Azrou, cows, and SMART goals
- Isabel Eddouks
- Oct 7, 2017
- 3 min read
The trip we planned turned into a two-day excursion to the town of Azrou, where we worked on the class' project goals.
Day 1:
On Friday, the 6th of October we drove from Ifrane to Azrou, to visit and work at Azrou Center. Azrou Center was created in 2002 by Al Akhawayn University as a result of tripartite convention with the Society of Friends of Al Akhawayn University in Saudi Arabia and the King Fahd Middle East Studies program at Arkansas University in the United States. The Azrou Center for Local Community Services is an institution with social vocation. It has total financial autonomy, and thus, it tries to solicit sponsorship and partnership so as to finance its different projects.
We were warmly welcomed at the center, where we first got a presentation about their activities for the children of the region, that dropped out of school, as well as the 10 month formation for people in need. Azrou Center teaches three classes of children, that unfortunately dropped out of the usual Moroccan education system. At Azrou Center they have the great opportunity to finish at least the 6th year of school. Children also can stay at Azrou Center over the week in the residental school, where they get accommodated and fed.
Azrou Center also provides medical care for the underpriviliged population of Azrou and its region. It is also possible to pass a 10 month formation as a tailor, weaver, or hairdresser. The Senior Class was presented to the three classes of children at school, and they visited the whole complex to get an idea about the impact the Center has in the region.
After discovering Azrou Center we were invited to use the library of the Center, to work on our SMART Project Goals.
We stayed until 4.30pm, and we made important decisions about fundraising events, common ideas about the project, and differences about the goals. Azrou Center treated us with a very delicious Couscous, and Oumnia invited us to her house for coffe and tea, after a hard day of work.
Day 2:
On Saturday, the 7th of October we met again in Ifrane, to drive again direction Azrou, where we were invited to visit a little farm. After an hour drive through the beautiful countyside, we arrived at a farm, that Oumnia had chosen for us to visit. The farmer proudly presented his cows, and we enjoyed the fragrance of farmlife.
After the visit at the farm, we headed back to Azrou Center. There we were back to work on the planning for the first fundraising event of the year. Marouane and Mouataz had the idea to run a FIFA 18 turnament at ASI, and the planning and preperations were done in Azrou.
The Senior Class also brainstormed a list of possible events for the school year, as well as more thoughts about a possible common goal for the whole class project. Two topics were high in the ranking: a trip to Italy, and supporting a school in Tarmilat.
All the planning made very hungry, and we had a snack in Azrou town.
The second day of our excursion finished succesfully, as the Senior Class could agree on focusing two main fields of activities for the rest of the year:
1.) planning the trip, and travelling to Italy.
2.) supporting a school in Tarmilat.
Next steps on the Senior Class' calendar would be to present their common goal, fundraising schedule, and work areas to Mr. Kotarski (Director), Mrs. Shillingsburg (High School Principal), and Mrs. Eddouks (Senior Project Adviser) on the 16th of October.
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