This morning our cohort met to debrief and discuss our observations and experiences while in our different destinations across Morocco. It was fascinating to hear about everyone’s experience- especially of those who traveled further out of Rabat, and in turn, further out of our American comfort zone. I was surprised in that even in the more remote locations, education was certainly becoming more of a priority. I had heard that education was difficult for those living in the remote regions, as children may be needed to work on the farms, they may be in nomadic families, and if they are not extremely gifted in math or science, girls especially are sometimes removed from school in order to marry and improve their chances of being supported financially. The reality, however, is that while this still occurs, it is decreasing in occurrence, with more families seeing the importance of literacy and education. We discussed the current state of education in Morocco, challenges faced by Moroccan youth today, and issues related to the supervision system within the Ministry of Education.
After a great discussion, we ate the typical Friday lunch of couscous (so good, I need to find out what they do to the onions and raisins to make it taste so good!) We then took our bus to the Chellah, the oldest structure in Rabat, originally settled by the Phoenicians and later the Romans. The area has been well preserved, the garden was beautiful, and the entire site was interesting to walk around and observe. Particularly interesting were the number of stork nests perched on top of trees, columns and minarets- the nests are HUGE, and the birds sit atop structures and make a low clapping sound with their throats- a very unique sound. Of course, I tried capturing the sound on video and got more than I bargained for, with two storks taking off and fighting midair, resulting in one of the birds flying through an archway and in to the room I was standing in. All I heard was a lot of squawking and wings flapping- but by the time I turned my camera, he had pulled up and landed on of a wall. I thought I was going to get taken out by this big white beast of a bird, but it was more agile than I thought… thank goodness. Here’s a look at my amateur video skills- take note of the "clapping" sound he makes with his beak once he lands.