Volunteer Abroad Project Placements in Morocco with MCAS

I know this is a long review, but please bear with me and read it before you consider volunteering with MCAS.

I volunteered in the Childcare Program at Lalla Meriem Center for 12 weeks in January - April 2019. I took Arabic lessons three times a week after work, with an amazing teacher that I’d recommend to anyone. But it’s the project manager of MCAS, that I want to talk about. He’s not a man to be trusted.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that he wasn’t fulfilling his role as a program leader and soon enough I was seriously questioning my time in Rabat and the kind of impact I was making. A fellow volunteer and I decided at one point that it was time to share our concerns with the project manager and ask him all the questions we had. We expected him to be more than open to make the time to listen to us, but he made it very difficult to reach him and made up all sort of excuses as to why he didn’t have the time. After a lot of persistence, we had a discussion with him. And to say that it was shockingly revealing is an understatement. It confirmed all of our doubts and concerns.

An idea of the concerns that arose during my experience with MCAS:

-How MCAS is building ethical programs that benefit the community? My fellow volunteer was in the teaching English program at Abdesalam El Saih Middle School for 6 weeks, and she experienced a huge lack of structure, curriculum and continuity in this program. She wasn’t given any background or insights on the students and their level of English, what previous volunteers have worked on and accomplished, how they have been helpful or what their specific goals were and how MCAS is actively involved in developing the student’s learning and ensuring its continuity.

-Lack of transparency – where is my money going? After some time in Rabat, it became very clear that the amount I paid for volunteering is completely unjustified and that it was not going where it should be going – towards program costs. I did some research and asked my father, who’s Moroccan, about prices for various of things, and he completely agreed that I was paying way too much. At one point the project manager claimed that he had donated 10 000 MAD of my money, without my consent, to the orphanage I was working at. He didn’t provide me with any sort of proof of this. When I actually made donations directly with the orphanage, they gave me a receipt the same day.

-Lack of support: The program manager was an unreliable, absent figure during our time in Rabat – keeping in mind that he was basically the only stable point of contact for us. When I needed his help or support, he often let me down. And when he was physically there to answer my questions, he was not present – always in a hurry, doing something else and apparently indifferent.

-Lack of communication: The program manager almost never informed us of anything we needed to know during our stay. We were not given any information or insight into the programs – not even during orientation. We were never informed of the renovation work in the volunteer house that would last for weeks, during which workers were coming in and out of the house at any time.

-Lack of privacy: The volunteer house did not feel like a private, safe space for us. More than once, the program manager invited strangers over to the volunteer house without informing us. We never knew who was going in and out of the house and, at any point, who else was there. He also basically lives in the volunteer house, which we found very uncomfortable.

Throughout our conversation with the program manager, he was impatient, uncooperative and at some point he became aggressive. To keep it as short as possible, the program manager was completely unwilling to disclose any financial information when we asked for a breakdown and instead chose to make false claims. He had nothing to say about how he is building a teaching program that ensures any sort of continuity. And his last words to my fellow volunteer were “I hope I never meet someone like you ever again,” accusing her of having ulterior motives and going so far as to blame it on her nationality. The program manager was more or less absent after this.

I have shared my experience because I feel like it is the right thing to do for the community I worked with and for anyone looking into volunteering with MCAS. I can confidently say that the program manager is untrustworthy, unaccountable and unprofessional. If you are looking for an ethical organization that actively works on building programs that benefit local communities– not a business– I would strongly suggest you look elsewhere.

During my internship with Morocco World News, I was able to spread awareness in my writing by bringing global awareness of Morocco to an English-speaking audience. I covered a wide range of Moroccan topics all the way from social and cultural issues to the latest sport news. Every week, I was required to submit articles on the latest update of Morocco’s team in the 2018 World Cup, while also speaking on the holy month of Ramadan.

On top of that, I covered topics relating to Morocco’s politics and economy, such as the future health insurance plans for 2026 and the Moroccan delegation meetings with Qatar and United Arab Emirates. During the second month of my stay in Morocco, I was given another opportunity to teach 13 to 15 year olds English. This was my first-time teaching English and at first, I was nervous, but I learned how to keep the students engaged with the course work by playing educational games and having them work on creative writing pieces. I grew and benefited from this teaching program by learning how to interact with teenagers even if there was a slight language barrier.

While teaching English, my students benefited a lot from me by expressing their appreciation. I had one of my students tell me, "Karen, what you are doing is great. I appreciate you coming to Morocco and taking the time to teach us English." Also, another student that was very engaged in the course work told me on my last day, "Karen we learned a lot from you. And I just want to say thank you." There was no better feeling than knowing I made an impact in their education. The director, Ali, was also very supportive and willing to make any changes necessary to make my experience better. Leaving Morocco made me realize how much I enjoyed my trip. I fell in love with the people, culture, and traditions. Being able to experience the Islamic cultural traditions, such as Ramadan and the call to prayer was something I will never forget. During the weekend, my roommates and I explored some of the most beautiful cities in Morocco like Chefchaouen, aka the Blue City, Marrakesh, and the Sahara Desert. Overall, my experience with MCAS was educationally and socially an unforgettable experience.

As JFK once said, “We must find the time to stop and thank all of the people who make a difference in our lives”. Well for me that has to be the director of MCAS. He has done so much for not only for me but for our entire organization. Ali has helped our non-profit organization called Children's Global Alliance; where we teach ESL classes at Abde Salan Middle School in Rabat, Morocco. He does so much work to make everything happen including home visits with our students, excursions, and more. He works a lot behind the scenes, so the rest of the CGA group and I didn’t get to see a lot of it, yet he makes sure that every single student gets the best education that MCAS can offer. During our breaks, Ali would always compliment our work, and I would respond with “Thank you for letting me be here”
As our group did home visits throughout the 2 school weeks of June 4th-15th, My first home visit was with Hiba. Though she is not in my class, she was really excited for us to come and meet her family. We met her mother and her younger sister, and her father was working that day. We were greeted with a warm welcome and big hugs. Hiba wanted to become a music teacher because she loves music, and at one point wanted a guitar, but couldn’t because it was too expensive. The girls offered us to draw with them, and they showed us there family album, showing us a glimpse of their family lives. At one point in the conversation I asked Hiba who her hero was, and she said that it was her mom, and when I asked Hibas mother, she said it was one of her brothers that helped her a lot when she was growing up. Hiba’s mother also told us that she was really proud that Hiba was in the early stages of becoming trilingual in Arabic, French, (second most common language) and now English. Just from that home visit alone, I realized that these were some special kids, and I couldn’t wait to see them grow at the school.
Our next home visit was with Fatimazahra, she was a student that we thought in the advanced class. We were welcomed by her, her little brother, her mom, and her grandmother. Her mom greeted us with a warm welcome and beautiful smiles. They told us that their grandmother was entering the 1st stages of Alzheimer's and that Fatimazahra and her little brother would take care of their grandmother after school. Fatimazahra also told us that she wanted to be a cop when she grows up. We also talked about how life was different for Fatima Zahra's mom growing up, she wanted to visit the U.S. especially Colorado (that is where our group was from) and we compared to positive shift that is happening to Fatima Zahra's life right now in the country of Morocco. Fatima Zahra's mother was really happy that her daughter was becoming trilingual, because they thought Arabic, French, and now English! Also they offered so much food to us during Ramadan; the ninth month of the Muslim year, during which strict fasting is observed from sunrise to sunset, we didn’t want to eat because we would feel bad, but they insisted we did, because it is part of the Islamic culture to be a good host, so we ate, laugh, too pictures, and had a good time. I was really fortunate to meet these people and I couldn’t wait to see Fatimazahra progress in the future.
All of my students are really creative and they have so many stories to tell, for the last 3 days of work my partner and I assigned a culture based research project on Morocco. Our students researched so much from Morocco being in the World Cup, to how we could fix Morocco’s poverty, to how a Moroccan wedding is planned, and more! Whenever we said they had time to work on their projects in the class all I could see was joy, energy, and excitement, they would pull out there sketches, work on their drawings, and organize their data. The presentation day was one of the best experiences of not only my life but my students as well.
As the final day came it was really difficult for everyone. Especially when they asked if I will be back next year, it was devastating for me to answer with that I wouldn’t be coming back next year to teach them again. Even though it was only for 2 weeks I got to see my students grow not only in English but as young adolescents. All of this was possible thanks to MCAS, and Rabat will always be my home away from home. Teaching and learning from these kids was one of the best parts of my life, shukraan (thank you)

I've just spent five weeks volunteering in Rabat, Morocco through MCAS and I can honestly say it's been one of the best experiences I've ever had!! From the minute I stepped out of airport I had people looking out for me and making sure I felt safe and comfortable. The kindness of the Moroccan people was something I continued to see and will never forget. I stayed with a host family coordinated through the program and they instantly made me feel at home, welcoming me as one of their own. The next day I met up with Jihane and Ali, the program coordinator and director. They were so friendly and answered all of my questions and concerns, and they gave us a great orientation to Rabat and Morocco in general. The next day I began work at the Lalla Meryem Center. Volunteering here was something I can barely describe with words. The children are all so unique and beautiful, and the workers are some of the most incredible people I've ever met. It was a fantastic place to volunteer. In addition to work, I was able to travel around Morocco on the weekends. I visited Merrekech and Mezrouga( the Sahara Desert), Chefchaouan (the blue city), and Asilah. Each of these places was fascinating and beautiful in its own way, and with these travels I was able to see a lot of the different sceneries that Morocco has to offer. I traveled with friends I've made through the program, amazing people who came to Morocco with open minds and a desire to adventure. Overall, this was one of the best summers of my life, and I will never forget the experiences I've had in Morocco. I have MCAS to thank for all of the opportunities to grow and learn, and the friendships to cherish. I would highly recommend this program to anybody, thank you MCAS!!!!

I had a wonderful experience with MCAS. I taught English at a school for two weeks during the summer to about 12 students. I got experience teaching and learned so much my doing so. I also took some private Modern Standard Arabic lessons on the side with a very qualified and intelligent professor. The staff at MCAS is so friendly, helpful, and professional. They do everything they can to make you feel safe and comfortable. I had so many questions going into the experience, and they always were glad to answer them right away. MCAS really knows what they're doing, and I would definitely recommend you to them if you are looking for an experience abroad.

It’s hard to imagine that people can get very close in the span of just two weeks. Yet, I have settled into a routine and way of life here that is going to be beyond difficult to leave behind. At this point, I am conditioned to expect the hugs and kisses from our students every morning before we start class. It is now easy to tell the dynamic of the class as a whole while still understanding the individual personalities of every student. Having spent two weeks with many of my students last year, as well as the two weeks here, I feel so invested in their lives and their futures that it’s hard to believe that I will leave them when tomorrow comes. This class has become my world for two whole weeks, making it easy to fall in love with them and learn a great deal about them. Each and every student and member of MCAS is important to me, making up a class and a group that is already a small family.
One of the people that I admire most and who constantly amazes me is the director here in Morocco, Ali. He does most of his work quietly and without complaining, so it can be difficult to notice just how much he actually does at times. Ali coordinates so many things including aspects of the classrooms we teach in, all of the home visits, excursions, and more. Yet, when he is around us, he is nothing but smiles and support for what we’re doing. Since most of the work that he does is behind the scenes, I can’t always see the extents that he goes to in order to help make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Having grown up in similar situations to the children at Abde Salan Sayah School, he feels an unbreakable connection to them. Ali will work tirelessly to ensure that the students at the school get the most that they can out of this experience. As with the actions of many Moroccan people, the work that Ali does and his drive to help the children at Abde Salan Sayah are both admirable and subtly beautiful.
As our group continued to do home visits this week, I visited the home of Aya and Kawtar who are twins. Though neither girl is in my class, they seemed extremely excited for us to come into their home and meet their family. Their father and mother greeted us with kind smiles and many words of welcome. From the moment we met the parents, it was clear how proud they were of their two daughters. Both mother and father kept showing us pictures and videos of the girls while discussing their many accomplishments. Aya and Kawtar’s father had a job with United Nations and was able to speak English most of the time we were there. It was very interesting because each member of the family was full of questions about America, Children’s Global Alliance, our education, and why we were teaching. We answered any questions they had and even talked about what the two girls would do in the future. The entire family was so inquisitive and so full of humor, I found myself being reminded of my own family. Their family was so amazing, it was obvious how much they loved their daughters and I was extremely lucky to have met them.
Soon after, I had another home visit with one of my most quiet yet sweet students, Chaymae. She greeted us outside along with her best friend, Aya, who is also in my class. It came as no surprise that they wanted to experience a home visit together since the two are inseparable in class. Chaymae led us into her grandparents’ house where we were introduced to her mother and baby sister. After discussing the timidness of Chaymae and the challenges that might pose, I assured her mother that Chaymae was extremely intelligent and had a huge mind. The conversation took a turn when we began talking about family and mentioned Chaymae’s father. As soon as he was brought up, Chaymae’s mother seemed to become slightly more closed off. She explained that their marriage had been arranged and that Chaymae’s father was a very severe and narrow-minded man who was gone often. Though many things remained unsaid, we learned that Chaymae, her little sister, and her mother often lived in the grandparents’ house instead of their own home. Chaymae explained that family was very important to her because aunts, uncles, and cousins often visit the home for family get-togethers. The longer we sat in the home, the more I realized how similar Chaymae and her mother were in their mannerisms and tendencies. Even their personalities were very similar with both mother and daughter being very soft spoken and kind. The experience with Chaymae’s family was unlike any other home visit I’ve gone on and it gave me insight into the friendship of my two students. It made me realize that Aya in Chaymae will help each other in school while also supporting one another through any struggles that may come in life. Their friendship is extremely strong, and it makes me happy to see that they are such a good support system for one another.
With every home visit comes a completely new and unexpected experience. After every home visit, I walk out with an absolutely new perspective and it’s almost as though a tiny string has been drawn between me and the children. Especially in the cases like Chaymae where an unexpected aspect of the student’s life is revealed, there is an added connection that is unmistakably strong. Such a connection can only really emerge when these students invite us into their homes, treat us as family, and give us a glimpse into a side of their lives that we wouldn’t see otherwise.
Through the week in class, we continued to have the students learn lessons while also creating their books. I’m so impressed by their creativity and determination while writing their stories. Each and every book is different and every story seems to reflect the individual personalities of the students. Some of the more serious children like Fatima Zahara, Malak, Chaymae, and Aya wrote stories about their lives or about the lives of other people. Amina is extremely smart and wrote her story about going to a museum in London. Other students that are silly and funny have written stories about animals on adventures, ghosts, movies, princesses, and even one about a golden fish. It amazes me how their books have turned out as the students had to use their English skills along with a high level of imagination. When I announce that the children have time in class to work on their stories, they cheer and quickly pull out their books. When I first came up with the idea to create books in class, I never thought that the kids would be so excited or that they would work so hard to make them perfect. Soon the kids will present what they have made; culminating all the hard work they’ve done over the past two weeks.
Now, the final day looms ahead of me and I can hardly believe how fast the experience passed by. It’s heartbreaking when the students in my class ask when I’ll be coming back next year and I have to tell them that I won’t be able to teach them again. Parting with them seems almost impossible because the time spent with the different students over the past few years has allowed me to develop an all-encompassing love for them. It feels like I’ve watched some of them grow in both English and as humans. Even those who I met just this year have imprinted themselves in my mind and soul. It may seem impossible to let my students go at this time, but I have done it before and I know that saying goodbye is inevitable. When we finally part ways, both the kids and I will have to continue on, changed by each other. MCAS and Abde Salan Sayah is my home, with the kids and staff offering enough love to last a lifetime.

This experience was life changing. MCAS allowed for me to travel to Rabat, Morocco to volunteer. The trip ran smoothly and those who helped organize this trip, MCAS, really knew what they were doing! They were friendly, welcoming, and flexible. I couldn't have imagined working with better people! I would definitely recommend working with MCAS if you would like to study arabic abroad, volunteer, or intern in Morocco! MCAS will help you achieve all of your goals, as well as support you as you along the way!
Wether you study, volunteer or intern you will get to see a magical place. This place is filled with lovely people, who make up a beautiful culture. You will form a deep connection with the community after you have become a part of it. The love that you will have for this place will be waiting for you until you get there!

Translation:
I've done a month last summer volunteering through MCAS, which I also received two-hour Arabic lessons. The first 3 weeks I have been teaching English to girls of around 12 years since the project was last below I helped last week in an orphanage. My experience with MCAS was very good, I've done more often courses and volunteering in other countries, but never had such good support. I could always ask anything with the project / school owner and he was always ready to help and make it myself. I would first instance but one week teaching (because the project then stopped for the summer) and then three weeks to work in the orphanage, but because I loved teaching so much he had arranged for me anyway this could continue. In teaching myself, I got completely released and there was not really a program or method that had followed the children in terms of English, so I had to improvise a lot, they also had no books or anything. But that made it a fun challenge and I noticed just for me that I came up with many creative solutions and finally I certainly feel that I've made up their level of English. I also lived in the student residence with many other volunteers and people who followed Arabic lessons or walked internship. The house was very nice with good facilities and every morning and evening we ate all together, very cozy, there was in fact cooked for us! And on weekends I usually went to travel to other cities with the other students. I can recommend this project, anyone is intrested wants to do in Moroccan culture or volunteering with children. MCAS here is a very good and helpful organization that hard to do their best to make everything to your liking.

Original Review in Dutch:
Ik heb afgelopen zomer een maandje vrijwilligerswerk gedaan via MCAS, waarbij ik daarnaast ook 2 uur per dag Arabische lessen kreeg. De eerste 3 weken heb ik Engelse les gegeven aan meisjes van rond de 12 jaar en omdat dit project hierna was afgelopen heb ik de laatste week meegeholpen in een weeshuis. Mijn ervaring met MCAS was erg goed, ik heb al vaker taalcursussen en vrijwilligerswerk gedaan in andere landen, maar nog nooit zo'n goede begeleiding gehad. Ik kon altijd alles vragen met de projectleider/schooleigenaar en hij stond altijd klaar om te helpen en het naar mijn zin te maken. Ik zou bijvoorbeeld eerst maar 1 week lesgeven (omdat het project daarna stopte vanwege de zomer) en daarna 3 weken in het weeshuis gaan werken, maar omdat ik het lesgeven zo leuk vond had hij ervoor gezorgd dat ik toch hiermee door kon gaan. Bij het lesgeven zelf werd ik wel helemaal vrij gelaten en er was ook niet echt een programma of methode wat de kinderen hadden gevolgd qua Engels, dus ik moest veel improviseren, ze hadden ook geen boeken of iets. Maar dat maakte het voor mij juist een leuke uitdaging en ik merkte dat ik met veel creatieve oplossingen kwam en uiteindelijk heb ik zeker wel het idee dat ik hun niveau Engels omhoog heb gehaald. Verder woonde ik in de studentenresidentie met veel andere vrijwilligers en mensen die Arabische lessen volgden of stage liepen. Het huis was erg mooi met goede faciliteiten en ook iedere ochtend en avond aten we met z'n allen, erg gezellig, er werd namelijk voor ons gekookt! En in het weekend ging ik meestal reizen naar andere steden met de andere studenten. Ik kan dit project iedereen aanraden die geintresseerd is in de Marokkaanse cultuur of vrijwilligerswerk met kinderen wil doen. MCAS is hierbij een zeer goede en behulpzame organisatie, die hard hun best doen om alles naar jouw wens te maken.