Goodbyes and Hellos

The times, they are a-changing. We recently said goodbye to Pete, our Peace Corps site mate, as he finished his service. He was a big help and good friend to us and we will miss him. The community had a going away party for him at the town hall with traditional horn blowing, drumming, and dancing.

He's a youth development volunteer so all the high school kids came as well and put on an amazing show of skits, rap music and American music. I was impressed with the way they got up in front of an audience and performed so confidently. I fear for their futures though as there isn't much for them to do after high school--especially the girls.

On his last taxi ride out of REK, the taxi wouldn’t start and had to be pushed down the street until the driver popped the clutch and got it going.

If seemed like a fitting way to leave. Then we said hello to our new site mates, Gary and Kathy, who will replace Pete. They are retirees from Colorado so we have a lot in common.

Summer/fall is gone—almost overnight. It rained for about a week which brought a blanket of snow to the mountains and then it was winter/spring. Winter is a bit confusing here because it is cold, there is snow, it rains, but then there are sunny warm days, everything turns green, and little yellow wildflowers pop out.

Then it returns to cold and rainy. I’m reminded of spring in Montana. We have put away the sandals and dug the winter layers out of the box.

Another L3id l-kbir, the sheep sacrificing holiday, has come and gone. Since our balcony and kitchen window overlook several rooftops where the slaughters often take place, we decided to get out of town for a few days. When we returned, the only evidence was a sheep skin hanging on the roof. I didn’t see a single charred sheep head, bloody street, or have to eat any intestines or barbequed liver wrapped in stomach lining.

Apparently, the Moroccan Ministry of Education, along with USAID, has recently begun a new push to teach adult women to read and write. Illiteracy among adult women here is estimated at 65% and is higher than that in the rural areas--a reflection on one of the major gender differences. I was surprised to learn that, although most are literate, none of the women in Cooperative Adwal had finished high school. It’s surprising because there are several very bright and savvy women there.

One day, books and slates appeared at both of our co-ops along with a manual and a salary for a teacher to lead literacy classes. Co-op Adwal is having sessions every afternoon, and I am taking advantage by sitting in to learn Arabic script. I have mastered three letters so far and at this pace, may learn the whole alphabet by the time we leave.