Stepping off the plane into Morocco, we were welcomed by the smell of freshly cut grain and humidity, the kind that clings right inside the nostrils. The country director of Peace Corps Morocco and other staff were also there to greet us. I introduced myself to the Director and immediately he said, “Ah Fauve, we have some volunteers who want to talk to you about your volunteering at the Village SOS in Senegal. They are planning a trip there and want to visit.” I was completely taken aback that he knew so much about me before I even left the airport. He seemed to know just as much about every other volunteer and how he kept the names and facts straight is beyond me.
To continue on with part of that story:
A panel of current PCVs(Peace Corps Volunteers) came to talk to us today and one of them was one of the PVCs that wanted to talk to me about the Village SOS. The village SOS in Senegal was an orphanage divided into “families.” There were different building that all had a mother figure and about 10-13 children living in each one. The other children were like siblings and the “mother” would do the cooking and cleaning while caring for the children. Village SOS’s are quite widely spread and it turns out there is one in Morocco as well. The girl that was seeking me out was planning on traveling from Village SOS to Village SOS to see the different places and to volunteer while staying there.
This was very exciting to me because not only was I able to talk to her about Senegal and Mali but it made me realize that, the short experience that I had volunteering for the Village SOS in Senegal could open a door for me here in Morocco and perhaps be a future project or organization to work on/with. It also made me realize that all of the little experiences add up creating other opportunities in the future that you may not even realize. It never crossed my mind that I would have a chance to work at another Village SOS but it sure seems fitting now working in Youth Development.
As far as this first part of training goes, a supportive and helpful staff surrounds us. We are staying, 4 to a room, in a little beach town near Rabat. There is not much time to surf or swim but we make it for a little walk every night from about 6-7. We venture back as the sun sets and the call to prayer hums in ocean breeze. It is slightly overwhelming to be surrounded by 63 people constantly but we only have a few days left together.
During this part of the training phase we are mostly trying to get a grasp of Peace Corps Morocco Policies and gain an understanding as to how training will continue for the next 9 weeks and ultimately how we will be evaluated.
On Tuesday we will move in with our host families but we will reconvene in groups of 6 during the day, from about 9 am-8pm, for both language and technical training. After that we will go home to the families, practice our language skills, and try to gain an understanding of the culture before doing it again the next day. I am slightly intimidated by this but very excited about all of knowledge I will gain in the weeks to come. I have the impression that I will be well prepared when the time comes to go to my own site and begin working with the community.
