Reconnaissance Trip November 2009

 

As with most reconnaissance trips the level of expectation and degree of the unknown are paramount at the onset of the trip and the success of such a journey is largely dependent on the participants’ levels of energy, enthusiasm and dedication to the cause, not to mention a sprinkling of luck to boot.

This trip was no different, as a small band of dedicated RifCom volunteers boarded the ferry to Ceuta on a warm sunny November day, the expectations were high and the tasks of the members were clearly defined. Firstly the team needed to re-visit projects which were completed during the June 2009 Challenge Event and re-establish existing friendships, secondly the team was required to scout for viable new projects for 2010 and thirdly to review possible locations for a future RifCom Centre.

 

Upon arriving late in the afternoon in Chefchaouen, the stunning blue-washed town nestled within the heart of the Rif Mountains, the team settled into the rhythm of Moroccan life and was then joined by local school teacher and good friend Rachid, who kindly agreed to accompany the group the following day on their visits to local associations and schools.

 

The next morning, the group was greeted with another fine warm day as they made their way to the Chefchaouen Women’s Association, which was the setting of the first day’s challenge during the June 2009 Challenge Event. One purpose of this visit was to explore the possibility of using the building as a hostel for a Spanish school group planning to visit in March 2010. After a very positive meeting with the Assistant Director and a review of the facilities at the Women’s Association, the group made their way to the neighbouring Adrar School which RifCom had planned a project with in June but unfortunately didn’t materialise due to timing issues. The team met with the Headmistress of the school together with two senior teachers and there was much discussion about the potential of RifCom and, in particular, of an inter-school visit and the benefits to both sides of cultural exchanges between the students. The RifCom team noted the advice offered by the Headmistress that the appropriate permission would need to be obtained from the Delegation of the Ministry of Education before the visit by the school group. After a quick review of previously donated computers by RifCom, the team bid farewell to the Adrar School and made their way deeper into the mountains to the small village of Akchour.

 

Upon arrival in Akchour the RifCom team was invited to visit the Minister of Interior for the area, based in the neighbouring village Talembote, for a meeting to discuss the intentions of RifCom within the region. The RifCom team was advised that whilst RifCom and its projects are very welcome in the region, it is of the utmost importance that all necessary permissions are obtained beforehand from the relevant government departments. The group assured the Minister that the advice was duly noted and RifCom were happy to comply with the relevant authorities. The meeting was also attended by the head of the local Gendarmerie, who explained that all foreign groups were requested to advise the authorities of their presence in the area to ensure their own security. The group agreed this was indeed a sensible practice and promised to observe this formality for future visits to the area. An invitation was then extended to the group by Said Sbai, also present at the meeting, to visit the Talembote School where his central office is based. Said is the Headmaster responsible for five other schools in the area. The group readily agreed to this opportunity to visit an additional school.

 

Talembote School, whilst better equipped than some schools in the area, is by no means a rich school and the group were delighted to discover a small collection of students huddled around a RifCom donated computer in one classroom. It seems whilst RifCom had donated two computers to the Akchour School in June, Headmaster Said had seen fit to allocate one of these to the Talembote School, allowing more children to benefit from the donations. The day ended with the RifCom team leaving a bag of donated clothes at the school and being furnished with an invitation to visit Ouslef School, another school within Headmaster Said’s jurisdiction and one known to RifCom due to an exchange of emails with a young, dynamic teacher there, called Karim.

 

The group arrived at Ouslef School the following day and was delighted to be greeted by the students waiting outside the school. The group sadly discovered this basic school is in desperate need of help. The three classrooms are attended by 166 students on a rotation basis and have no toilets or even a sectioned off play area. The school is open to the street and suffers many distractions from passers by. Whilst some of the windows are barred the others present easy access for thieves and the doors are far from secure. The school offers no accommodation for teachers which is considered customary for the mountain schools. But none of this dampens the spirits of the children who were excited and happy to meet with the team. A presentation of donations signalled the end of the visit and the team left the school to a fanfare of farewells.

 

Unfortunately, due to the team not having the necessary permissions, the team was encouraged to postpone any further visits in the area until the correct permissions were obtained. The RifCom team agreed in the interests of future positive relations that this was the best course of action, bid farewell to Headmaster Said and made their way out of the region. The return to Chefchaouen was utilised to scout for promising locations for the future RifCom Centre. A couple of sites were observed and noted for further investigation by the team.

Although the team did not achieve all it set out to do, namely missing out on a visit to other schools and to the Women’s Association in Akchour, the trip was an overall success as the team learned a huge amount about how to make future RifCom projects successful and made many new contacts that will be invaluable in making that happen. The team also gathered some very solid ideas around possible 2010 projects in the Adrar and Ouslef Schools. So as the team members kicked back and relaxed on the return ferry home, they felt content in the knowledge that their trip had been another positive step towards RifCom achieving its aims.

 

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