Opening of the Nedi Niswi (Women’s center/community center) in Oulad Daoud!
It’s been a while coming…. like, a since-may-supposed-to-be-done-in-September-while coming, but Allah has smiled upon us all and the community center project is officially FINISHED! Yesterday was the zrda, or traditional opening ceremony for a building, hosted by the mens’ association from my village, and this means that the Nedi (community center) is now officially available for use! Very exciting, if only a little bit daunting, and a tiiiiiiiny bit unbelievable from where I stand, but I’ll take it!
We initiated this project last May, wrote a building proposal together (the mens’ association and myself) and submitted it to the SPA program (“small project assistance”, funded by USAID). We were fortunate to quickly receive the funds, but with Ramadan, national parliamentary elections and Eid l-Kebir in relatively quick succession this last summer and fall, it put our opening date back a bit. While I was home for Christmas, the men kicked up their donated labor force, and by the time I returned in mid-January, we were setting the interior up in preparation for the opening ceremony!
the finished Nedi (to the right) attached to my house (to the left)
The members of the mens' association and some local politicians in front of the Nedi on opening day
That leads us up to this past week, which was spent assembling the donated desktop computers and sewing machines, installing them, planning for the zrda, and initiating discussions about the hours and uses that the Nedi will take on.
Over the course of about three days the men assembled the two industrial electric sewing machines and the four foot-pedal powered ones with very consistent and complete success. I assembled the five computers and scored a respectable (and somewhat expected) 80%, in that I got four out of the five to work… not too shabby, I thought, hoping that that fifth one had a hardware issue as opposed to software, seeing as I read through the user’s manual three times with no hint at anything new I could try. Turns out it was the hardware, and a volunteer wiser in the ways of motherboards and computer parts resourcefully fixed it with duct tape in true Peace Corps style, al-humdillallah.
Computers in the Nedi
The other side of the nedi building with the sewing machines, set up for the opening party
After a week of setting up and discussing welcome messages, snacks, furniture arrangements and invite lists ad nauseam, the party was a go and within two hours we’d eaten those dates, drank that milk, blessed the building, listened to speeches and made our way over to lunch at a local family’s house (they had a wedding that weekend and invited the zrda guests to join the final day wedding lunch).
The Muqaddam and my host father pouring the milk and setting out the dates for the opening ceremony
A particularly great thing about this was that my four fellow Outat-area-based volunteers came to support me and join in the party. I must admit I was stressing out pretty badly all week, so having those friendly faces there for support was wonderful, and helped me to feel like the work had actually been completed. We also took the opportunity to wear Jellabas, which are the traditional Moroccan robes (the original inspiration for George Lucas that led to the Jedi look in Star Wars).
Outat-area volunteers in Jellabas, next to the snack table
from left: Phil (full-on Jedi), Avery, Jonathan and Nicole outside of the Nedi after the ceremony
Phil and Avery walking just ahead of my host father and some association members on our way to the Wedding lunch
So now, on to the next thing! Community center now open and outfitted, we’re starting on the women’s education classes this Friday, and hoping to carry them out for six weeks this spring.
Zahara, the woman from a nearby village who will be teaching the girls sewing classes, and myself.
