Twice as Big, So Twice As Careful

Written by: ElGhali – CorpsAfrica/Maroc Volunteer
Date: March 3, 2015

Around and over 450 houses my site stretches, and its expectations are even more.

Since my move to my new house, many ideas, questions and even challenges have come up, so allow me to be as frank as I can.

Under the surveillance and neutral intentions of my last landlord, I left a bit pressured but supported, weak but supportive, unphysically and permanently followed but aware however, things have ultimately changed. This is because the new location is almost considered the heartbeat of the village, to the point I have lost track of whom is looking for me or after me. In fact I recently found out that they functions as both a day and a night shift.

The community expectations are big and maybe even unfeasible, which is a normal attitude due to the huge need of thousands of locals that feel oppressed, governed, and even abused by a group of leaders leaders that represent a small minority.

I empathize with them and almost feel sad because it seems to me impossible to find common point, or skills to the point, so much so that I sometimes feel my efforts become irrelevant and my actual presence turns to be a nonsense, so I turned to those who have more ideas, less expectations but massive and huge motivation and enthusiasm for a better day. Women!!

Unseen and almost unheard, these women by nature tend to have a general good-will to even those who harm them. I recently have visited several houses around the village with the permission and presence of the fathers and I submit that it is impossible to neglect or turn my back on these women because not only they helped me to identify the need, but even some brilliant suggestions to overstep the social and financial problems.

As in many countries around the world, women are still dependent, yet these Amazigh women in my site tend to achieve what men are incapable of.

The skills of our father time, as old as it could be and as authentic and meaningful it turns to be, hundreds of women keep the secrets and skills and even the ancient stories that carry the local Amazigh craft.

The Amazigh craft heritage has always inspired decades of generations by its nature, fresh and sometimes vergen ideas to the extreme of words, sounds and designs.

All and every girl and woman wishes to renovate, and recreate the spirit of Amazigh craft, along with this idea the one issue is finding a center/ room where we can meet and develop further ideas, however, it has been a month now that I have signed a collaboration with the delegation of education and a partnership with a local and active association with the reason to use the local primary school class room for many functions. Yet through many calls and day by day the permit has been signed in the delegation and in Marrakech too, and now it has reached the ministry of education in Rabat. In other words, it may have reached the end of bureaucracy, and I may never see it again… so instead, I’ll be using the local mosque back room soon inchaAllah.

With that said, I feel I have drawn a new line and overcome a big challenge with an eye of hope and Amazigh-free language.

After all, using a relocation idea has enormously helped me to feel safe due to closeness to the community,  in a sense of stability, and accessibility, and convenient because I have a chance to go for a five minute walk across three houses and watch the sun set.

The key for my success are many but the major subjects that helped me over are mainly my CorpsAfrica support specialist, she has been all ears and answered all my phone calls/e-mails, and Cristina, a dear and close friend who has been helping me to meet women at their houses and even developed some fantastic ideas into my main project.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my article and sure more will be unveiled soon.