School Project at Khezzana April 2011

Regardless of political demonstrations, a bomb in Marrakesh and two cancelled student exchange trips, the RifCom team eventually managed to co-ordinate a long overdue visit to the primary school at Khezzana, near Bab Taza at the end of April, to carry out some simple projects and to gather information for a larger funded project at the school later in the year. The team consisted of seven volunteers with spirit and enthusiasm that neither terrorist acts nor the terrible weather could dampen. It was due to the wet weather that all the school projects were carried out indoors this time and consisted of artwork, stencilling and the RifCom trade mark "circle of hands" within various classrooms around the school. The excited students eagerly helped with the painting projects throughout the day and then rewarded the team with a wonderful, moving piece of theatre at the end of the afternoon, relating to hardships the local farmers have to endure and difficulties of crop production in the area. It was a very simple piece, with no words, just mime and music and touched the hearts of everyone in the room, even moving some of the team to tears. It was a quiet reminder of the struggles of the people of the Rif. The day was rounded off with the team presenting the grateful headmaster with donated items of school supplies, books, paints, clothing, footballs and a computer.

It is worth mentioning that originally this event consisted of 38 volunteers, mostly students, but due to the bomb in Marrakesh less than 24 hours before departure, the numbers drastically reduced to 7. The RifCom team ploughed on regardless of the reduced numbers of volunteers and thankfully they did, as had they not, the 7 volunteers would not have experienced the genuine hospitality of the Rif and missed this valuable opportunity to reach out a hand of friendship to their Rif neighbours. A massive thanks to all the volunteers who participated in this event, well done for embarking on the trip amidst the aftermath and confusion of a terrorist act and well done for the achievements you created together as a great team. You did an amazing job!!