I would like to share the significant experience I had with the peace corps, it was an experience that opened my eyes and made me a stronger person in a way that I discovered a lot of things about myself, things I wouldn't have known if it wasn't for the Peace Corps.

During my work with the Peace Corps I had to take care of six American trainees, I had to live on my own and it was the first time for me to do so. Getting the chance to go out and discover the other side of my personality definitely helped me grow personally and professionally. I had to wear different hats every day, sometimes I have to be a friend, other times I have to be a social worker and also a teacher…

This experience has a great impact on me that made me see my role in my society differently. Therefore, I would like to get the chance and serve my country too.

        I would like to discuss the issue of harassment that has been a controversial issue in Morocco for a very long time and it still is. Different people have different opinions about the issue; some blame women for being too loose and others blame men for being unable to control and behave themselves.

Harassment is a very serious issue that needs to be looked at more seriously. We need to take action against this phenomenon, which is increasingly becoming an open behavior. Men feel like they have the right to harass women on the street because they aren’t wearing “decent” clothes. Many men think that when women wear “revealing” clothes it’s an open invitation for harassment. And women who wear this kind of clothing are “loose and cheap” even if it’s not true. Let’s think for a second, is the way women are dressed the problem? Because if we go back we will see that women in Morocco are generally harassed regardless of their clothing, which shows that it became a habit for men to do so, and nothing more.

As a young Moroccan girl, I can relate to this issue as any other “Moroccan” girl. As I believe, every Moroccan Female is harassed every time she goes out regardless of her age, shape, color, ethnicity, background… and no matter what she wears. Any girl who says the opposite is living in denial because that’s the reality we deal with every day.

   The only person I can think of, that has a positive influence on me is my mom. She is always the person that I go back to for anything.

My mom is a huge part of my life, she is also my best friend I can tell her everything. My mom taught me how to be the person I am now, and she has always been next to me. My mom always taught me to be patient and believe in myself. As a part of being a house wife my mother never failed to look after us and make us feel that she is always there. My mother influenced me to become a responsible person, and a person that would think of helping others. I am grateful for that.

There are many ways in which my mother influenced me to become the person I am today and some of those ways are her sense of responsibility, her hard work, her patience and perseverance and also her characteristics. I have learned to truly value them by watching her while I grew up. Those characteristic make me glad that she is my mother.

    I want to be a corps Africa volunteer, because I’ve always wanted to do something for my country, something that would make me feel that even just slightly I have also contributed in helping others.

Joining corps Africa, is something that would make me feel very happy, because I have always found joy in helping others, even when its sometimes just a small thing, like carrying a heavy bag with an old woman, or feeding a homeless kid… being a part of something as big as corps Africa, would make me feel so proud. As we all know voluntary work is not something big in Morocco, its rare when you find youth interested in doing something like that. But for me I have always wanted to do so, especially after being a part of the Peace Corps, I have became more motivated to help my country and do something for it.

Becoming a corps Africa volunteer would be a dream comes true for me.