The concept of giving and taking

It has now been more than a week since I first arrived in morocco. I am living in a host family by now and am starting to get to know the district (El Youssoufia).

One week is obviously not enough time to notice deep cultural differences or to judge upon customs and behavior of the local community. It is enough time though to notice and appreciate first patterns of behavior of my host family.

One thing that struck me the most on my first day in the host family was their hospitality. People had told me about this of course, but that didn't mean I expected the immense extend of their kindness. My host brothers and sisters (there are 7) insisted I was to them a sister from now on. My host mother, Khansa, did the same and even gets offended a bit if I don't call her "mama". In the family everything is shared. Most importantly: food. The family eats with their hands from a large plate for everyone and of course I am constantly encouraged to eat more.

Even though Khansa and her husband Mohammed don't speak French or English, they still try to communicate with me a lot. Especially Khansa always tries to teach me words in the local dialect and repeats them until I understand what she means.

The family takes me everywhere and gives me the opportunity to get to know the community from different perspectives. Furthermore we often have guests at our house who try to speak with me in Darija. The family offers me the greatest gift any traveler can receive in a new country: they give me insight into their culture that I could otherwise not acquire. Their efforts are tremendous and I do not know how I can return their favors.

Prior to my arrival in Morocco I expected to help the community by offering my volunteer work skills. I thought that my work could really change something and improve the living conditions of the people around me. In fact one of the main reasons why I wanted to do a volunteer year was because I wanted to do some good.

But this expectation has proven to be so far from the reality in just one week. I learned that this year will primarily benefit myself and that I will take far more than I can give. I learned that I am not capable enough to navigate myself in the new environment and that I have wrongly assumed my western education would in all its "superiority" be enough to help people.

It has never been as clear to me that I was raised in a racist community that assumed less developed countries lacked skills and western knowledge, that poverty emerges due to incapable people. How vain and ignorant of me to think that just because I come from Europe, I could solve Moroccan problems. I am receiving much more than I can give. And it is my responsibility to convey that message to other travelers as ignorant as me.