Let Girls Learn!

Have you heard about the new initiative between Peace Corps and first Lady Michelle Obama?

Let Girls Learn is an exciting new collaboration aimed at increasing girls' education worldwide. Educating girls is essential to healthy and thriving communities but in many countries the barriers to adolescent girls completing school are particularly significant.

While Let Girls Learn will initially focus on 11 Peace Corps countries that are not Morocco, we know that Peace Corps Volunteers here in North Africa care passionately about this issue.

The three pillars of the Let Girls Learn initiative are:

1. Empowering Leaders  
2. Working Hand in Hand with Communities  
3. Increasing the Impact of Peace Corps Volunteers

We do all three here in Peace Corps Morocco in our Gender and Development work and because we are especially committed to working hand in hand with local communities and counterparts, we are releasing more and more GAD resources in both Arabic and English. 

Just because Morocco isn't one of the initial participants in Let Girls Learn doesn't mean we can't do work on this issue! So check out the GAD Morocco Girls Education Toolkit and put it to use in your community. 

Girls Education Toolkit in ArabicGirls Education Toolkit in English

"To the Moon"

PCV Natalie Apcar writes about her experience at the 2nd Annual Space Camp in Akka. Check out what she has to say about the GAD activity and much more. More information on Natalie's service is available on her blog. For more information on our resources check out GAD Resources page.



Last week I spent 6 days in Akka, a town about 2 hours south of mine in the Tata province. The 2nd-year volunteer there had written a large grant to have ten youth from other Dar Chebabs, and many youth from Akka itself, attend a space-themed camp during the mid-year holiday. She came up with the idea in her first year and implemented it with youth from only Akka last spring. Since it was such a hit, she decided to expand the camp this year, and I was lucky enough to be able to bring my kids along for the ride.

Space Camp was probably one of my highlights of my service so far. While it was an exhausting 6 days, it was fulfilling and fun. I brought 5 girls, 3 boys, and one male counterpart. I was excited to take a counterpart to a Peace Corps event for the first time. He’s one of my English students but a little bit older than his grade. This does not mean that he is not intelligent—he is one of the brightest and most intuitive kids I have met, and speaks very good English. Most recently, he wrote a poem about a mermaid.

The science curriculum, like most subjects in Moroccan schools, does not leave much room for hands-on activities or creativity-expansion. Because of certain lines in the Koran, many Muslims challenge modern theories of the universe and life on other planets. For these reasons, the great majority of our campers had never really pondered just how vast our universe is, or that perhaps there could be other forms of life. On the first day, I sat down with my counterpart Karime and shared some facts with him about the planet we were assigned, which just so happened to be Uranus. I needed him to help me translate ten facts and explain them to our planet group so we could present them to the whole camp in a creative way. I told him that Uranaus is the coldest planet with winds reaching 900 km/h. He immediately remarked “This is not possible! No one could ever survive in a place like this!” And I said, “Yes, humans could not. But maybe some other form of life.” But no, no, he kept insisting it was not possible. I told him to remember we were talking about literally another world. Karime finally conceded and continued scribbling the Arabic translations as I read different facts. It was really exciting for me to watch his perceptions change and his imagination expand, along with that of the other kids, as the week went on. Toward the end of camp, Karime started writing a short story about waking up on a new planet with flying rabbits and dragon-like creatures.

Activities included a “planet walk,” where we started from the sun and counted feet as a ratio for the distance between each planet, space-themed games, and a hike into Akka’s oasis. There, we ventured off to secluded spots and pretended we were astronauts discovering a new planet. To implement Life Skills and gender & development work, we gave a presentation on Muslim/other minority women with unique, empowering careers, like Malala Yousafzai, the Queen of Jordan, and Mae Jemison (the first African-American female astronaut). A discussion followed the presentation, which gave both girls and boys and chance to share their opinions about Morocco’s progress on women in the workforce.

One of the most remarkable moments for me, probably of my entire service so far, happened on the night we built campfires and set up telescopes on a field far from the center of town for prime start-gazing. One of the telescopes had an awe-inspiring view of the moon, so much so that you could see the deep craters and waxing gibbous shadow hugging the sphere of our great moon. One of my girls, Ija, who is my host-mom’s niece and also one of my students, stood in line with me to look at the moon. When she put her eye to the telescope and saw it, she gasped, grabbed my hand, and said in clear English, “oh my God.” When she pulled her face away, she looked almost dazed with pleasure.

I feel this experience truly contributes to the “Youth Development” goals I’m set here to reach. Creativity-expansion, educational development, gender empowerment, all fall under the umbrella of my job assignment. It was starkly different from the last sleep-away camp I worked at this past summer, because those kids had paid to attend the camp, while these kids had gotten the lucky opportunity to go to a camp for free. For many of them, it was their first time traveling without their families. I know my girls will remember it for the rest of their lives. A few days afterward, I sat having tea with Ija, my host-family and my friend Emma, who had come to visit my site during the break from work. Ija rattled off all the activities she had done at camp and then pronounced, “I didn’t know anything about space before this week!” I can only hope that seeing that glowing moon through the telescope might have inspired her to explore what else is out there, and that our gender discussion might have got her thinking about some out-of-this-world careers.

Using GAD resources are easier than you think because we made it that way!

Sometimes it’s not as hard as it seems. GAD resources are made to make it easier for you, try it out and see for yourself!

It’s been a roller-coaster of a ride as many PCVs’ service comes to an end. Winter camps recently finished and for some of us that included endless nights of music, dancing and lesson planning. I decided to help out at two different camps this winter break and as I signed up for both I knew I would wear myself out but I also knew this was an opportunity to say good bye to old friends I made along the way and to make new friends with the youth in different areas of Morocco. The first camp I volunteered in was the 2nd annual Space Camp in Akka with over 100 youth. Rebecca Mukiibi was the PCV who organized the camp in her site and this year she wrote a grant in order to help youth from different parts of the south region to attend the Space Camp. This particular idea in bringing over 100 youth seemed overwhelming but at the end I felt was the most important aspect. Many of the youth developed friendships with each other which I believe to be long lasting and important in their lives. The Space Camp was filled with so many fun and innovative activities but one of the activities was a Gender and Development workshop that was simple and to the point.

Sometimes as PCVs we may feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed to discuss gender inequality in our communities but as I helped facilitated the workshop I could see that this hour was important for the youth to discuss their views on gender inequality within a Moroccan society. The workshop included a number of strong and successful women leaders around the world. We discussed gender roles in the professional field and it was extremely fun to hear what the youth had to say. At the end, I was approached by many of the youth who wanted to discuss further how they can help their community under a gender lens.

Space Camp was over and before I knew it I was sitting on the bus with a few of the campers from Space Camp on their way home and me on my way to a G.L.O.W. camp in Tazenakht, six hours away from my site. I kept telling myself you should have went home to relax but responsibility suppressed that feeling as I promised a friend, PCV Nia Muhammad I would make it to her G.L.O.W camp. At the G.L.O.W. camp, I helped lead two GAD activities which were the You Can Dream video and the Moroccans Breaking the Silence video on sexual harassment. The first time I watched the You Can Dream video was during my PST and I forgot how good and inspiring it was to watch. We held discussions in between the clips and it was wonderful to hear the girls’ responses about the Moroccan women in the video who persevered and succeeded in making huge changes in their communities. Some of the women in the video were unable to finish their education so it was extremely important for the girls at the camp to see that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

The video Moroccan Breaking the Silence on sexual harassment was when I knew my service would never be the same if it wasn’t for camps. At camps, everyone develops a sense of friendship, a bond with; PCVs, campers and counterparts. You develop a safe space for people to talk about issues you don’t necessarily talk about outside in the real world. During the sexual harassment video, without publicizing a private moment one of the campers had, I can at least write that when she spoke it filled my heart with hope and strength; it was one of those moments I think all volunteers hope to aspire to accomplish. Sometimes, I take those moments for granted because it happens often. Throughout the camp, that camper and I exchanged smiles and on the last day she hugged and thanked me.

I now think, what if I went home that day when Space Camp was over because I was tired, I would have missed this opportunity in helping a young woman find the strength she was looking for and she found it in that room, on that day because she felt safe. Sometimes we can’t measure our work but always remember; to put your heart into it, the youth look at us every step of the way and when we make that move in solidarity, without judgement but with compassion and understanding, you’ll see they will be inspired and together change happens. So, will I help in another camp again, probably yes!

Thank you to all the PCVs I had the pleasure to work with at both the Space and G.L.O.W. camps and a special thank you to the youth and Moroccan counterparts that worked so hard to make these opportunities a reality for PCVs.

Check out our resources to find our You Can Dream video and Moroccans Breaking the Silence on Sexual Harassment. All videos include discussion questions in Arabic and English.

Women Only: GAD Work and the Nedi Neswi

In Peace Corps Morocco, some volunteers are specifically assigned to work at Nedi Neswis, or Women's Centers. This is a reflection from a current PCV on her experiences being one of those volunteers.

I am assigned to work in Nedi Neswi, a center for Women and girls. My boss is female, and so is her assistant, my counterpart, and everyone else who belongs to the administration of our center. The few times men enter the building, or even the gates, it’s always a little bit of a shock. Not fear, but surprise, because this isn’t their place. Even the fathers of the children in the preschool hover by the door and wait for their children to be sent out to them. It’s been both wonderful and challenging to have this opportunity to work in a space designated solely for women and run by women.

My center has the following: vocational two year diploma-granting training programs for sewing and cooking, a daycare, classes in crochet, embroidery, and exercise classes. For the majority of my projects, I work with the girls and women in the vocational training programs, a population who (most but not all) have had limited access to formal education beyond elementary school. I also have weekly activities with the preschool students.

Some of the challenges: unlike many Dar Chebabs, the Nedi Neswi is a controlled and closed space. People can’t just come in and sit in on classes, sessions, or activities. They have to be enrolled in one of the programs, and they risk losing their spots if they don’t attend. This makes for a relatively fixed audience for Peace Corps work, which is helpful in creating an intimate and invested group, but frustrating because awareness activities based around certain days/events (like World Aids Day or International Day of the Girl Child) can’t ever include more women and girls than are already at the Nedi. I spent my first several months assigned to the Nedi telling my life story to every single woman, but it paid off and now if I don’t come daily everyone thinks I’m dead, sick or in America.

The perks: I have a consistent attendance to my activities, I have the opportunity to address sensitive topics in a safe space for women, I develop and work with my counterparts knowing that we can address long-term goals, and I get to do all kinds of YD work from 4yr olds to 72yr olds! The Nedi Neswi is a great and safe space to do GAD activities, test out toolkits, and form deep bonds with the attendees. I never planned that my Peace Corps service would take place here - but as a female volunteer in Morocco I have come to cherish the safe space and relief from public life that a women's center offers.

Acting Out on Gender

This month, the Gender and Development Committee is putting out our newest toolkit as warranted from our theme contest, featuring ten lessons that will enable volunteers and their counterparts to work with communities on topics of Gender and Identity Development through the use of theatre, performance, and folklore.

Why Theatre? For many reasons, but just to name a few:

Theatre is extremely popular among youth here in Morocco. From regularly planned Spectacs (Talent Shows), to random outbursts of group singing and dancing, to constant skit-making, many of our youth love to perform. Theatre gives them another chance to do so. With combining something that our students love with a topic like Gender and Development, we can provide youth with a meaningful experience taken specifically from their interests. The goal of the toolkit definitely is not to “disguise” the topic of Gender and Development by engaging students in theatre to do so, but instead to show them the versatility and positivity by which one of their hobbies can be used.

Theatre and International Development have a lot in common. When the theories, practices, and purposes of theatre and acting are looked at, a lot of them have strong correlations with practices that can help not only the international development process, but the processes of community and empathy building and understanding. This toolkit specifically uses Community Participatory Theatre, a form of theatre used to encourage community engagement as a tool not only to create theatre, but to bring people in the community together to problem solve, and Theatre of the Oppressed, a form of theatre used to give those who may be unheard a voice through performance. Community Participatory Theatre specifically asks communities, “What do we have here?,” an important first question is any international development process, and Theatre of the Oppressed specifically seeks to make sure that all voices are heard when seeking response, even the ones that may be tough to locate. Aside from that, concepts of plot, character, obstacle, objective, body language, pantomime, and other theatre tools are learned and exercised within this toolkit with practical applications that can build self-esteem and intentional decision making within our youth here.

The two most widely spoken languages are not written… thusly, storytelling is beyond powerful. Darija and the Amazigh languages are the most widely spoken in Morocco, especially in the areas that Peace Corps Volunteers work. When we talk about literacy and its importance to one’s ability to seek and understand knowledge, the question gets turned on its head when even the languages that could be read most frequently in books, news, and the internet may not be understood by their readers, not from lack of knowledge, but simply speaking a different language. Theatre engages people in storytelling and introduces communities to the importance of verbal expression and human connection as a way to share roots, values, and experiences to help us grow together. Folklore is also used in this toolkit because it serves that exact function… it unites communities through fantastical stories to help uncover historic roots and values, encouraging us to seek ways to live them in our communities today.

The new Theatre Toolkit, GAD and Theatre: Acts of Equality, is in the process of being translated, but we will be putting out the first couple lessons soon, and in time, all ten for Peace Corps Volunteers, their counterparts, and Moroccans to be able to use. We are excited to see the impact that this toolkit is able to make on our communities.

Gender Advocate Training

GAD is excited to partner with two Moroccan associations to host the Gender Advocate Training in December 2014.

We are fully funded! The training will take place in about a month. Thank you for all your support!

International Day of the Girl in Essaouira

PCV Olivia fills us in about her work for International Day of the Girl Child. More information about Olivia's service is available on her blog. More resources on tackling issues around girls and education can be found on the GAD Resources page

The UN declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child two years ago in order to “recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.” Days dedicated to certain populations, causes, or movements serve as reminders to get informed and act but should not be left at that. Girls should be recognized, celebrated, and empowered everyday. 

Unfortunately, making gender equality a reality can be daunting. Challenges laced within societies and culture can seem impossible to overcome. Whole communities, men, women, boys and girls need to have the same mindset when it comes to empowering a gender who has been oppressed for so long and still struggles to gain footing in places all over the world. Often times “gender work” is labeled as a separate entity–relating only to women–but really gender work is present in all levels of development and without it, true development can never be achieved.

There is an abundant number of gender related resources worth utilizing and Girl Rising is one of them. Girl Rising is a global movement for girls’ education based primarily around a 2013 film that featured 9 girls and their stories of overcoming gender-based adversity in order to go to school. I unknowingly set out to do a Girl Rising screening the same week of the Day of the Girl and even more coincidentally, the week after the Nobel Peace Prize winner was announced.

Malala Yousafzai, is a Pakistani activist who was shot by the Taliban amidst her fight for female education and she is the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala’s photo and one of her quotes was projected on the large screen and as the first few girls entered the room, I overheard girls who came early to the event say how “Zwin”, beautiful, her quote was. Someone to admire, someone not all too different from them–a strong, young, muslim, a girl.

The event took shape after sharing the idea of doing a simple Girl Rising screening at Dar Souiri, a popular cultural center in Essaouira. After speaking with a counterpart, we set out make it an event rather than just a screening in the hopes that it would be the start to a deeper dialogue and further action. He expressed that many people would be on board with this and that involving as many people and associations as possible, the better.

Close to 200 women, girls, men, and boys came to the event. Aside from the film, girls from Essaouira were the vocal point of the event. Bnat Haddyate Sourite, a group of young female Sufi musicians performed at the start of the event and a short play and song on the importance of educating girls done by Essaouira’s English ACCESS program. The event ended with a forum discussion including three female students (two high school and one approaching her first year in university), one physical education teacher, the director of Association Bayti Essaouira, and president of Association Argania.

Seeing girls of Essaouira, many of them girls I have grown close with, on stage performing and/or speaking in front of a large audience was something special. Siham Alahyane was a huge help the entire night–her English is phenomenal and she translated for me the entire night (stress and trying to speak Darija don’t mix well). It will be hard to forget one girl, Siham Lajila, who sat on the panel for the discussion portion of the event. Earlier in the night she came to me worried and nervous wanting to opt out. However, not only did she decide to stick with it but she was an absolute rockstar. She spoke with fire, the utmost confidence and conviction. After one panelist spoke, she confidently pulled the microphone in front of her expressing how angry she was that a conversation like this even has to exist. She spoke on how important education is and why it should not be a struggle for girls. She said she was sick of hearing “Hshuma”, shame on you, when the boy next to her never had to hear it.

During the discussion between the audience and the panelists many points came up including lack of support from parents encouraging their daughters to be well educated, boys harassing girls on school grounds and the lack of respect given to girls opinions inside the classroom. Of course it was made aware that not all parents, teachers and boys are the same and that many of them are empowering the girls of Essaouira to not only stay in school but to continue onto university and the job market.

Once the event concluded, three teachers approached me insisting the Girl Rising film and discussion be shown in schools. The staff suggested we coordinate monthly conversations in Dar Souiri. Each girl on the panel and several in the audience who spoke wished for more discussion and events like this in the future.

The feedback for more events and discussions like this really shows that people of Essaouira want what is best for everyone in their community not just half the population. The support of people from multiple networks and fields is important considering, especially, that gender equality is across all people from all backgrounds and  in every community. We are committed to celebrating and fighting for the rights of girls everyday.