-mail after reading the entry. This is the message she sent:

Hi Annemarie,

I recently found your blog on the Peace Corps Journals website.  I enjoyed reading your posts ... especially your recent post re: your friend Driss and his cafe.  Driss sounds like a really kind and thoughtful person.  I would like to send him a small gift as a "random act of kindness".  Could I send it to you, to give to him at your convenience?  It will fit in a small/flat envelope.  If so, can you send me your mailing address?  I appreciate it ... thanks!  

Thanks also for all of the great work you're doing in Morocco.  I'm sure you've helped a lot of people!

-       Shoshana

It was such a pleasant surprise to receive her e-mail also nice to know that my blog is being read and enjoyed by not only close family and friends, but by strangers too.

Shoshana’s package arrived a few weeks later and my friend Sara and I delivered it to him one evening. It was slightly difficult to explain to Driss, where the package had come from. A blog is a foreign concept to most people in my village. I told him that I write stories about my life in Toon Town and post the stories on the internet. I explained that one of the stories was about how kind and nice Driss is and that someone I didn’t know liked the story and also thought that he was a nice person and wanted to give him a gift to say thank you for being a good person. He chuckled to let me know he understood and told me to tell her, “SaHa bzzaf awd lly ar hem l’walidiness” which means, “thank you very much and may God bless her parents.”

The package contained postcards from the National Gallery in Washington D.C. with paintings by Picasso, Monet and other artists on them. There were also several napkin type papers with “Driss’s Café” printed on them along with a hand written card thanking Driss for being a kind person.

It was such a kind thing to do for a stranger and both Driss and I really appreciated it. I wanted to thank Shoshana publicly by writing a blog entry about her ‘random act of kindness’ which I hope will inspire more people to create their own ‘random acts of kindness’…making the world a better place, as we say in Morocco, ‘shwiya b shwiya’ (little by little), one person at a time.

Much love,

Miriam xXx

Driss with Dan & Kristen who recently came back to Toon Town for a visit 

Driss & Sara who also recently came for a visit