After seven years, I will be transitioning from living in Morocco almost full time to continuing the work of Amalna Maroc with targeted financial support from the U.S. Over the next several months I will be sharing the stories of the incredible Moroccans who have shaped my life through this work, celebrating their achievements and the profound relationships we've built. My wish is for these stories to inspire you and offer glimmers of hope.
Abdelhak has lived his whole life in Ait Yahya Oualla, a quaint rural farming village nestled in the Mid Atlas Mountains of Morocco where most locals share Indigenous Amazigh roots. In this traditional community, men worked the fields while women tended to home and children, and few studied beyond elementary school. Though the village grew as southern Moroccans moved in, drawn by the lush farmland and growing economy, opportunities remained scarce - especially for women and children.
Abdelhak dreamed of creating change. With guidance from his experienced brother Hassan, he pushed forward to establish an NGO, driven by his vision of a thriving community. In 2007, Abdelhak and other motivated locals founded the Arkhbil Association for Culture and Development. Their mission was aimed to develop the economic, social, and cultural advancement of women, youth, and children. They started out slowly providing a study hall, activities, and summer camps for the local youth and children. However, Abdelhak faced strong opposition from his father who dismissed the NGO idea as a waste of time with no financial return. Many locals shared this skepticism, fearing that their money would be mismanaged. Despite the doubts around him, Abdelhak remained resilient, believing that a locally-led NGO could bring prosperity to his community. He knew with time his father and other skeptics would come around.
It was a hot dry summer day of 2017. Peace Corps Morocco had sent out their Regional Managers in search of rural villages that would be interested in hosting a Peace Corps Volunteer. One Regional Manager for the Mid Atlas Mountains was driving through Ait Yahya Oualla when he decided to stop and ask around about activities, associations and other opportunities there may be in the village. This led him to knocking on Abdelhak’s door and pitching him the idea of hosting a Volunteer.
Abdelhak remembers years ago there being a Peace Corps Volunteer in his home village. All he knew about her was she was older and worked with a women's run herb Cooperative. However, the idea of an American working with his Association intrigued him. Adbelhak being Adbelhak, welcomed the idea, hoping this would be the opportunity that the Association needed to expand their work in ways in which they had not done before.
On November 30, 2017, a second year Peace Corps volunteer helped a small group of us, I included, get where we needed to go. She shepherded the three of us like little sheep into the correct shared taxi. It was raining hard but my heart was racing harder. As we ascended into the Middle Atlas Mountains, I watched the landscape shift to cedar and oak trees and far in the distant was the town of Azrou.
I hopped off the taxi in the cold pouring rain, throwing my luggage to the curb while frantically trying to find a taxi to take me to my final destination. I held my Peace Corps’ issued paper with the name of the village, and my host family. A taxi driver whipped up next to me. I struggled to correctly pronounce my village’s name. Finally, a taxi driver recognized it as I pointed to the now damp piece of paper. “Ahhh Ait Yahya Oualla!” he said. Success! We were off, leaving Azrou in the distance.
The windows were steaming up making it difficult to get a clear look outside. Before I had time to thoroughly wipe the window to get a look I was being dropped off, on the side of the road, in the rain with all my luggage, again. I pulled out the paper, again searching for the number of my new host brother, Abdelhak. “Salam. I’m here” I said in my shaky Moroccan Arabic. I didn't know if it was because I was cold or nervous or because I was beginning to realize I was on my own in a foreign country, but I felt like a small child.
“Salam! Good, I'm coming!” Abdelhak said in Arabic. I looked around Ait Yahya Oualla waiting for Abdelhak. I could tell right away the village was small, surrounded by farms and the base of the mountains near. Two men began to approach me. They were short and a bit stocky. I could feel my heart in my throat. One of them must be Abdelhak I thought. Before I knew it Abdelhak and his buddy Aboula were hurling my luggage over their shoulders escorting me to my host family house. Abdelhak welcomed me to his home, my home, telling me in Arabic “Me and you are the same. Me and you are the same. Welcome, welcome!” I was home.
The energy between us felt uncertain at first. Neither of us were quite sure how we’d overcome the language barrier. But one thing was clear, we shared a deep mutual respect for one another. Abdelhak’s passions and encouragement motivated me not to let our differences in language hold us back. We spent hours in the office, sipping tea and discussing plans for the Association. I’d stumble through sentences, practicing my Arabic, while Abdelhak listened patiently. “Take your time,” he’d say as I struggled to remember the right words. Slowly, at our own pace, we built a stronger friendship built on respect, trust and open communication as we embarked on this new journey together.
I could tell Abdelhak had big ideas for his Association. For the past 10 years the Association had put in their time and energy into the children and youth of Ait Yahya Oualla. However, Abdelhak was ready for the Association to take a turning point. He wanted to devote our energy and resources to the women in the village. He would say “The women are the most active members of the community. Women are the community!”. He knew in order for the Association to grow and for his community to thrive he needed to involve the women. This was an ambitious idea especially in a culture with traditional gender roles. However Abdelhak was up for the task and I was there as his counterpart, as his friend to help encourage this idea.
Abdelhak started out small. The Association already had 8 sewing machines donated to them by an Organization based in Casablanca. For a couple of months they offered free sewing and literacy classes to the women in the village. Abdelhak enrolled his wife and sisters. He wanted to lead by example, to encourage men to allow their wife’s, daughters, and sisters to partake.
As this was taking place, Abdelhak and I were learning about the various opportunities available through the Peace Corps. We attended trainings, learned about grant writing and project design. Abdelhak took every chance to network with Moroccan Peace Corps staff as well as other Moroccans working on projects across the country. During a presentation on Peace Corps goals, he leaned in, a big smile spreading across his face, and whispered, “Wow! Now I understand! This is amazing!” Abdelhak was motivated and ready to get to work!
We were eager and energized, ready to make Abdelhak’s dream into a reality. The goal was to enroll 40 local women in an intensive six month long sewing and life skills training class. By the end they would receive a diploma and certificate of completion from The Ministry of Social Affairs. “We want equality for women. To provide for their family like men do,” Abdelhak would emphasize.
Abdelhak and I began to work in harmony like a well oiled machine. You would have never guessed this was the first time Abdelhak had taken on such a task. He was laser focused on his goal. Abdelhak began mixing and mingling, building relationships wherever he could. He applied for grants, enrolled in workshops, trying to find any opportunity. I applied for a Peace Corps grant to get future funding for the materials that were needed. Abdelhak and the Association began spreading the word about our project to the locals and other villages in the area.
In January 2018 the Association opened their doors to 40, mostly illiterate, local women. Abdelhak welcomed them with open arms. “This is your association!” he said as he laid out to them this extraordinary opportunity - the very first training program for the women on Ait Yahya Oualla. It quickly became an immediate success, grabbing the attention of people all around. More women and organizations wanted to get involved.
Abdelhak didn't stop there. This experience gave him and the Association the newfound confidence they needed - to dream big, aim for the stars, and keep pushing forward. “We can’t sit around! We need to always be ready with new ideas!” he said, already looking toward new horizons.
Since launching the first sewing trainer course in 2018, Abdelhak hasn’t slowed down. Over 130 women have earned sewing diplomas since that first class. He helped establish a baking training program for rural women, in which 245 participants have since earned diplomas. He is also collaborating with the Ministry of Education and the Department of Primary School and Sports to provide a “Second Chance” opportunity for high school dropouts. Abdelhak and the Association offer guidance and resources in the village to a women's run cooperative for weaving, sewing, and baking. As Abdelhak has grown the Association, his community has grown right alongside him. His hard work and ambition had finally taken him beyond the village, beyond Morocco.
It was a warm October afternoon in 2024. Abdelhak walked briskly back to the Association from his house, having just finished indulging in his last home-cooked meal. His sisters and I stood by his car, waiting patiently. When he arrived, he took one final walk through the Association, a quiet farewell to the space he had poured so much of himself into. Meanwhile, his sisters loaded his luggage into the trunk, double-checking he had everything. One by one, he said his goodbyes. When it was my turn, I pulled him in for a tight hug and kiss on the cheek. “Safe travels! If you need anything, just call me!” I said. Abdelhak smiled, then jumped into his car. And just like that, he was off. Off to begin his 20-day journey to the United States with the International Volunteer Leadership Program. An incredibly competitive program awarded to three Moroccans who are making a real impact in their communities. His sisters and I stood watching as he disappeared down the road.
Shivers run down my spine. A wave of emotions and pride came over me; excitement, fear, disbelief. “I can’t believe Abdelhak is going to America” I said, reflecting on how far he has come. Reflecting on his success, his growth, his resilience, his drive, his kindness, his love for his community. The world could use more people like Abdelhak, my brother, my friend, my role model.
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