Community Project

So why Morocco?

A brief overview
The Moroccan mountains are home to the indigenous Berber population who historically have a different lifestyle and language to the Moroccan Arabic population in the cities. They are an extremely welcoming and open community and have their own regional dialect of the Berber language. Arabic may also be spoken in the mountains, though, due to lack of educational opportunities, French rarely and English almost never.

Due to diverse geography, educational provision is sparser than it is in the cities, some well provided for and some not. The level of illiteracy in Morocco tends to be higher in rural areas and women are especially affected, though the King is making efforts to adjust the disparity. Pens and paper are often in short supply and some of the schools are in desperate need of restoration and improvement. The children are lively and love to play, but villages may lack any facilities such as a playground or cleared football pitch. An additional vital facility found to be lacking in some mountain communities is that of adequate water provision.

International Community Project programme

Base: High Atlas mountains
This trip is designed to:

Challenge intercultural communication abilities and heighten cultural awareness
Enable students to learn how to plan and organise effectively
Enable students to learn new skills
Give students a unique insight into many aspects of a non-European culture
Provide opportunities for language practice (French) and introduce students to the basics of Arabic (city) and Berber (mountains)
Make a significant contribution to the mountain village community
Involve your students in a sustainable project

What's involved?

In order to leave lasting value in the country and to create an ongoing relationship with local people, the trip would form part of an overall sustainable project. The project itself would be based in the High Atlas mountains with time for rest & relaxation in the popular coastal town of Essaouira or a trek through the spectacular High Atlas itself after the project has finished. The itinerary is completely flexible, and could be tailored to suit your school's needs.

Possibilities for projects include:

The construction of a playground at a local school
General repair and maintenance of existing school buildings
Creating a sustainable garden
Developing a library
Levelling and building a basketball court or football pitch
Building a water tower for the village community

Working with the community using local expertise and skill is seen as paramount. This will also create an opportunity for students and local people to interact. The project would be jointly managed by Real World Journeys UK, our Moroccan Real World Journeys team leader and an appropriate member of the mountain village community. The whole community would be encouraged to sustain what we have worked with them to put in place.

Accommodation would be in a self catering village ‘auberge' (similar to a hostel) or in tents. A kitchen team would travel with the group and students would take part in preparation of meals.

Timing of project:
Maximum 2 weeks with 2 days designated rest, and some afternoons off. Evenings would give students the additional chance get to know the local people, for example, sharing a meal or an entertainment e.g. singing/dancing (the Berbers are reknowned for their folklore).

Rest & Relaxation Post- Project - Essaouira
As a reward for the hard work carried out on the project, there will a chance to relax in the coastal town of Essaouira after the project has finished. Though a popular destination for young Europeans and Marrakechis, Essaouira has retained its old world charm without attracting the package holiday masses.

Painted exclusively in blue and white, with the old town enclosed by huge sand coloured walls, it is a place renowned for its creativity, primarily its woodwork and marquetry and its musical traditions. Its magical markets (souks) sell everything from jewellery, textiles and leatherwork to a great selection of spices. The sandy beach of ‘Windy City Africa' extends to the south for miles. Things to do in or around Essaouira include:

Surfing, windsurfing, kite surfing. Lessons are readily available.
Souk shopping. We would teach the pupils how to bargain Moroccan style
Workshops - Marquetry, woodwork
Camel rides on the beach
Hammam- similar to Turkish baths
Football or basketball on the beach
Drumming with local musicians

Accommodation in Essaouira would be in a comfortable hotel in the old town, giving easy access to the souks and to the beach.

It might also be possible to include a short visit in Marrakech at the end of the trip.

Optional Mountain trek

If your students have an interest in, for example, geography, a mountain trek through the impressive landscape of the High Atlas might be the rest & relaxation option they would wish to take. The trek would be led by Mohamed Nour, our Moroccan team leader who has over 10 years experience as a mountain guide and there is no corner of the Atlas mountains which is unknown to him. A kitchen team and mule train would also travel with the trek. A route could be negotiated depending on your students' interests and the trek could be for just one day or several. Please talk to us about this option.

Health and Safety

Safety of the students & staff is of paramount importance at all times during our Real World Journeys Education trip.

A full risk assessment is carried out prior to the trip.
A comprehensive medical kit is carried at all times by the leaders.
Both the U.K. and Moroccan team are very experienced travellers and our Moroccan Real World Journeys team leader has over 10 years mountain guiding experience.
Real World Journeys has an in depth knowledge of the country and how it works.
Pre-trip meetings are arranged with staff, students and parents to give full information on the trip and answer any questions. A full pre-trip briefing is given to the group which includes all health & safety measures.
Students are required to carry their own medical insurance and we are happy to provide any advice on this matter.

If you are interested in discussing International Enterprise & Culture opportunities for your students, please contact Ingrid Wagner on:
0191 228 9888 / 0778 637 6819
or Email info@ingridwagner.com

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