Camp GLOW Morocco 2010 Debrief

Camp GLOW Morocco is one of the few projects in Peace Corps Morocco that is still ongoing.  I was fortunate to be involved in the project, and I learned a great deal from it.  Based on the feedback from the PCVs that were at the camp and hearing from Amina, there were certainly some highlights and areas that could be improved.  The camp organizers overcame a huge financial obstacle to put the camp together borrowing from friends and family until the funds from the embassy, our primary funder, finally arrived.  Also, with the main organizer away on travel up until a week prior to the event, a lot of key decisions were put off until she arrived, but fortunately Ms. Yabis's perseverance made the idea of the camp a reality for many young women.

I sat down with Amina to discuss fund-raising options for future camps.  She will likely pursue funding from the embassy once again, but I'm hoping that she will also pursue opportunities with the Global Fund for Women, African Women's Development Fund, MEPI Small Grant Assistance, and USAID's Projet SANAD.  She has personal experience with Projet SANAD and has been briefed on others.

Ms. Yabis and I filled out the Projet SANAD grant last year.  We did not win financial assistance, but she received an invitation to participate in their capacity building workshops.  Unfortunately, those workshops all took place via webcast making it nearly impossible for a lot of semi-urban or rural associations that have unreliable internet or not enough bandwidth or who are not the most tech literate to participate.  I'm sure the webcasts were great and I'm sure a lot of people benefited from them, but whoever thought of the idea did not have rural people and their technical challenges in mind.

We knew going in that it would be tough to win given that Amina's association organizes only one large-scale event per year compared to other associations who have year-round programs.  We still gave it a shot.  I thought that simply going through the process and drafting the Camp GLOW goals and successes in Standard Arabic was a huge step.  She said that this was the first grant she completed on her own and applied to directly.  All others have been filled out by PCVs and with assistance from artisana delegation folks.  I'm hoping that she will apply again this year and draft a more sound budget with a series of camps and other training sessions that will hopefully get some consideration.

The association needs to apply for other funding outside of embassy funds so that the facilitators and other association personnel can get paid for some of the work they do.  All of the last four camps have been volunteer-organized and executed.  While it's great that these host country nationals have given of their time free-of-charge, expecting people to volunteer year-in and year-out is simply not sustainable.  There needs to be a core group of individuals who can organize and plan.  In the past, volunteers have filled this role, but given Peace Corps's two-year rotations and constant change in leadership and priorities, it's not certain that the Peace Corps will be there in the future and it really shouldn't be expected to be there indefinitely.  Sources like Global Fund for Women and I believe African Women's Development Fund permit the recipient to allocate a portion of the grant towards labor unlike a lot of other sources that forbid it.  Amina has never budgeted for labor so it'll be something new for her, but I think it will be something she and the current facilitators will gladly welcome.  Fortunately, the Global Fund for Women provides their grant applications in Arabic and French.  A couple of weeks ago when we met, she said she would look over the forms.  I'm hoping she does and applies.  Even if she doesn't win, she and her association will learn a great deal from the process.

All in all, I'm happy that the camp took place despite the financial hurdles.  Amina heard my feedback as well as that of PCV Marian and Rachel who were present at the camp on enhancing the structure of the camp.  The young women learned a great deal and made lasting friendships.  I do hope that the next wave of volunteers will participate in future camps and that Amina and the Golden Buttons Association will continue to learn from each event.

Once again, thank you to all who donated and for telling everyone and anyone about this great event. 
  

Introducing Mouhsine Khadira, Woodcarver Extraordinaire

One of my woodcarvers at the Sefrou Artisana finally agreed to have some of his work showcased to a wider audience. He is little apprehensive about publicizing his work out of fear that others could copy his ideas. I find that some of his work is so unique that it would be very difficult for someone to be able to do that, but according to Mouhsine, he has seen it happen with frequency.  He said that he'll go to an artisana expo one year and then see some of his models replicated by other woodcarvers the following year.

Mouhsine is one of the most chill individuals I know. I enjoyed hanging out with him, drinking tea with him in his boutique, and just talking about anything that came to mind.  From my travels through Morocco, I would have to say that out of the countless thuya-woodcarving shops I walked in and out of in Essaouira, one of the biggest woodcarving centers, his creativity and attention to detail are unparalleled. I have had the chance to watch him create a piece from conception. His careful planning and solid execution are admirable.

Mouhsine finally allowed me to post some of his materials because he would like one day to travel abroad to other woodcarving or contemporary art expos. Off the top of my head, I don't know of any expos in the U.S. or in Europe that would welcome his work. If you do, please send them my way. Like many artisans in Morocco, much of their amazing work goes unnoticed. We hope this site will get Mouhsine a little attention, which will hopefully lead to more opportunities in the near future.


The site was created with the intent to promote his work and not necessarily to sell (an e-portfolio of sorts); however, if you're interested in purchasing one of his sculptures, you can contact him directly if you speak French or Arabic or visit his boutique at the Ensemble Artisanal Bab El Mkam in Sefrou.  For more info, please click on the Contactez-moi page .

At the moment, he does not have a catalogue available.  Some of the pieces in Mes Sculptures have names.  You could use those names to inquire about a price.  If you'd like to have an item shipped,   DHL and FedEx service is available, but they run about 750DH a kilo or nearly $100 p/kilo.  Poste Maroc, the national postal service, is fairly reliable and will run about a third of what DHL and FedEx would cost you, but will take 2-3 weeks time to deliver anything and there have been instances where the delivery never arrives at its destination.  For a list of their rates, please visit and search under the "Vos Envois des Messagerie" @ http://www.bam.net.ma


http://www.wix.com/khadira/sculptures

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P.S. I copied and pasted most of the text on the site from an old brochure that the previous Sefrou PCV made for Mouhsine.  My French is such that I can understand what the brochure is saying, but I can't tell you if it's grammatically correct.  For all you native French speakers, if you see something out of place, please let me know.  I and Mouhsine will be extremely grateful and as we say in Morocco for all good deeds done out of the kindness of your heart, llah yrHm l-walidin (May God bless your parents).

Traversing the South: Tinejdad, Tinghir, and the Todra Gorge

It's amazing how even within the same country just 8 or so hours away from my site that the surroundings can be so remarkably different.  In some places you feel as if you were walking on the Red Planet.  The people also dress a little differently and speak a completely different language.  It almost felt like I was starting my Peace Corps tour all over again.


View Larger Map

After the camel ride to the desert and back, I continued my journey by grand taxi from Errachidia going east to Tinejdad, another oasis village with a stunning mud ksar, lots of small vegetable, fruit, and wheat and corn plots, and palm trees all bordering the winter rain stream that snakes through town.  The mud ksar is like a little mud piste fortress castle with corner towers with beautiful overlooks molded in classical Amazigh form.  Like the mud piste castle out in the middle of the desert, this ksar was also a good 20 degrees cooler.

Tinejdad Laizars

Tinejdad is not shy about its Berber/Amazigh history.  As I walked up to and through the ksar, the free-man Amazigh insignia was proudly displayed on the ksar walls.  The Amazigh pride symbols could also be seen in the laizars that the women wore.  These thin sheets of fabric that women wrap around themselves on top of their djellaba or niqab had all sorts Amazigh designs in bright neon threading over usually a black cloth.  As far as language, about 45 or so minutes before I arrived in Tinejdad, I was speaking Darija with folks in Errachidia, but in Tinejdad, you best be ready to bust out some Tashelheit - another Amazigh/Berber dialect.  Darija is spoken, but I got the feeling that it's mainly done to appease the passersby.   Right next to the ksar, I saw some signs for some swanky looking maison d'hôtes and there were plenty of restaurants on the main road.  I think if I was looking for a nice pit stop before heading to the desert, Tinejdad would be at the top of my list.

Tinghir Kasbah

From Tinejdad, the next stop was Tinghir and the magnificent Todra Gorge.  The sight of mud villages on the fringes of the palmeries sprouting from the Todra River against the backdrop of a dry, barren, and rocky mountainside is something that is indelibly imprinted in my mind.

It is so different from anything I had ever seen.
From Tinghir, we took a grand taxi to the Todra Gorge.  We walked around a bit, hiked up the road some, and then headed back.  The Todra Gorge is essentially a narrow passageway carved out of a mountain plateau by the Todra River over a millenia.

Todra Gorge Entrance

It's another one of those natural wonders where the sheer size of it makes one feel like an insignificant blip in the space of time.  I like this feeling.  As I stare at layer upon layer of rock and sediment dating back to who knows when, my preoccupations of daily life seem to wither away and I think to myself how silly it is to be worrying about leaving a legacy or something for people to remember me by.

I was encouraged by the bit of farming at the base of the gorge.  The green stood out in such contrast to everything around it.  I also found an interesting flower that I think depicts the area well.  This spiny, thorny flower is not really inviting; in fact, it's a little harsh and hostile, but nonetheless it's beautiful to look at.

More pictures and stories about the rest of the trip on the next blog.

Trip Essentials:

Lodging
We camped out the night at the Todra River Valley amongst the palm trees in a campsite right on the edge of the river stream.  We stayed at the Camping l'Auberge Atlas (ph: 212-524-89-50-46).  It was 100DH for their basic room.  They also had ponjs out in the terrace for 30DH.

Food
Dinner can be expensive.  Clarify the pricing before ordering especially if you order the tagine special.  We ordered the special thinking that the 60DH covered the entire tagine; when in fact, it was 60DH per person. Ouch!  The place was no hole in the wall.  The food was delicious and had a cool ambiance.  The whole road from Tinghir to the Todra Gorge is replete with hotels and restaurants catering to foreign tourists.  You have a lot of choice so use it to your advantage when bargaining.

Transpo:

Once again, CTM bus service is available leaving out of Errachidia, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, and other locations.  By grand taxi, I think I averaged about 25DH per leg from one town to another.

Traversing Morocco's South: "There Is No Paradise Without the Desert"

The other day I was watching an interesting interview on Riz Khan's One on One program that airs on Al-Jazzera English. The guest on the show was Nacer Khemir, a famous Tunisian cinematographer and writer. In the interview, he spoke about the importance of the desert in Arab culture.  He said that without the desert, there would be no paradise and "this quest for paradise is the true essence of Islam." He added that Arab civilizations are "constructed around a void." He pointed out that The Kaaba in Mecca, considered to be the center of the universe for Muslims, is an empty cube, good calligraphy is judged by the void, not the full, the desert is often described as both full and empty, and lastly he said that the word for the number zero also means empty, which explains why some people shout a number of obscenities at me from time to time and then finish by uttering the number zero. He tied it all in by saying, "It's the creation of emptiness inside you so that something can come. And if this emptiness is essential, the Divine arrives." See the full length interview below in which he also speaks of other challenges facing Arab culture and identity and Sufism. He provides a wealth of insight in just 20 minutes.



As I write this blog about my travels through the vast, sun-scorched wilderness of the south of Morocco, I can't help but think of some of the imagery Khemir mentioned.  I often wonder if the Holy Scriptures would have been significantly different if the prophets and apostles had lived in the tropical rainforests of my native Venezuela.  Would Moses have relayed the message to the Children of Israel about going to a 'land of milk and honey' if say they were already enjoying sweet and tangy pineapples, fat and juicy mangoes, mouth-watering papayas, just-like-butta avocados, fun-to-munch-on sugar cane, and getting their fill of the hearty cassava(yuca) and a host of other tropical fruits and veggies?  Would Moses have had to strike a rock if say the Amazon and Orinoco River and their many tributaries were already providing for their water needs?  Would there be so many references in the Qur'an about paradise if say they already lived in one?

Prior to coming to Morocco, I would say that I could sympathize with the Children of Israel, but I couldn't really empathize.  I just didn't have any real context to go by.  Growing up in Venezuela(politics aside), I thought I was already living in the Garden of Eden: lush green and beautiful scenery all around, delicious tropical fruits and veggies available, etc, etc.  When our family moved to the U.S., I lived in areas that were also blessed with frequent rains that kept the lawns and the agricultural fields green, and in Oklahoma and Indiana, deers were literally prancing around in the forest.  I had seen some dunes here and there, but they were mostly isolated patches of sand.  I once traveled through Arizona and Nevada and saw a bit of their deserts.  I was told that the wandering-through-the-wilderness portion of the epic Ten Commandments movie was filmed there, and I can see why they chose that location.  When I drove through, it certainly looked dry, rocky, and devoid of life as some parts of the south of Morocco do.  However, what the Arizona and Nevada deserts don't have is the striking contrast of a lush, green palmerie against the backdrop of a barren, rocky hillside.  Naturally, as you look out your taxi window to allow your mind to escape the cramped and smelly confines you find yourself in, your eyes gravitate to these clusters of green out on the plain, sprouting from a river bed, or wedged in a mountain ravine.  As you reach these oases and palmeries, you do get the urge to say "hamdulillah" (Thanks be to God) or to thank the cosmic forces of the universe for creating this small haven or paradise in the middle of this unbearably hot and hostile terrain.

While traveling through the south of Morocco, I guess you could say that I experienced somewhat of a revelation or better yet a grand clarification.  True, Morocco is really at the fringes of the Sahara and granted I only spent a total of 3 hours on a camel and took a bus to jump from one oasis to another, but I think that even this brief exposure gave me more context than I ever had about the realities and the dynamics at play in a harsh desert environment.

For instance, I can understand why some would be skeptical of people who live out in the desert wilderness and then come to an oasis city yelling that the end is near.  I would have probably handed that person a pitcher of water and then asked, "Now, what was it that you were trying to say?"  Or, I can empathize somewhat with the Children of Israel's reluctance to leave the fertile Nile Delta for a journey through the desert wilderness of the Sinai in order to reach the Promised Land.  I also understand why the Three Kings traveled by night.  They used the stars as their compass, but probably and just as important was their desire to avoid the heat.  I cannot imagine rocking back and forth on a camel in 100 degree plus heat.  Let's just say that after this trip, the stories in The Scriptures began to make a little more sense.

I'm actually heading to Jordan and Egypt after Close-of-Service or as Peace Corps now defines it, "Continuation-of-Service".  Starting November 14, I'm going to be retracing some of the steps Joshua and Moses took in leading the Children of Israel to the Promised Land, but I'm doing it all backwards.  I'm going to Jordan, maybe Israel, and then onto Egypt.  I first thought of going from the land of bondage to the Promised Land, but my frequent flyer miles and flight deals are forcing me to go the opposite way.  Is this a sign?  I should know when I reach Mt. Sinai.

I'm going to be visiting some Jordanian volunteers, crashing some hostels, and couchsurfing some of it.  I hope my Moroccan Arabic will help me get through the trip and allow me to understand a tidbit of what people are saying.  The sites I'm visiting are sites that I have read about ever since I was a kid.  Perhaps, when I arrive at the various sites I will receive another revelation or grand clarification.  Rest assured that if I do, I'll be sure to post it.    

In a future blog, I will expand on the rest of the places I visited on my southern trek with photos, hotel stays, travel tips, and all.  Thanks for reading.

Traversing Morocco's South: Into the Desert

Last Spring, I had the chance to take a week-long excursion through the south of Morocco.  When you visit the south, you get the sense that you're finally in Morocco.  When I left my hometown in April, the temperature was hovering just above 50F.  After a nine hour CTM bus ride from Fes, I arrived in Erfoud early in the morning and immediately began shedding my many layers of clothes to enjoy the balmy 80F weather.  By the time the desert trekking company picked us up around noon, it was well over 90F and by the time we got to the edge of the Sahara, it was easily over 100F, but the heat was not suffocating.  If you stood out in the sun, you'd toast in no time, but as soon as you got under some shade, it was bearable.

I'll never forget one winter in Indiana when we had a massive blizzard followed by some sub-zero temperatures.  The air was so cold then that every time I'd breathe it'd feel as if my little hairs in my nostrils turned into little tiny icicles and then defrost as soon as I'd breathe out.  Well, here in the desert the air was so dry that it felt like every bit of moisture in my nostrils was being sucked out turning that dense jungle of hair and mucus into a parched river bed, but then replenished as soon as I'd breathe out.  (Sorry if my imagery is slightly disturbing)

After a 30-minute 4x4 ride through the rocky, Red Planet-like desert wilderness on the way to the Erg Chebbi dunes, we arrived at a mud piste auberge where we all went into hiding from the blinding and unforgiving sun.  The mud-kasbah was amazingly cool.  We decided to order lunch.  The kasbah had about everything one could find in your typical Moroccan restaurant.  The server told us that they had some of the best Kalia in the region.  I'm not even going to attempt to describe it so I'll just borrow from others.  According to Morocco.com, it describes Kalia as "...a mutton or kid stew flavored with over 40 spices served with egg, vegetables and parsley" (http://www.morocco.com/meknes-tafilalet/erfoud/).   Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods also got a taste and had this to say about it:

I supposedly had Kalia in Erfoud, but my experience was not as unpleasant as Andrew's.  I do remember thinking that the meat was extremely tender and bursting with flavor.  The server told us that the meat had over 40 different spices; he did not say anything about the meat being a mystery meat, marinated in animal fat, or that it was putrid.  In retrospect, I'm glad he left the details out.  

Shortly after lunch, we took a nap.  Most of us had traveled overnight on a bus for about 8 hours or more, so it was nice to rest on a flat surface.  Our guides told us that we had to wait a few more hours for other tour groups to arrive and for the sun to come down a bit.  

After our nap, we went out of the auberge and walked a few hundred meters into the fringe of the desert dunes.  The sky was mostly overcast with just a few rays of the evening sun sneaking through the clouds .  The color of the dunes, mostly a pale beige hue at the height of the day, was now displaying a full range of rich orange shades.  I felt like a little kid walking through this vast sea of sand.  It was such a contrast to anything I had seen: the ripples in the sand, the sand hills and mountains, and the patches of desert grass at the base of these hills.  The sand was slightly coarse, but soothing to walk on.

While we wandered out, our guides began assembling our camels.  The camels grunted all the way to the mounting area.  We had two guides assigned to our group so they formed two caravan lines.  Once everyone was mounted, the guides tugged on the rope and began walking ahead of the leading camels, and just like that, our journey into the Sahara had begun.  

The hour and a half camel ride to our desert oasis was memorable in a number of ways.  The slow pace of the caravan allowed us to take in the surroundings, the changing hues of the desert landscape, the towering sand mountains, their shadows, and the rolling hills of sand going as far as the eye could see, but the pace also made the camel trek seem like it was a never-ending ordeal especially for my groin region.

That's me, second from the top

Going uphill on the camel was no problem, but going downhill put the pressure right smack on the gonads.  Ouch!  It was a relief finally to get off the camel, but just as I loosened up my boxers and pants to give my boys some room to recuperate, I couldn't help but think of our one and a half hour trek back.  The camel ride at the break of dawn with the sun rising over the horizon no longer had the same mystical allure that I had once imagined.

At campsite, there were already a number of other groups in other tents.  We saw a number of people climbing onto what looked like the knife-edge of a tall sand mountain overlooking base camp.  I climbed up to catch a glimpse of the sunset and to get a few shots of the sea of sand that extended to the horizon.  All the while, our guides were busy cooking up dinner.  They served up a number of tagines and put on a full table spread with plates and silverware.  Our group, already used to eating Moroccan-style, grabbed the xubz (bread) and began to chow using bits and pieces of bread with surgical precision to take apart the meat and grab the veggies that had, perhaps by God's will, fallen within our respective triangles of the tagine.

Once dinner was served, our guides and guides from other groups came by to put on a little drum and chant session to cap the night.  The setting was definitely magical.  The sky was pitch black, the stars were brighter than ever, the desert air was cool, and the moon provided the only light in this remote landscape.  Just as my mind was beginning to drift into the desert night, I was hurled back down when a fellow volunteer asked our guide if there was a restroom or designated place to take care of personal needs to which he responded with arms open wide and a strong roll of the 'r', "The rrrestrrroom is everrrywherrre!"

The plan was to catch a few ZZZs and then get up before dawn to catch the sunrise.  Our entire group of 11 slept in one tent.  We spoke for a bit, but then crashed for the night.  At around 5AM, our guides began banging their pots and pans to wake us up.  A few of us got up and climbed the sand mountain once again.  It was a bit chilly and windy, but the views were quite astounding.  I got to catch a glimpse of the sun as it rose over another tall sand ridge.  The sun was almost completely white.  It was beautiful.  I don't think I had ever seen the sun this clear.  I took a few shots and then scooted down the sand mountain to get a bit of breakfast--this time served inside our tent.

Soon thereafter, I reluctantly mounted another camel and just tried to focus my attention away from the ride and onto the beautiful scenery of changing orange and red hues as the sun began its ascent.  After another torturous yet amusing camel trek, I arrived at our kasbah auberge a bit bow-legged, but with all pieces intact, hamdullah (thanks be to God).  Once there, we took turns taking a much needed shower and prepared ourselves for our 4x4 ride back to Erfoud.  

On the way back, I saw a number of camels and herds of goats and some sheep grazing in the distance.  I also noticed quite a few signs advertising all sorts of marine fossils mainly of the trilobite variety.  Our drivers cautioned us that some of the shops rather than excavating in the harsh sun manufacture much of what they sell to unsuspecting tourists.

We arrived in the palm-oasis of Erfoud, most famously known for its annual date festival celebrating the harvest of a wide array of tasty date varieties.  This year the event got a major boost from the government who decided to capitalize on this abundant crop by putting up a highly publicized grand exhibition called SIDATTES 2010.  The drivers dropped us off at the Erfoud bus and taxi station.  From there, a few of us chilled out at a nearby restaurant, tried a little Kalia, and then went on our separate ways thankfully without any major bowel movement disruptions, l-hamdullilah.  

Trip Essentials:

Price

The bigger the group, the better the discount.  A lone trekker normally will pay between 400-450DH.  Our group of 11 managed to get a flat 400DH per head. Bigger groups of volunteers have been able to go as low as 350DH per person.  

What's included? 

From Erfoud, you’ll take a 4x4 ride to the kasbah auberge in Merzouga, camel trek to campsite and back, dinner and breakfast, overnight stay in their tents outfitted with spongy mattresses and plenty of blankets, and use of kasbah facilities (showers and storage).  

Who to call?

Pretty much every volunteer group has used a couple of guys who work with Sahara-Excursions.com.  Our contact is Hamid and can be reached at +212-(0)666-76-63-51.  If you tell them that you were referred by Peace Corps volunteers, volontaires du Corps de la Paix, he should honor the 350-450DH price range that he has extended to us.

How to get to Erfoud?

CTM departs to Erfoud from a number of major cities like Fes, Marrakech, and Casablanca.  Supratours also goes out to Erfoud.  They coordinate their departures based on train arrivals.  For more information, visit www.oncf.ma

BssHa on your travels!  Triq Slama!