ISA Service-Learning in Meknes, Morocco

I interned at a women's rights organization in Meknes. The branch there is small, and focuses primarily on helping women who have faced different types of abuse. It worked to gain instrumental change in marriage and family laws in Morocco as well, and continues to help Meknassi women fight personal battles as well. The staff members are absolutely incredible. I became very close with them, as well as many of the women in the community who frequented the center. Every week, the center holds a cooking class. The women who attend each take a turn teaching the others how to make a specific dish from traditional desserts to snacks and savory meals. It is a time and place for them to bond over similar experiences and feel protected and comforted in a safe environment. I observed and participated in these classes each week, often getting Arabic and Darija lessons from the women in exchange for teaching them English. The language barrier was difficult at times - my ability to speak French wasn't always enough, but interacting with the women at the classes allowed me to learn to communicate in other ways, on a deeper level. I developed great relationships built on respect and mutual understanding that will last the rest of my life, and improve the way I work with others in frustrating professional environments. It also contributed to my teaching skills, and will definitely be important when I apply for a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship next year. Other days at the center were very slow. Because the Meknes branch is small (and I did not speak Darija), there was not always a lot to do, and sometimes it was difficult to find productive work for the required amount of weekly hours. The other intern and I resorted to organizing the library, and performed cleaning and secretarial tasks when we weren't teaching English or learning Arabic from the staff. We got to meet many inspirational women including the center's lawyer and president, who were both intelligent and fascinating. I learned a lot about differences in culture between the U.S. and Morocco, especially in terms of women's rights and societal roles.