Arrgh, it’s over already!
Quelle
dommage! I’ve not been here long, certainly not long enough, and it’s already
time to go and get a ‘real job’. We’ve all just got into our groove here, not
that there is one actually, each week is different and one must be as flexible
as an olympic gymnast; inventing activities on demand and being prepared to
ditch whatever you’ve spent the morning concocting. The girls have got another
round of internal assessment this week; so they must primarily focus on
revision rather than activities with me. Still I’ve been more than happy
washing up, and peeling and chopping carrots this morning, as poor Samira’s got
tonsillitis.
The really
good news is that I’ve rationed my Marmite stash perfectly. I was sweating at
one point wondering how I would cope without my viscous black pot of goodness
to balance out the intense sweetness of breakfast time. One of my molars has actually
crumbled under the sugary strain. I’ve almost certainly got self-induced
diabetes, and am much tubbier and more tagine-shaped than when I arrived which
is testament to all the delicious and plentiful food I’ve had the pleasure of
eating, and all the tea I’ve washed it down with.
From a
subjective point of view I really feel that this organisation functions as the vision
aspires to. In essence, most of the girls here are getting an education that
they otherwise would not have, and they’re enjoying it too. Objectively, I can
see new challenges becoming apparent, as the whole project matures and expands.
Tthe constant burden of trying to match the money that was raised last year in
order to keep the 5 houses running, keep the worker’s wages paid, and subsidise
those girls who have made it to university, is an on-going pressure. In this
corner of the country, EFA is now a very reputable and well-trusted
organisation, so there will ensue rigorous competition for a place at one of the
boarding house in future. Once one sibling has been through the system and
tested the water, all the other girls in that family want to follow suit. The
facilities and quality of life in these boarding houses is fantastic so who
wouldn’t want to come here! The selection process for the girls will have to
become stricter and the criteria tougher as popularity grows. There are still
many, many, more potential students
than there are places for in boarding houses nationally; and it’s essential
that EFA’s boarding houses are for the girls who really would not be in
education if it wasn’t for them.
I’ve just spent the weekend with a group of girls from
Imlil. They don’t have loads of spare money but they do own lots of land and
apple trees. Imlil is most definitely in the catchment area for Asni, so technically
the girls should all be going to College there, thus freeing up space in
Ouirgane for girls from those really hard
to get to places deep in the mountains. However I’m told that the College in
Asni is full and oversubscribed, so….what does this mean for those girls from
Imlil; they deserve an education too. Equally there are girls staying here that
live in Ouirgane and Maregha, both towns are only 3kms away from school- a 45minute
hike uphill. They’re absolutely in the catchment for the college here but
should they be staying in the boarding house if they live walking distance
away. These are the kind of issues that are coming to light now.
Anyway, there
are some brilliant helmsmen and women steering Education For All in the right
direction. I’m talking about committee members, the volunteer coordinators, the
fundraisers and of course all the folk doing the ground work in the houses here.
Then there are the rudderless hippies like myself that come along, and HOPEFULLY
have given at least as much as
they’ve gain from this incredible experience. I recognise that a volunteer with
a sound knowledge of French language is of great value to the girls here. This
has always been my shortfall. Although English will be as useful to them in
future, and there is talk of it replacing French as the second language, at
this stage of their education, French is their priority. Still they’ve been
super keen to learn some English with me and I’m astounded by their capacity and
eagerness for language learning.
‘Working’
with the girls during the day, through games and activities: craft,
environmental, theatrical and some more academically challenging ones, has been
so enjoyable. Everything is new so everything presents a learning opportunity-
for me as well as the girls. I recognise that the girls are having a good time
when they’re laughing and smiling, and I would say that laughing and learning can
most definitely be synchronous activities. Often I have felt this is not the belief
shared by the responsibles here who have gone through the antiquated education
system in Morocco themselves, and perhaps perceive learning to be an arduous
task indeed. Still, the girls are well disciplined to crack on with their
homework in the evenings, so during the day whilst they’re not in lessons, a
bit of fun is good to re-energise the mind, body and soul I think. No harm
done.
Honestly my best bit has been getting an exclusive
glimpse in to the lives of these young Moroccan women. Having been welcomed so
warmly it burns, in to their homes, in to their Berber communities, (without
even being able to speak the same language), has been an absolute privilege of
a lifetime. I’m desperate to stay in contact with my 38 new best friends and
see how their lives pan-out. I’m bursting with gratitude for the hospitality
I’ve received here, and I wish all the girls supported by EFA all the luck in
the world. Thanks very much everyone.
Lucy Goodman
posted by Dar Asni at
19:45
