| MEDA in Morocco |
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March 25 – April 5, 2011
With tour leaders Bob Kroeker & Audrey Voth Petkau Morocco is a country of legends where vibrant cultures and faiths meet, and where ancient history is preserved. It is also a place with high rates of youth unemployment. MEDA has a number of dynamic youth-oriented projects in this country. On this tour, you will have the opportunity to meet many MEDA partners, visit projects and learn more about the initiatives that are maintaining traditional skills while offering a brighter future. You will also enjoy the natural splendors of this magnificent country – from its snow-capped mountains to its haunting deserts and its coastal beauty. Explore the famed city of Casablanca and walk the streets of the ancient spice markets of Marrakech. Learn the secrets of Moroccan cooking and relax in enchanting gardens and at a Moroccan spa. Learn more about the history of this country while visiting elaborate mosques and important museums. Bob Kroeker of MEDA will introduce you to our MEDA partners while Audrey Voth Petkau will take care of the details of this fascinating tour. Friday & Saturday, March 25 &26 The tour departs from Newark, New Jersey, on an overnight flight to Casablanca, Morocco. We will arrive in Casablanca on Saturday, where we will meet with our English-speaking guide and transfer to our hotel. Together we will enjoy the famed Moroccan cuisine before settling in for a good night’s sleep at our hotel. Sunday, March 27 After breakfast, we will tour MEDA’s Casablanca office and get to know some of its partners in the city throughout the day.  Casablanca Today we have the opportunity to explore much of the fabled ancient city of Casablanca. Our tour of Casablanca could include a visit to the King Hassan II mosque, Jewish museum, the Cathédrale Sacre Coeur, the walled town of the Old Medina District Market or the beautiful white walls of the Shrine of Sidi Abderrahman which is accessible at low tide on the Atlantic Ocean. We also hope to enjoy a visit to Solidarité Feminine, a traditional hammam or spa that provides work to marginalized Moroccan women.  A house in Khenifra in the Atlas Mountains This morning we will say farewell to Casablanca and head inland to the small city of Khenifra in the Atlas Mountains. En route we will stop for lunch at an oasis city at the base of the mountains. In Khenifra, we will visit MEDA’s partner, Association Microfinance Oued Srou, which serves women clients in rural areas of the Atlas Mountains and focuses on Amazigh (Berber) population. They have also developed a loan product for youth in partnership with MEDA Maroc. We hope to get to know the culture of the Amazigh people, who are known as “free people” who have lived in northern Africa for all of the area’s recorded history.  A snake trainer puts on a show Today we move on to the enchanting market city of Marrakech. Be prepared for the snake charmers, exotic spices, rose-colored buildings and exotic drama of this oasis in the desert. Thursday, March 31 We will explore the city today. We might stop to see the best in Moroccan painted ceilings, ceramics, and garden design at El Bahia Palace, the Koutoubia mosque, and Djemaa EIfna Square, which has been described as the “most exuberant marketplace in the world.” Together we hope to enjoy a short Moroccan cooking class, which will help you know how to cook with your purchases in Marrakech’s famed spice markets. We may also visit Marrakech’s hammam or public bath to be refreshed before dinner. Tonight’s dinner will feature a spectacular folklore show.  One of many beautiful carpets with typical design After the sights and sounds of yesterday, today will be an opportunity to relax. We will visit the Menara Gardens with their beautiful vistas of mountains and oasis and will enjoy a free afternoon. You may choose to rest or to visit the Medina and its markets and souks. Saturday, April 2 After breakfast, we will head into the magnificent desert as we travel to Ouarzazate. We will visit the old Arab quarters of Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, Kasbah Taourirt and Tifeltout before settling into Ouarzazate for the night. Sunday, April 3 This morning we will be introduced to MEDA’s partner, ASSAMID, in the Ouazazate area and will spend another night in this desert city. ASSAMID works in a community on the edge of the Sahara Desert, providing education for out of school youth and supporting agricultural work in the nearby villages. We will also get to know another partner AESD, which is an association working to preserve the environment and heritage, and to support women and youth in skill development. Monday, April 4 As we return to Casablanca, we will stop in the city of Rabat and meet with Al Amana, one of MEDA’s partners, over lunch in El Jadida. Al Amana is the largest microfinance institution in the Arab world, with branches in all regions of Morocco and a new MEDA youth-specific loan program. Rabat is the capital of the kingdom of Morocco and offers magnificent architecture and views. We hope to visit the Hassan Tower and Kasbah Oudayas. We will enjoy our final Moroccan dinner together in Casablanca. Tuesday, April 5 It’s time to return to North America this morning, but we will have many new memories and stories to take home, as well as new friendships made.  The MEDA in Morocco tour will be coordinated by TourMagination and Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA).
For further information regarding the complete tour fare, please This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . We would be happy to be of assistance. |
