I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday surrounded by people you love to ring in a healthy and happy New Years! A big Thank You to everyone who has donated during the past month and who helped me out before I left. With 2022 just around the corner, it’s not too late to donate to Amalna Maroc. We are at 60% of our fundraising goal of $10,000, which is great progress. Help us get the rest of the way! Donations big or small will help us reach our goal! Donate HERE!
Project Update
We have hit the road and started visiting women’s cooperatives! It's been inspiring seeing my assistant, Nora, leading the small group discussions with the women of the cooperatives to learn their challenges and successes. She is a natural born leader shining brightly! Last week, Nora and I started working with our second cooperative, a weaving cooperative. It's been fascinating learning about Moroccan weaving, a tradition that is sadly dying out and is rarely being passed on to the younger generation. Based on our initial research, Amalna Maroc will be working to identify opportunities to strengthen these important women-run businesses.
Christmas Thoughts
In the past five years I have only been home (in California) for Christmas once. That was in 2020 when Covid was taking the world by storm. In 2019 I spent Christmas in Ethiopia, high up in the Choke Mountains. I was surrounded by fellow travelers and Ethiopians, stuffing our faces with food and drink. In 2018 I celebrated Christmas with fellow Peace Corps Volunteers. We danced and sang around the kitchen to Christmas songs while making cookies. And in 2017 I had just arrived in my village and was surrounded by my BIG Moroccan family, who at that time still seemed more like strangers than family.
Fast forward to now, back in Morocco, and I am surrounded by my Moroccan family, by the village, by the Amalna Maroc Team and by my support system stateside. The past five Christmases have taught me what Christmas is really all about. It’s not the decorations, the wrapping presents until 2am, the tree in the corner full of presents, or the abundant food on the table. That’s not what makes Christmas. It's about the people you are surrounded by - friends, family, fellow travelers. It's the relationships you have with the people around you that make Christmas truly special. Cheers to being surrounded by people you love and basking in it until you're bursting with joy at the seams!
About Amalna Maroc: Amalna means “Our Hope” in Arabic. Our hope is to advance women’s development in Morocco. A primary focus of Amalna Maroc is to work with women’s cooperatives in Morocco, especially in rural areas, by providing education, resources and support that increase empowerment and economic opportunity for Moroccan women and girls.
Contact us at amalnamaroc@gmail.com
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