RSIS Morocco: bricks, cement, goats and tea
Posted: 11 July 2019
Bricks, cement, goats and tea – just a few of our favorite things from this project so far! The teams have continued their hard work on the project site and are making amazing progress. By forming brick chains and working as a team they have been able to move huge quantities of building materials very quickly and are proving that many hands really do make light work. They have mastered the art of mixing cement and digging up even the most stubborn of rocks. The local goat herd regularly trots past the team while they are working on the project site causing much amusement! “They are an amazing bunch of kids, quite an inspiration!!” says Tui, the teams nurse.
The team are enjoying the local culture and cuisine, and have had plenty of beautiful fresh breads and delicious local mint tea. The mint tea served in Morocco is an important part of social life and serving can take a ceremonial form, especially when served to a guest. Traditionally it is prepared and poured from a height by the head of the family and served to guests as a sign of hospitality. As well as being delicious, mint tea also has lots of health benefits including aiding in digestion and improving mental awareness and focus.
Tuesday 9th
Team one: Walked in the footsteps of pilgrims and took part in the Sidi Chamharouch trek and enjoyed a delicious picnic. Students Kenzie and Sam went on to say “Today we had our first culture excursion and we trekked into the mountains. It was quite a demanding hike, but we had a lovely lunch at the top and cooled off in a river. There were many spectacular views of the valley along the way and the mountains were beautiful. At the end of the day, it was a challenging experience but allowed our group to bond more.”
Whilst Shanaya said; “Today was definitely a unique experience for me, as a leader the most challenging part for me was ensuring that my team was comfortable. I am so grateful for my incredible team who supported me and made me feel proud of trying my best. On the hike I definitely discovered the invigorating and rejuvenating power of the wilderness that I would love to explore more of in the future!”
Team two: worked on the construction of the classroom, helping to mix cement, clear ground and move bricks. You can see more about their day in the below video:
Team three: Worked on the village path, helping to make large shallow steps down the side of the hill. “Today, team three worked on the pathway so the villagers can get safely to and from the village. The most important thing about the day was that we finished six more steps than team two did yesterday- which was fabulous!!” say students Josefine, Aeron and Jasmine.
Wednesday 10th
Team one: Worked on the village path, helping to make large shallow steps down the side of the hill. “Today we tackled the path that we are building in the village of Tacheddirt, where we students came together to help improve conditions in this remote mountain village. As a leader, we had to direct our teammates to different stations to help along the construction process which included mixing cement, transporting concrete and gathering stones for the local stone masons,” Ioan explains.
“Under the Round Square IDEAL of Internationalism, we talked to the local community and got to know about their society. They told us about their education system and how the state provides free education till grade 6 and how most people get married at 14 and start working to sustain their family without completing high school. They also told us about how they have only one nurse in their village for 9000 people. At the end this conversation with the local community made us realise that we are constantly cribbing about the small things in life but we are still very fortunate to have them. It also helped us to have a broader perspective of life,” says Kritika.
Birthday girl Enling said “Fifty steps and six hours later, we looked down the mountain at the pathway we’d been working on and took a collective breath of satisfaction and surprise. Though the sun was blinding and cement dust flew in our faces, there was a certain wonder in the realisation that we had helped in the creation of something as concrete and physically relevant as this.”
Team two: Walked in the footsteps of pilgrims and took part in the Sidi Chamharouch trek and enjoyed a delicious picnic. You can see more of their adventures in the below video:
Team three: worked on the construction of the classroom, helping to mix cement, clear ground and move bricks. The team also helped to sort and organise all the donations brought by the students for the school and the local community.
Happy birthday Enling
A very happy birthday to Enling, who celebrated her birthday on the 10th July surrounded by the whole RSIS team and a massive cake! We hope she had a wonderful day.