Photo by Adriana Curto
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Congratulations on your invitation to serve in Morocco!
Should you accept your invitation, you will soon be a Peace Corps Trainee (PCT). What's ahead of you is uncertain. We know. We've been there. But don't worry too much! This page - and the rest of the "For Applicants & Future Trainees" pages - will take the mystery out of what you've just committed to, inshallah (God willing). |
Your new job
Photo: Matt Rogers
Currently, every PCV in Morocco is working within the Youth Development (YD) sector. Some are Youth Asset Builders, some are Secondary Education English Teachers, and some are Community Services Volunteers, but these roles have exactly the same responsibilities. The reason for the name difference is that PC Morocco is considering adding Education as a sector. As the Moroccan government transitions from a French-focused to English-focused foreign language agenda, Peace Corps is changing with it. At some point soon there will likely be a difference between the three job titles.
It used to be that any PCV in Morocco was assigned solely to a dar shabab (youth center) or nadi neswi (women's club). They could branch out into their community if they liked and if they saw need. However, starting with Staj 98 (2016-2018), PCVs are now assigned to communities in general. This allows volunteers to work across many bureaucratic and civil boundaries, involve more youth, and integrate more into their sites. Any volunteer is still free to work with their site's dar shabab if they'd like.
Most volunteers hold an English class or several at some point in their service. These are great ways to give the youth what they want while also building relationships and trust, showing them that you're learning their language just as much as they're learning yours.
Eventually you can expand your work into virtually anything you want, often by organizing clubs around topics like health, volunteerism, theater, computer skills, aerobics, yoga, sports, or anything you feel comfortable doing. Clubs can meet throughout the year, for a semester, for a month... you name it. It's a good idea to find a Moroccan who can teach, organize, and plan with you. This counterpart can help with translation if they know some English and they can carry on with the program once your PC service ends. (In fact, that's kind of the point.)
You will also help organize camps in coordination with counterparts. There are specific school breaks in which camps can occur at local institutions; some camps can be day camps and others can be overnight camps. You may run one activity a day, maybe multiple, or you may simply help out when and where you are needed.
The bottom line is that our aim in PC Morocco is to develop youth assets. Research shows that the more assets a young person has, the more likely they will be a productive member of society and the less likely to get in trouble with the law. As you look through this list of assets, you will find that some things are completely out of your control while others are things with which you can help. It is this latter category that you should target as a PCV.
Below is a graphic of the Youth Development sector in Morocco. We have eight objectives within three goals.
It used to be that any PCV in Morocco was assigned solely to a dar shabab (youth center) or nadi neswi (women's club). They could branch out into their community if they liked and if they saw need. However, starting with Staj 98 (2016-2018), PCVs are now assigned to communities in general. This allows volunteers to work across many bureaucratic and civil boundaries, involve more youth, and integrate more into their sites. Any volunteer is still free to work with their site's dar shabab if they'd like.
Most volunteers hold an English class or several at some point in their service. These are great ways to give the youth what they want while also building relationships and trust, showing them that you're learning their language just as much as they're learning yours.
Eventually you can expand your work into virtually anything you want, often by organizing clubs around topics like health, volunteerism, theater, computer skills, aerobics, yoga, sports, or anything you feel comfortable doing. Clubs can meet throughout the year, for a semester, for a month... you name it. It's a good idea to find a Moroccan who can teach, organize, and plan with you. This counterpart can help with translation if they know some English and they can carry on with the program once your PC service ends. (In fact, that's kind of the point.)
You will also help organize camps in coordination with counterparts. There are specific school breaks in which camps can occur at local institutions; some camps can be day camps and others can be overnight camps. You may run one activity a day, maybe multiple, or you may simply help out when and where you are needed.
The bottom line is that our aim in PC Morocco is to develop youth assets. Research shows that the more assets a young person has, the more likely they will be a productive member of society and the less likely to get in trouble with the law. As you look through this list of assets, you will find that some things are completely out of your control while others are things with which you can help. It is this latter category that you should target as a PCV.
Below is a graphic of the Youth Development sector in Morocco. We have eight objectives within three goals.
Go where the youth go
Photo: Matt Rogers
So... what kinds of places are volunteers working in? Our unofficial motto is go where the youth go. Because PC is only in Morocco at the government's request, most of our work is done in government buildings under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Youth and Sports:
Recently, however, Peace Corps Morocco has discussed with the Moroccan government about expanding its scope in an effort to reach even more youth. We are now building relationships and working with:
- Dar shababs are still popular due to the remnants of past stajs, and because most have such resources as musical instruments, computers, plenty of classrooms, sports facilities, auditoriums, and/or libraries.
- Schools are slowly becoming accessible, and some have even indicated desires for volunteers. Though there often are some bureaucratic challenges to working in schools, they are the best places to reach the most amount of youth at once.
- Nadi neswis also remain popular. They are typically centers where women can develop professional and literacy skills. Often they have vocational classes such as cooking and sewing, along with preschool facilities for mothers to bring their children while they study.
- Dar talibs (for boys) and dar talibas (for girls) are boarding schools or dormitories. While they are found in many parts of Morocco, they exist particularly in rural areas where students would otherwise have to travel long distances to attend school.
Recently, however, Peace Corps Morocco has discussed with the Moroccan government about expanding its scope in an effort to reach even more youth. We are now building relationships and working with:
- Entraide National
- Associations: they are the Moroccan version of nonprofits or NGOs in the United States. They are registered with the government but operate independently. Like NGOs, each association will have its own focus, be it health, micro-finance, youth development, theater, special needs, music, sports, politics (off-limits for PC work), and everything else you can imagine.
podcasts
27 Months
RPCV David McDonald (2012-2014) brings you a 10-part podcast/audio documentary that tells what service is really like as a Peace Corps Morocco Volunteer. Listen and download here.
Morocco PCV Podcast
PCV Mathew Crichton (2016-2018) interviews other current volunteers. Get to know more about Morocco PCVs by listening and downloading here.
Other podcasts are in the works by current PCVs. Check back later for updates!
RPCV David McDonald (2012-2014) brings you a 10-part podcast/audio documentary that tells what service is really like as a Peace Corps Morocco Volunteer. Listen and download here.
Morocco PCV Podcast
PCV Mathew Crichton (2016-2018) interviews other current volunteers. Get to know more about Morocco PCVs by listening and downloading here.
Other podcasts are in the works by current PCVs. Check back later for updates!