This week started early Sunday morning as we departed on an excursion to Tangier. Located on the most northern coast of Morocco the city is encapsulated with a rich history of foreign invasion since 400 AD and later perseverance from the Moroccan population.
The city of Tangier has come a long way from this period, which once had the reputation of being a sketchy, undesirable place for locals and tourists alike. Racked with the chaos of drug dealings and unorganized crime. However, since Sultan Moulay Ismail came to power in the late 1600s, rooting his legacy in the revival of Tangier a metamorphose has taken place. His break-off from British territory as the city has been transformed and the hard choices taken to get there cannot be understated. These acts of diplomacy on Ismail’s part were not only ahead of their time but so strategic they avoided the need for military or violent action all together.
This history is prominent throughout the city, conveyed throughout architecture that stands from hundreds of years ago, to an economy that relies on tourism – which was not always the case due to its older reputation.
While my program was there we spent most of our time visiting NGOs and getting a fuller idea of their missions within the city. To see the work that was being done by these organizations was truly inspiring, and one particularity stood out to me.
NGO, 100% Maman, is based in Tangier and has had a massive impact on the community there. Fighting for the rights of single mothers, Maman’s goal is to reach a wide audience and develop the expertise to have single mothers seen positively in a post-modern, Middle Eastern society. Their technological range developed from multiple social media accounts to a podcast that can be streamed on most platforms where women can talk about their experiences with the law, their pregnancies, and how they found the organization.
The creation of Maman however is not quite as uplifting yet inspiring all the same. Founded in 2006, there was a great need to advocate for women who were having children out of wedlock, instances of rape or incest. The law at that time stated that perpetrators could marry their victims (even against the victims’ wishes) and as a result be excluded from criminal punishment. A need for advocacy was strong as 100% Maman rose to the occasion. Through this organization and others like it advocating for more freedom from these laws progress has been made, but there is still much work to be done.
Working primarily with single mothers and their children, 100% Maman provides housing for mothers, daycare, and education for children, and skills classes for mothers, and runs a full-scale catering company where many of the mothers that they work with are employed. Needless to say, this organization has created a flourishing micro-economy within the larger city.
As we sat and talked with the administration of this non-profit many of us were moved to tears, the emotion that these women felt for their organization was at the forefront of every answered question and explanation.
I spent the rest of the day reflecting on the place of privilege I was coming from and contrasting these oppressive laws to the pro-life/pro-choice dilemma currently underway in the States. There is so much freedom given to those in America that other systems of governing are often forgotten – this was a sharp reminder of how the rest of the world may be functioning. I hope to return to Tangier in November and learn more about 100% Maman, how we as students can aid the organization, and what other work must be done to gain these women the freedom they deserve.
DU Abroad 