Today after work we drank coffee at the café under a willow tree exploding in thin bight green leaves. Later we sat in the late afternoon sunshine on the balcony shelling new peas. The streets rang with the shouts of children running, playing ball, and chasing each other. Just like that, winter is over.
Cooperative Adwal is busy preparing for the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. Both the women going to Santa Fe successfully applied for and received their visas to the US. I sat with Hind at the cyber as she filled out the State Department applications online, in English, with only a few questions. She is my tutor and friend and I have to say she has learned a lot more English than I have learned Arabic. Visiting the US is a long- time dream of hers and I‘m so glad it’s finally going to happen. Her sister, Adwal’s President, went last year to the 50th celebration of Peace Corps in Washington DC so it’s not a new experience for her, but she’ll be seeing an entirely different part of the US. With luck, my grant application will be funded so that they can also attend the Handweavers’ Guild of America conference in California and get to see LA and the Pacific Ocean.
Last weekend, a British artist friend came to REK and put on a workshop for both my and Doug’s co-ops. One was on creativity and the other was on choosing a logo. They were both brilliant as she would say. The women were engaged and enthusiastic. Now we are looking into funding so that she can travel around Morocco and present similar workshops to other women’s co-ops. Since Peace Corps discontinued the small business development program in Morocco, I’d love to see something ongoing like this to add a little inspiration and motivation.
Speaking of inspiration, we were fortunate to be invited to a “meet and greet” with Hillary Clinton at the American Embassy in Rabat. Several PCVs were there as well as the embassy staff and the press. We were as close as we’ll ever be to a US Cabinet Secretary. I didn’t get to shake her hand as some did, but I was impressed with her very personable yet commanding presence. I am a fan.
