Category: Hallie in Rabat

Tangier, 100% Mamans

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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. 

Tragedy in Morocco, Displacement for the Night in Rabat

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There cannot be a post to this site without the full acknowledgment of the lives, families, and homes lost, the people of Morocco who have been displaced, and those in mourning. The continued support from the community of this country has been astonishing to observe. Morocco is truly unique in their culture, one full of amiable people and an attentive, genial nature. These characteristics are nothing but amplified in the wake of the earthquake that has recently struck the Southern half of the country, approximately 44 miles southwest of Marrakesh.

I happened to be with my homestay when we felt the initial shock, ironically the first night I and other students had met and settled in with those same families. The room shook, and some pictures fell, however, overall the structural integrity of the homes in the Medina (a community center in the middle of Rabat) remained intact. Aside from some nervous glances and steadying movements, my new family handled the event with ease, even turning the TV back on afterward in an effort to relax. It was not until a few minutes later the decision was made that the safest space may be outside, in the case of aftershocks or an unseen collapse. That was when the effects of the earthquake truly set in.

The layout of a Medina is important to mention here. It doubles both as a neighborhood and shopping center. Your neighbors in the Medina are not across the street or in your cul-de-sac of two-story homes typical in American suburbia. They are above and below you, where the buildings are built high and vertical and the windows are as tall as the top floor to avoid others walking past and seeing inside. A slight architectural nod to the more conserved nature of Middle Eastern culture. In this multi-block neighborhood enclosed by tall walls that have remained standing since the 17th century, every family knows the next. As I walk with my homestay mother on the first day she says hello to almost everyone on her street, she knows every shopkeeper and cafe owner. To her this is not a tourist destination but her home and multifaceted economy, which she and her neighbors contribute to daily.

We exit our home with others on our street, my new neighbor, Malak, a nine-year-old girl whose English exceeds not only my Arabic but French as well quickly grabs my hand to rush us out of the Medina. Malak is not scared herself but for me; almost as instantaneously as my hand is in hers I am moved to tears by this simple act of courage and selflessness. Malak asks me if I am alright and I return the favor as we exit, only to be met outside by even more people. The entirety of the Medina has gone outside. I look to my left and see a group of women who have set up chairs and are casually chatting in a circle, to my right a man is parading around with Moroccan tea, offering a cup to whoever will have one, occasionally sitting and talking with his customers. Children play games and cardboard mats or rugs are handed out for those who wish to sleep. We were fortunate enough to be far away from the epicenter of the earthquake, but families in Rabat have loved ones who were much closer. After a few hours of sitting outside, when news reaches our city of those who have passed on, you can hear the occasional wailing and sobbing of a woman who has lost a family member. Her neighbors surround her, hugging and wrapping themselves around the one in pain, not at all suffocating, in contrast, it appears they wish to take on some of the pain, some of the loss, in whatever way possible. In all the chaos and fear this community has a characteristic of strength that seems unwavering.

Yes, the culture shock of being somewhere new can be overwhelming, but in that initial experience, there is an opportunity to divulge those emotions and transform them, to find a purpose and contribute to a community that is unlike any I have seen in the United States. I saw that opportunity while sitting with Malak and braiding her hair, how small my challenges seemed in comparison to the challenges these families may face in the coming days. I hope to continue to take those emotions and fears surrounding the unknown and channel them into something new in this unwavering community, to learn from their strength and show my respect in whatever way possible.

More updates and hopefully some in-person community aid to come!