Over a two-week period, I had the amazing opportunity to travel across Morocco. During that time, I learned about Moroccan culture and most importantly the economy. One of the first things we were exposed to was the food. Our host made a traditional Moroccan breakfast with khobz is a bread that accompanies every meal, baghrir which were pancakes made with semolina flour, and Harsha, another bread but made also with semolina. My personal favorite was Harsha as I had it every morning with different jams. We had so much delicious food, but we found out that Lunch is the more popular meal of the day and is usually the largest. Dinner is often something light like soups although we often had large Tajines. A Tajine is not only a type of entrée, but it is also what you call the dish/slow cooker that they are made in. Overall, the food was delicious, flavorful, and always accompanied by khobz. Looking at the dress, many of us went into the experience thanking we needed to dress very conservatively, but as we were actually there, we saw that tight-fitting clothes or skin showing was not uncommon. That is not to say that everyone was dressed as such, but it was far from what I had expected. When it comes to shopping, the malls were remarkably similar to the United States, but shopping in the old medinas was very different. It reminded me of a mix of downtown and local farm markets. There were booths selling produce, meat, spices, tourist goods, and handmade goods. Being in the medinas showed how important handmade goods still are and that the crafts are continuously passed down. Seeing people working on leather, steel, pottery, and so much more made you appreciate the work put into each item.
Turning to a more economic perspective, it was amazing to see how much Morocco relies on agriculture. Living in Texas for 19 years I of course have seen plenty of farms, but they were much more abundant all over Morocco. Especially when it came to fruit, you could tell how fresh the produce was, and it was no wonder that fruit was treated more as a dessert in Morocco. We also had the ability to walk through a small farm growing date trees and other things that I could not identify. The area we walked through had small rivers dug directing water from a source then all over the land. Stones or mud were used to close certain routes so that the farmers could control the areas in which the water flowed. Although it was not as advanced technologically, it was amazing to see in person and be able to walk through.
We also were very privileged in being able to speak to a local Audit and Advisory Firm. The Partner spoke to us about economic challenges such as education and health insurance. There is a lack of quality education and a gap in rural and urban areas, but the biggest issue was a shortage of qualified teachers. Morocco also is trying to generalize health insurance which launched in 2021 and has been a good step forward in increasing the health of the citizens. Another project that the country has taken on is increasing transparency to fight money laundering and terrorist financing. There are also challenges in the Sahara about who controls the land. There is not currently any physical fighting, but there are still tensions. Lastly, because Morocco relies heavily on agriculture, the economy growth has slowed due to a so far 7-year drought that they are going through. This can be a serious potential problem, so the government has been working to find alternatives and grow a safe food and energy supply.
Throughout our travels we also visited three Associations that’s goal was to help people in need. One of our visits was to AMAPPE who helped refugees get citizenship, education, jobs, or learn trades to craft their own businesses. The second was DARNA and they prioritize helping women become independent. They teach different trades as well as basic skills like cooking, reading, and writing. Our final visit was to Al Nour. They employ women with disabilities sans make work accessible for them depending on their disability. While there we realized how increasingly Morocco was between transportation and jobs.
Overall, learned a lot about Morocco and Moroccan culture and had an experience I will never forget.