RetroBlog: Community Service in Imnil
Our Community service in Imlil was not actually in Imlil. In fact, from Imlil we travelled to the highest tip top village in the High Atlas. Our host was the best skier in the High Atlas and in the season, worked as a ski monitor for the resort on the other side of the mountain. He was the representative in the village for the association that aims creating sustainable development in the high atlas communities and for two wonderful nights we stayed in his home with his family. The village was small, beautiful and so high that the clouds kissed your face. Our plan was to plant cherry trees so this oh-so-high up village with scarce resources would have a crop that they could sell annually in markets, rather than having to go long ways to find work to support their families.
We had two days to plant the 120 trees. A task that was accomplished thanks to the many village boys that came to work with us, more often than not showing us how best to improve our tree planting skillzzz. Indeed, each Moroccer (Formally the Morokettes) was paired up with a boy and together the American/Moroccan team was armed with a pick axe and a shovel to dig and plant trees in the rocky High Atlas soil.
At the start of the digging I was not particularly enthusiastic and was a little worried about the possibility of planting 120 trees in two days (we originally said that we were planting 60 trees in two days). But the thing was, even with one of number out due to sickness, the work went quickly and it was even fun. We had more than enough people and I ended up with two awesome partners, Ibrahim and Hicham.
They were probably the youngest boys there. Ibrahim did not look like more than 10, 11 at most. They were tireless and at times I had to fight for my turn with the shovel. I was astounded by the fact that an eleven year old boy was doing such hard work and doing that work much better than I could. My initial reaction was guilt, that it was not fair, that children should not be working. But, I realized that the reality of Morocco right now is such that many families cannot afford to let their children go to school, when for the survival of the family they need to work. What this project was working towards was a future for their community where families would have a means to support themselves and their children would be able to go to school. More projects like this one, with that goal in mind, headed and advocated by the community that they are for, are needed.
In the end we did plant those 120 trees and at the end of the second day we went to sleep sweaty, exhausted, and happy. The High Atlas was one of my favourite parts of Morocco. I loved the hospitable people, like the old women who would stop us on the road to give us walnuts (a nut which is everywhere in the High Atlas). I loved the fact that during the course of one day hike we would see and sample at least 5 kinds of fruits, vegetables, or nuts (Walnuts, apples, apple-pears, corn...) (It was a verrrrry fertile valley). I loved turning a corner and seeing a hidden waterfall and grass so green I wanted to rub my cheek against its softness. There were rivers of rocks, donkey treaded paths, and guides that took 2 seconds (where I took 5 minutes) to bound down a slope. And then we had our endless cardgames and very interesting nights in gites... hehe.
Anyway, It was wonderful and I am thankful for having gotten to go.
Retro Blog Out.