Plan My Gap Year - Volunteer in Morocco from $225

During the lunchtime, when I used to feed the children, there was this specific TV series that used to come on television every day. Although the drama was in Arabic and I could not understand a word of it, I figured out that it was about a love triangle, betrayal, revenge and it included all the elements that make up for an interesting story. When I watched it for the first time, what really caught my attention was how good looking each characters were and also, the melodramatic music at the background certainly did it for me. So, one of the things that I used to always look forward to when I volunteered at the orphanage was definitely watching the drama during the lunch feeding time!

Just got back from spending 2 weeks in Morocco working on the childcare programme. I was told I’d be working at an orphanage however when I arrived I was told I wouldn’t be working at the orphanage but at a childcare nursery instead. This was quite annoying as I booked with plan my gap year thinking I’d be working in an orphanage as this was stated on the website.

Apart from that… I’d like to thank Josh and Phillip the Plan My Gap Year Organizers for their help and support prior to my placement. Both were very helpful when it came to answering questions. The handbook is a very good guide about Morocco, and the dos and don’ts, its important to read.

I spent my 2 weeks working in a nursery with children from the ages of 3-5 years. I can honestly say I had so much fun working with and getting to know the children, they were so lovely. I worked 4 hours a day, each day I planned 15-25 minute lessons where I taught the children the alphabet, numbers, shapes and animals etc., using hand made work sheets. As well as fun activities for them such as drawing, colouring in, cutting and sticking, outdoor games and singing nursery rhymes. It was such a wonderful experience being able to play with the children and also teach them English and seeing them develop throughout the two weeks was very satisfying. The staffs within the nursery were also very lovely.

If working on the childcare programme I advise that you buy resources before you arrive in Morocco (such as, plain paper, colouring pencils, felt tips, paint/ paint brushes, colouring books and ABC, 123 activity books) as there aren’t many shops to buy from and there weren’t any English activity books. Buying before hand probably works out cheaper, pound stores are a good place to shop. If you do decide to wait till you’re in Morocco I’d suggest you put around 200-300 Dirhams (£40-£60) aside to buy recourses.

I found that the use of activity books would have been very useful for the children for them to practice writing and drawing. I Definitely recommend colouring in books, as the children loved colouring in pictures that I had photocopied at a local shop in Morocco.

Morocco is such a beautiful country and Rabat is such a lovely place to be in, with such friendly people. The medina has loads of little stalls with such pretty gifts, souvenirs, clothes and shoes to buy for good prices. Found myself there everyday! haha. The volunteer house (Riad) was really nice and comfortable and was a great place to meet new people. Breakfast and dinner was always so nice, experiencing the different types of traditional Moroccan foods. There were also many restaurants within walking distance outside of the Medina.

As well as working there is also plenty of time to explore and go site seeing in Morocco. Chefchaouen, Roman Ruins, Casablanca Mosque, Kasbah and the Merzouga Sahara Desert are a few places that I was told to visit while in the country. I wasn’t able to visit all but I did go to the Sahara Desert, camped out for the night and rode camels, which was an amazing and enjoyable experience. Definitely recommended. More spending money for these trips is needed.

I'd like to thank Ali Bensebaa and Jihane El Hilali for making me feel welcomed and making my trip such a wonderful experience. I would definitely recommend going to Morocco to volunteer and to explore the country. Would love to back again, hopefully sooner than later!

The Childcare project in Rabat is outstanding, it provides you with the opportunity to work with a range of children, with different needs, and working with individuals with additional needs.

The skills and knowledge that are required to work in such field is gained through working alongside the Trained Professionals. It is important to use your own initiative and be open to new learning experiences.

Rabat is a great center point for volunteers, it allows you to see the culture of the Moroccan people and there are places of interest. In addition to this, Rabat has a great train system which allows you to visit other parts of Morocco. Furthermore, the Host family are a great way to see how the Moroccans live and learn Arabic.

I would recommend PMGY for its aim in providing a service that is not only feesable but allows volunteers to gain vital experience, learn new languages and travel.