IVHQ childcare programme in Rabat, Morocco

I spent 2 months on the childcare programme in Morocco and overall, had a mixed experience. Firstly, I don't feel that the IVHQ website accurately describes what the volunteer role entails - I thought I would be running a mix of music, dance and craft activities with the children and encorporating some basic English lessons. However when I arrived, it was clear that the staff at the childcare centre expected me to teach English lessons to children as young as 3 years old throughout the day (10am-4pm). I wasn't prepared for this at all and there was limited support and resources provided by the teachers there.
Furthermore, the IVHQ website states that volunteers will be helping disadvantaged and underprivileged children in Morocco. But when I arrived, I discovered that all of the childcare centres on the programme are private centres that parents pay for their children to attend. Personally, I feel that volunteers would make a greater impact working with children whose parents cannot afford a private childcare centre.

On a more positive note, I really enjoyed staying with a local family in Rabat. They were very kind and welcoming (the mother even took me to experience the local hammam baths) and the food was delicious. I was also grateful for the opportunity to take some Fridays off from volunteering so I could travel slightly further on weekend trips and see different parts of Morocco.

Finally, I was somewhat disappointed by the support provided by ILCS staff (ILCS is the affiliate organisation that runs the Rabat programmes). I found that the orientation given when I first arrived was quite poor/insufficient and by the end of it I still didn't know how to use the local public transport, which areas of Rabat might be unsafe or what the actual volunteering would involve, despite asking the ILCS staff these questions. On the other hand, ILCS made it very quick and easy for me when I asked to change the childcare placement I was was originally placed on and staff frequently checked in to see how I was doing.

Overall, I would not specifically recommend the childcare programme run by IVHQ and ILCS in Rabat. However, I know other volunteers who signed up to teach English really enjoyed their time on that programme, for example.