This is my most memorable moment. Granted I was sick and running to the bathroom every 30 minutes that day, I will never forget the hospitality these women showed us. Living off of less than $1 a day, the women are involved in a cooperative where they are given seven goats that they bred for milk, meat and to sell for money. Their husbands can only find seasonal work so now the women, who only have a 30% literacy rate in Morocco can help to earn money as well. Part of Morocco's literacy and poverty problems come from the previous Moroccan King who didn't want farmers to move to the cities because they made the cities look bad. He said that, 'In Morocco there are the rich and then there are the less rich.' He did not acknowledge the countries problems. The new king on the other hand sees the importance of education and is now helping every child to learn to read and write, even if it means employing nomadic teachers to follow the sheepherder families to educate their children.
The biggest surprise here was how much heart the women possessed. I was taken back when it was translated for me that one woman was giving me her blessings and wishing me the best of luck in my future. It amazed me how much these women wanted for me, a person who already had more than they could ever imagine. Their excitement to see our group will stick with me forever- I hope to someday help them in a way that allows them to continue to help themselves.
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