Cafe for Girls

During training on a participatory analysis tool called PACA, we did a community mapping activity with kids in our youth center. We split the boys and girls up on different sides of the room, gave them a flip chart paper and markers, and asked them to draw their community. We asked what areas in their community were most important to them, and they noted it on their map. We asked what areas of their community they spent the most time, and they noted it. We asked where they enjoyed being, didn't enjoy being, what resources were there, what resources weren't there, and we asked what their community needed from their point of view. 

When they were finished, we put the maps up side by side. They lived in the same place and were drawing the same community, but the maps were strikingly different even with our expectation that they would be. The kids were also surprised at visual representations of that difference.  

We talked, thanks to our facilitator Jouad, about their maps and the reasons behind them. The kids had a lot to say, and they had great ideas. A catalyst for the conversation was one of the needs they identified for the community: a cafe for girls. 

Here in Morocco, cafes are a social space reserved mostly for males. They could can be seen as an equivalent of a sketchy bar in the states. Women aren't welcome in many, and if they are, there is a scandalous stigma attached to it. 

The boys said, "Why would you want a cafe?" The girls said, "We don't feel safe; We want to sit with our friends; and We want equality." I'm summarizing here. They said it much better than that. The boys said, "We didn't know that. We want equality too." Everyone applauded after each call for equality or statement of better understanding. We couldn't understand a word through it all, but felt that something good was happening. 

Fast forward: We were going to have another training in Fez, and were supposed to make a poster to describe our experience implementing PACA in our sites. Someone in our group had the idea to make a faux advertisement for a girls cafe. Another had the idea to incorporate Rosie the Riveter. We enlisted Zach for the task, and he did amazing things with some sharpies and a flip chart paper. From the tea cup to the polka dot hijab, it turned out great. 

Others thought so too at the training, and Peace Corps invited us to the Intl. Women's Day event for Morocco. It was in a town called Sidi Kacem, and we were able to spend the day there in the PC tent with this poster along with several others highlighting the gender and development work done in Morocco. An inspiring current PCV gave an entire speech in Darija in front of the Minister of youth and sports and hundreds of people. We met other associations and people working with women here. It was a great day that got us excited about future projects and activities in our final site, and we were grateful to be invited.