Ibny Day 3 - The Hardest Part

Today another volunteer, Michelle, joined me and Carrie at Ibny. Yesterday I went to the store and bought some blank copier paper & some pastel colored copier paper, as well as regular pencils with erasers and colored pencils. We had issues with these types of supplies on Tuesday, so we wanted to be prepared.

One of the other volunteers, who has been here for several weeks and spent time at Ibny before moving to teach English to adults at the East-West Center, said that the kids loved to have books read to them. Even if they don't understand the story they really like the pictures. Going with our theme this week of colors & shapes, we chose a book to take for the 4 yr olds that has vivid colors and simple images of birds, trees, and fish called "The Tiny Seed."

We started the first class by singing, then Carrie showed the shapes & Michelle showed the color cards. Then I asked all the children to join me in the back of the room "aji" for the book. The kids were so cute! All of them wanted to be closest to me, all of them wanted to sit on the pillows, all of them wanted to be the tallest up front. I read the story, focusing on the pictures, pointing out the colors and images. I would say "green leaves" and the kids would automatically repeat. It was perfect.

Then they went back to their round tables, and we handed out colored paper and shapes we had cut out - circles, triangles, etc. We had glue sticks & crayons. Then we showed the children how to glue the shapes to their papers and then use the crayons to embellish. For example, glue a yellow circle, then use red and orange crayons to make rays around it for the sun. Some of the kids caught on really quickly and would use squares and triangles to make a house with a roof. Others really struggled not understanding. It seems like such a simple task, but it's just where their development level is. At the end of class we took pictures and the kids really love that & will crowd around anyone with the camera.

I absolutely love this boy!

We were a bit early for the 2nd class of the 5 yr olds, so we stood out in the hall and could see that the kids were finishing up a lesson with a workbook. The teacher was going around the room picking up pencils and I noticed that as one teacher picked up a girl's pencil, the girl flinched as though she expected the teacher to hit her on the head with the pencil. I looked on in horror. Clearly, this girl is used to being hit and it was so sad to see this. I whispered to Michelle & Carrie what I had seen & then as I turned back to look in the classroom, I saw the same teacher pick up the workbook & slap the girl across the face with it. I was horrified not only by seeing that, but also by my reaction: I burst into tears. I wanted to walk down the hallway to where some sinks are to wash my face, but a cleaning woman was mopping the floor and there was water everywhere, so I had to get it together before going into the classroom. I had heard that the teachers slapped the children, and I had even commented to the program director at CCS that if I ever witnessed it, it would be upsetting to me. And of course, it was. Discipline here is different, and it was just a frightening experience to see it and not be in a position to do anything about it. This is the hardest part about being in a place where the customs are different and the children are so vulnerable.

Immediately it was time to walk in and start the class, and one of the other girls pointed to my face and made a gesture of tears running down her face because she could see I had been crying. When I told another volunteer about it later, she said that it was good that children see that we have compassion. That made me feel a bit better.

We sang a song to start the class and then Michelle read from cards with the alphabet and images of things that start with that letter, like "A is for Apple." Then we handed out our paper and pencils we had brought and Carrie would write a letter on the blackboard and we would help the kids to write them. A couple of the kids were great & could see that we were going to do the alphabet. Others just wanted to draw, and they kept erasing what they would write. At first, we couldn't understand, but then realized that the pencils the kids normallly use don't have erasers, so this was a novelty to them. We all walked around the room, sometimes doing hand-over-hand to write out the letters. I found that if I used dots to make a pattern for a letter, the kids would trace it.

We finished up by counting numbers and then singing songs. The kids also wanted to pose for pictures and just be near us. At one point we were trying to tell the kids to sit down, but instead we had accidentally asked them to come up front with us. Suddenly we were crowded by all of them, each wanting to the the one next to us holding our hands. They so crave the physical contact, it's often ovewhelming but also heart-warming. I really do love these kids, in only a short time. I am so in love with 2 boys from the 4 yr old class, and one boy, Smaeel, from the 5 yr old class. He wasn't there today & I really hope he is tomorrow.

Medina

Before we left for the Medina, we had another amazing lunch and an early tea. Today tea was served with Baghrir crepes, which are like a flat sponge cake, served warm & topped with butter and honey.

Then we were off for some shopping. Crowded and full of interesting things, strange smells and even some sort of peaceful protest from some graduate students, the Medina was not lacking in sensory stimulation. I picked up a few gifts for others and for me. I'm very interested in the food and afternoon tea, so I picked up a tea kettle and a tagine. I also got a lantern and some other trinkets. I REALLY want to get one of the ornate Moroccan carved wood doors and fashion it into a headboard or something, but I can't for the life of me figure out how I'll get it home. There are a few more things I want to purchase, but I'll be here several more days and will also have a chance to go to the Medina in Fez on Friday, so there's time.

Bargaining is big here, and it's a tough balance between getting robbed and insulting the vendor. Of course, they like to negotiate, so if you don't even try they're insulted, as well. Rule of thumb is to always start lower (Rabat about 70% of the asking price, Fez is more like 40% of the pricd price because there are more tourists and prices are higher). There are exceptions on bargaining for things that have prices set by the government, like the tea kettles for example.

I have been told to say "La" or "no" to anyone on the street offering to do Henna. Street vendors put lots of chemicals in the Henna which is bad for your skin and general health. Khadija, the house manager here, can do it so I might ask her.

Of course, then we returned home in perfect timing for a fantastic dinner. Mmm....

Miscellaneous Morocco

Learned a few interesting things about Morocco today:

• "Nurses" that work at the volunteer locations for CCS, other than the one I'm at, such as the Children's Hospital & the Orphanage are not trained or educated in health care. They make approximately 1000 DH/month, which is the equivalent of $120 US.
• Minimum wage is 1800 DH.
• Beggars can get easily twice minimum wage & it's estimated that there are over 200,000 beggars in Morocco. This is why street children are so prevalent.
• Nurses & minimum wagers can work in Rabat, but they can't live here because it's too expensive. Most will commute up to two hours, take at least two buses from either Sale or Temara, leaving their homes at 6am.
• There are many transportation challenges in the Rabat area right now. Each town has a certain colored cab. For example, blue ones are for Rabat & take only 3 passengers. You do not tip these drivers.
• If you want to take a white taxi, you can have more passengers, but there is not meter & you have to negotiate the fare. These are white Mercedes and are the only ones that can travel between towns.
• There are 35 political parties in Morocco.
• The current King Mohammed VI is in his mid-40s and has been in power since 1999. He married after becoming King (his wife is called a Princess, not Queen) and she is about 30 years old. She is known by the public, whereas the former King's wife was never seen - no photograph or portrait was ever made public. The King's family has been in power since 1600.
• This King is modernizing a lot of policies & Family Law. For example, according to Islamic Law a man can have up to 4 wives & this was common practice Oct. 2003 when King Mohammed VI instituted new Family Law that you can have a 2nd wife ONLY if the 1st wife approves & then a judge reviews it and decides if it is allowed.
• The King also upped the age when women can marry from 15 to 18.
• There have been some changes to Freedom of Speech, but no one can say bad things about the monarchy. For example, the Prime Minister is elected to office, but the policies are set by the King. So, if the policies fail, it's the Prime Minister's fault. If the policies are successful, it's because of the King.
• Berbers are considered the "Free People" or nomads. They are the first people who populated Morocco & there are three dialects: Tarifit, Tashelhit, and Tamazight.
• Arabic is the official language of Morocco, but since it was was colonized by the French in 1912, that language is also prevalent.
• The city of Essaouria has the most prevalent Jewish population, but every city in Morocco has a Synagogue. The one in Rabat is unmarked & has a guard that stands outside. Any tension between Jews and the Islamic doesn't have as much to do with religion than most Westerners think.

Ibny Day 2

Today Carrie & I had planned to do some more advanced artwork/crafts & writing with the two classes. We've noticed that the school is really limited on supplies, so we can raid the CCS supply room for things such as stickers, crayons, pencil sharpeners, coloring books, etc. We repeated things like colors & shapes with the younger class & the alphabet with the 5 year olds. Naturally, there were a few things we forgot to take with us, namely blank paper.

We had wanted the 4 year olds to use glue sticks to glue shapes onto the blank paper, but since we forgot it they just colored from a coloring book. All of the kids are so proud of their work when they're done.Then we learned everyone's name by pointing to some artwork that had each child's name on it & asking the corresponding child to raise his or her hand. I was struck by how many children are no longer in the class (probably 5 or so). Sofia is the firecracker in the class. She is beautiful, sassy, and really wants extra stickers, more colors, more kisses, etc. She puts on a super sweet smile & really charms us to try and get her way.

In the 5 year old class we repeated the alphabet & had wanted the kids to write on blank paper letters we would write or point to on their ABC chart. We had copies of coloring book pages that we would use later in the class for coloring time and thought they could just use the blank side of that to write. No go. As soon as the kids saw the coloring side, that's all they wanted to do. I went around the room and individually told each child, "Smiti Shorey" which means, "My name is Shorey." Then point to the child to learn their names. Carrie did the same thing. We would write our names on their papers and they would say their name and then write theirs in Arabic. Some of the kids are named Hannan (F), Adan (M), Louda (F), Housa (F), Blatef (M), Mariam (F), Sofie (F), Salma (F), and probably my favorite little boy who sits right up front, Smaeel. He is possibly the cutest little thing I've ever seen.

We started & ended each class by singing songs. Here is the 5 year old class (I asked permission first & it was approved by the teacher).

Tour of Rabat

After our volunteering this morning, and after another fantastic lunch, we split into two groups and headed out for a tour. The idea being that for each group, half of the tour would involve transportation via CCS shuttle and the other half city bus. I started off on the shuttle and immediately my camera battery died. Oh well, I'll have to leach off of others once they get their photos posted on FB or something.

We drove past the Chellah-Rabat or the Necropolis of the Chellah. The brief history lesson is that Carthage was conquered by Romans in 146 BC, and then the Romans moved westwards into the Berber kingdoms of Mauritania and Numidia (Algeria, Morocco now) which became part of the Roman Empire. Chellah was named as "Sala Colonna" by the Romans. The Berber Merinides then took control over the whole North Africa in 1296. The origin of the desert people, Berbers is still not known... Anyway, Merinides established burial grounds by the ruins of Roman Sala Colonna and surrounded it by walls in 1339.

Next we went to Hassan Tower, which is really a large plaza. The minaret that stands at the west end of the plaza is actually half of its intended size: 42 feet. The minaret was planned to be the largest at the time and the entire plaza (with pilars for the foundation) was supposed to be the mosque. Construction began in 1195, but when King Hassan died in 1199, construction ceased and the minaret never finished, the mosque never constructed. The minaret doesn't include stairs, so the call the prayer would be conducted by riding horseback up the circular ramps to the top.

The mausoleum, which stands opposite the minaret, was completed in 1971 and houses the tombs of Sultan Mohammed V and his two sons, King Hassan II and Prince Abdallah. Guards stand outside the four entrances as well as inside in the four corners. The intricate carvings and tile work took 7 years alone to complete since it was all done by hand.

Our next stop was the Kasbah of the Oudaya, which is the highest point in Rabat overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. There are residences, a nice garden, winding roads reminiscent of Mykonos, Greece, shops and a coffee shop/restaurant. From there, we walked across the street to the Medina where all the crafts and goods are sold. Everything from leather goods, teapots, glassware, jewelry, traditional clothing, to more modern Western-style clothes and food. The deeper we got, the more chaotic it became. Pickpocketing is the most prevalent crime (guns are not allowed in Morocco, FYI) and I can see how easily it can happen. I made a few mental notes of things I'd like to go back to purchase. I did pick up some spices and some of the local tea, and I'm pretty excited.

As we exited the Medina to find the bus stop, I saw a beggar with a small child sitting on her lap helping to bring in more money. It made me sad and sick because this is precisely the type of child that is eventually brought to Ibny for a better life.

Ibny School

This morning was my first day of teaching at the Ibny School here in Rabat. Ibny is a community center located inside a school and it's for street children, found begging with their parents on the streets. Adults will often take their children to the streets to bring in more money, and some will even drug their children so they look even more needy. I have not seen many beggars so far since being here, but they can bring in significantly more money than minimum wage here, so it's apparently pretty prevalent. I imagine we'll see more later today when we visit the Medina. Ibny (which means "my son") provides food, clothing and education to these children so they can lead a better life.

The two classes I'm teaching with another volunteer, Carrie, are 4 year olds and 5 year olds, mixed boys and girls. And let me just say THEY ARE ADORABLE. It breaks my heart that these kids ever spent any time on the streets begging. There are older children at Ibny, and previous volunteers had reported discipline issues, so those kids are not part of the volunteer assignment. Carrie and I prepared a few things for today's lessons, not really knowing how long we would have with each class or what they would be interested in or what their learning levels are. We read previous volunteers' reports and had some ideas that we would focus on colors and shapes, sing some songs, and perhaps numbers and the ABCs.

We are at an extreme disadvantage language-wise. In school, children are first taught Arabic, and then as they progress to secondary school, the classes switch to being taught in French. By the time students are in high-school and university, they are almost exclusively taught in French. At Ibny, this means the teachers speak French and the children speak Arabic. And, well, Carrie and I speak English. We know a few phrases in Arabic and Carrie and I have both previously studied French, but we are both pretty rusty. I think for me, the biggest issue is when I'm in the moment and need a quick response French or Arabic is the last thing I'm thinking of. I have found myself responding and greeting people in Spanish, of all things.

Our first class was the 4 year olds and there were about 20 kids. They sat at circular tables, and each child wore an apron-like garment over their clothes. Boys' were blue and girls' were pink. We recited colors, pointing to various things in the room the same color we were saying and the children repeated. Then we moved to shapes. The kids all repeated quite well and enjoyed being praised, even if it was in English. Again, in the moment, I just couldn't quite remember to say, "mzyan" or "good job. We handed out construction paper and crayons and would hold up a flashcard with a shape on it and have the kids draw the shape. They would be so proud about their shapes they would run up to one of us and show us. Some needed (or wanted) more personal attention, and would want you to hold their hand and help them draw. When they had used up virtually every spec of space on their papers, we handed out stickers to them. We sang a few songs, such as, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and we even tried "Old McDonald" but this was new to them and was difficult to follow. We ended this class by doing the bunny hop around the room, which they seemed to enjoy.

The second class was the 5 year olds and there were 26 kids. They each had their own desks in neat little rows and would greet anyone who came to their classroom by standing up and saying, "Salaamu Alaykum." These kids had the ABC song up on the wall, so we started the class by singing that a couple of times. It's amazing how much difference a year can make. We also did the colors and shapes exercises, had them draw and handed out stickers. Some would turn their papers over and show us that they didn't have a sticker, just so they could get a second one. These kids moved through all the exercises quickly so then we improvised by counting 1-10 and holding up our fingers. A previous volunteer had indicated she hoped the kids would learn numbers beyond 10, so I lead a lesson of say-repeat for 11-15. We also would hold up a number on our fingers in random order and have the kids say the number. They clearly were confused by this, and it's obvious rote learning is the primary method of teaching, using memorization rather than actual concepts. We also sang the same songs, and the children in this class were more familiar with many American children's songs. They sang to us several songs, such as "Thumbkin" and "I Love You (The Barney Song)." They also sang, "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and they would get really loud on the "WASH the spider out" part. It was too cute!!

Overall it was extremely enjoyable and these kids are beautiful. Thinking of the life they had before coming to this school is terribly sad, but the opportunity they are being given is wonderful. I'm looking forward to planning tomorrow's lessons, which will be mostly the same (for repetition purposes) but we'll definitely need more supplies and some variance just to keep their interest and attention.

Getting Settled & Acclimated

After arriving in Rabat after 20 hours of flying: AUS>ATL>CDG>RBA. Everything was on-time, no delays and my luggage made it and landed in Rabat at 2:35pm local time. Met up with other volunteers & we went to our home base in Hay Riad-Rabat, which is the neighborhood in Rabat. Apparently, it's fairly upscale as evidenced in the ornate gates lining the streets. Our home base has a beautiful yard, and is very spacious with 4 large bedrooms where everyone bunks. While it's certainly not 5-star, the modest decor serves offer more function than frills. (Plus, I think if the accommodations were more lavish, I might wonder about the motives of the non-profit running this place.)

We learned a bit about the daily schedules, room assignments, house logistics, etc. But luckily, since it was mostly a travel day for everyone, Saturday was really for rest. Getting settled, sleeping, eating, meeting everyone, etc.

Sunday morning we woke for breakfast which is at 7am every day. Today we had these delicious msemmen crepes with fruit & yogurt. At 9:30am we had our orientation, which consisted of learning more about our individual volunteer assignments (I'll be working with 4-5 yr olds. at the street children center) and got an idea of some of the cultural activities that are planned. Tomorrow afternoon, we'll take a city tour, have time to navigate the bus system, and hit the medina. Always served with pastries it seems to really hit the spot.

Lunch will always be at 1pm and tea time is usually at 4pm with the national beverage, hot mint tea, served with pastries. And it is delicious. Dinner will be at 7pm. The cooks here at the house are amazing. I've taken some pictures of the food simply because they are beautifully presented. Colorful vegetable salads, interesting meat/fruit combinations, and always carnivore/vegetarian options. Delightful. And I am giddy with excitement that I'll have a chance to learn how to make some of this fare on Thursday.

After lunch today, a few of us went to check out a nearby mosque, Lalla Sukaina. Some of the most intricate wood and stone carvings I have ever seen, mosaic tile, and while the non-Muslims are not allowed inside, there was still plenty to see and photograph.

There are 16 volunteers here at the house. Some arrived when I did, some have been here a couple of weeks, and one woman has been here 3 months. Two of the volunteers have done mulitiple volunteer trips in various countries with this Cross Cultural Solutions. So to me, that's a good indicator of consistency, professionalism, and making enough of a difference that people want to do it again & again.

Why Morocco?

About 6 months ago I was reading Conde Nast Traveler and there was a feature article about volunteering while traveling abroad. Something about the article fascinated me - not sure if it was the service-based aspect, or the destinations, or all the amazing cultural offerings that come with this type of travel, or the first-hand accounts from people who had done it. But something struck a chord with me, and I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool to do this sometime?"

So I went online & checked out all the various companies that organize service-based, voluntourism/humanitourism trips. Some are more religious-based, some involve working within the community to build structures or clean land, and some offer working with people (hospitals, centers, orphanages, etc.), some working with animals. All offer some type of adventure or learning component (climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, white water rafting, cooking/language classes). All of these sounded very interesting to me, so the next part of my decision-making process was to find out costs, dates & specific destinations.

My 40th birthday (eek) is Jan. 1st, so I thought it might be a nice - albeit different - way to celebrate. That, and a baseline mammogram, but that's a different story...I digress...New Year's is such an overrated holiday with a lot of pressure: where should I go, where are all my friends going, will I have someone to kiss at midnight, will I be around people who won't judge me or look at me funny if I don't, will anyone remember my birthday, etc. All the ridiculous things to consider & inevitably worry about, and then on top of it I'LL BE TURNING FORTY. (shit)

As I looked at dates & destinations with these travel groups, I kept honing in on a three of them. One was a trip to Greece where for the first few days, you volunteer with local animal advocacy groups to teach the community about caring for stray dogs and cats. In Greece, apparently, they will feed strays broken glass so that they'll die. Heartbreaking, yes, but animal rescue and care is something I'm pretty passionate about. The last few days are spent whitewater rafting & camping. The only drawback to this trip is that I've already been to Greece. And would I be able to handle the heartbreak that is always associated with animal rescue?

The second one that got my attention was Costa Rica working in an orphanage. Never been, always wanted to go, and this might be a rewarding way to volunteer. The only drawback here is that I would really like to do this sort of thing with my sisters and that just wouldn't be possible right now for a variety of reasons.

The final destination that really sounded interesting was Morocco. A wide variety of volunteer options matched to your interests and background, and the next travel dates for their Insight Abroad program in Morocco: 12/25-1/1. Perfect timing for my birthday. I submitted my application and deposit, and there it was.

I had about 6 different vaccinations, and all said, I'm glad I didn't choose one that would have required a rabies vaccination. That sucker runs around $1000. But I am laced with H1N1, Hep A/B, Typoid, IPV, MMR, and TdaP. All of those together ran about $500. And yes, that is with insurance.

About a month ago I learned what my specific placement would be while there. Monday through Thursday I will work for 2 hours at a children's community center (Friday is a holiday). Kids are adolescent age, and are found as "street children" begging and living homeless on the streets of Rabat. The center brings in these kids, gives them meals, a warm place to stay, clean clothing, and an education. My role as a volunteer will be to assist the teachers and lead a few lessons, which can include physical activities, coloring, singing, or any other game I can think of. Because volunteers come in and out of this center all the time, I will have the benefit of seeing the lesson plans of previous volunteers from my group, and I can continue to build from their instruction, or I can create something new. I'm fairly certain I was assigned to this particular center because of my experience with Girls on the Run (which serves girls ages 8-10 yrs old). Other volunteers are assigned to work at a children's hospital (one of two in all of Morocco), an elderly community center, and an orphanage.

After the volunteer time in the mornings, we will then have options to take cooking or language classes, shop, tour the city, ride camels, etc. Not nearly as exciting as climbing a mountain or rafting, but I'm far more interested in the culture here. We will all stay in a large home, with home-cooked meals and a 24x7 staff. All our transportation is taken care of, and since language is going to be my biggest challenge (French - really rusty, and Arabic - trying to memorize a few key phrases), I'm glad I'll have some people around who will help with that.

Because Friday, Jan 1, is a holiday there won't be any volunteering, and from that point until Jan 5th I'll be on my own to travel to Marrakesh or other cities, try out a Hammam, whatever. It's definitely going to be an adventure, and I'm really excited about it. A little anxious, but it is going to be amazing. I just know it.

As of now, I've made it to Paris. One more 2-hr. flight into Rabat. There should be 6 or so other volunteers on this flight.

Girls on the Run Season Finish Fall 2009

Been awhile since I've posted anything, but I've been busy, busy, busy! Capped off a busy (did I say busy?) season at the Jingle Bell 5K on Dec. 13th. It is amazing that in just 12 months, we grew from 1 school/6 girls to 8 schools/120 girls. We had 90 girls registered for the Jingle Bell 5K, the important and final component of the curriculum. All but a handful of these girls have never run a race before, so bright-eyed they gathered at the start line with their Running Buddies (each girl is paired with an adult volunteer to motivate, encourage & accompany the girl while she runs).

I stood at the finish line with special GOTR finisher medals to congratulate each girl as she completed the race. So wonderful to see the rosy cheeks and huge smiles as each giddy girl made her way to completing 3.1 miles.

Thanks to my fellow board members for making this journey possible. Thanks to the coaches who got the girls through the entire semester. Thanks to the countless volunteers who helped throughout the year, and special thanks to the Running Buddies who shared in such a great day. We hope you return!!

Photos can be found here.

And...Done

1978 miles in the car
16 new places for Sugar to go/see/pee on
4.5 days of hikes & runs & walks
8500 ft elevation change
2 books read
4 really odd signs on the way home
80 billboards for the same store, but when I stopped it was lame
5 rainstorms, but the only one that was bad was yesterday when I got near Austin
1 hailstorm
1 snake
35 roadside crosses in New Mexico
4 National Forests
2 campgrounds
2 campfire cookouts
2 dog-friendly hotels

= 1 awesome vacation