What’s new in the Christmas Village?

Last week we returned from “Post Pre Service Training” or PPST (peace corps loves their acronyms or PCLTA) We learned about many important things at our training including grant writing, summer and spring camps, and about many activities being sponsored my various committes within Peace Corps. We also took another language exam and I went up a level, I’m speaking Arabic at an Intermediate Mid level! Hamdullilah!

(This is a photo from the PPST fashion show that I was asked to coordinate, the theme? Moroccan souk fashion!)

Peace Corps Morocco has been here since 1962, and we are always working out kinks. It was great to meet with programming staff and hear about ways we are working to make Peace Corps Morocco even better and more effective and sustainable than we already are.

(I visited my first host family after PPST, this is a photo of us as I was leaving….again)

Pertaining to my personal service I learned that my mendube, or governer of my province has told Peace Corps that maybe I should have my site moved to a larger city called Agdz.  The problems I’ve had in my site are just related to issues of not finding a lot of work or support for work that I’d like to do. I feel safe in my site and have an adequate amount of amenities, cyber cafes, hanuts, electricity, water, and access to transportation. I’m not 100% behind this idea of a site change because I believe there is lots of work to do in The Christmas Village and my service there could really help to lay the foundation for future volunteers.

I have outlined some goals for myself to accomplish before the next training (in three months). If these goals can be accomplished I will not seek a site change. However, if these seemingly easy tasks remain unseen, I will consider it in my best interest to move.

Goal 1) To physically be inside of the Dar Chebab AT LEAST 3 days per week.

Goal 2) To lead one successful activity (art club, Dar Chebab cleanup/beautification, class, organized sport activity) per week with at least 10 participants.

Goal 3) To complete a comprehensive community assessment and to know what the community would like me to help with.

Goal 4) To identify 3 to 5 potential and willing counterparts within Tinzouline.

The first two goals are the most important to me. I think they are very realistic! The mudir of my Dar Chebab has been out of The Christmas Village for about 3 months so I have been in Zagora, the capital city of my province, for a few days working on tracking down someone who will be able to get me a key to my own Dar Chebab. Hopefully wheh I return to The Christmas Village I wont have to ever use this key because my mudir will always be there from now on… but just in case, I want to be able to work and accomplish goal one!

For right now, I am still in Zagora with my fellow PCV’s Katy and Kristen. I am working on some things with them as well. Zagora is only about an hour away from my site so I am using this much larger site as a resource as well. I am working on finding a tutor (probably just using Katy or Kristens for the time being), meeting with government officials, and helping with an International Womens day event tomorrow.

The most exciting thing to have happened in the last week or so was meeting the Handicapped Association here in Zagora. This association is for people with physcial disablities and they have a new building and funding from several European organizations. The facility is complete with a physical therapy room, tons of supplies (wheelchairs, prosthetics, etc) , a classroom, rug making room, and a sewing room.

There is so much potential at this association! I would love to work with them every single minute of my time here in Morocco, but its not really feasible with limited money and time. Hopefully I will be able to work with them during particular events, but it won’t be an everyday thing. It’s like they say.. ” So close… yet…….. so far”  My responsibility should really be to my own village. ::sigh::

All in all I am happy and excited to see what the future holds. I am coming back to America in the summer for a while! Looks like mid June to early July! I can’t wait to see everyone!!!  Summer is a great time for me to come home because my site gets to be about 140 degrees and most things shut down for a few months. There isn’t as much going on, so I won’t miss out on a lot of work.

Lots of love to everyone!

P.S. The newest Health and Environment Staj for Peace Corps Morocco is arriving in like a week! Marhaba Beekhum!!!!!! Can’t wait to meet you guys!

(These are some photos from the old medina in Fes, See a potential wedding gift here Trish?)

(On my way back to site after PPST my friend Katy and I got KFC in Marrakech!!! It was amazing!)

(A PCV near me named Kristen just adopted this cat, named Matisha)

(The backstory behind the cat is glorious, we were at a cafe when this little thing snuggled up into another PCVs purse. So adorable right? Yes. So Kristen and I went to a hanut got a box and some sardines and kidnapped this little kitty while Moroccans stared with what must have been looks of pure confusion! But she’s pretty cute and Kristen is a proud Momma!)