I am worth 0.46 of a person in this country. That doesn't even include me from the waist up! It would take 2.17 of me to equate a full person. In school, a 46% is considered a failure. Why am I worth so little, you may wonder? It is not because of my abilities, my experiences, my terrible puns, or anything I could have done in my 21 years on this Earth. It is because I am a girl. Granted, this statistic is based off of financial value, however, I can see how much less I am valued in all aspects of life simply for the anatomy I was born with.
This leads me to make the cliché women’s rights reference from Sejourner Truth- but ain’t I a Woman? She was speaking out about these rights over 150 years ago in the United States. A woman doing the same thing in Morocco today would be immediately shamed, or worse, which puts the heaviness and importance of this topic into perspective. It may seem like an almost obsolete topic in the United States, but women’s oppression is still a daily struggle in Morocco. However, there is work being done to change this.
Wednesday was my first day at my internship. The NGO I was assigned is called the Mayshad Foundation. It is a doubly faceted organization. One side of the organization includes women empowerment through their online magazine and fashion products (purses, etc.). Through this online magazine and other forms of marketing, funds are collected to provide money for the Foundation. The Foundation side of the organization provides resources to those in need in Morocco, and specifically the rural areas of the Sahara. Past resources have included bikes for children in order to allow them to get to and from school efficiently and safely, and huge amounts of couscous to feed the starving families. Additionally, they provide empowerment and business programming to education women in these rural areas.
This leads me to make the cliché women’s rights reference from Sejourner Truth- but ain’t I a Woman? She was speaking out about these rights over 150 years ago in the United States. A woman doing the same thing in Morocco today would be immediately shamed, or worse, which puts the heaviness and importance of this topic into perspective. It may seem like an almost obsolete topic in the United States, but women’s oppression is still a daily struggle in Morocco. However, there is work being done to change this.
Wednesday was my first day at my internship. The NGO I was assigned is called the Mayshad Foundation. It is a doubly faceted organization. One side of the organization includes women empowerment through their online magazine and fashion products (purses, etc.). Through this online magazine and other forms of marketing, funds are collected to provide money for the Foundation. The Foundation side of the organization provides resources to those in need in Morocco, and specifically the rural areas of the Sahara. Past resources have included bikes for children in order to allow them to get to and from school efficiently and safely, and huge amounts of couscous to feed the starving families. Additionally, they provide empowerment and business programming to education women in these rural areas.
As their newest intern, I am currently responsible for researching topics that are relevant for the website. Today I met with the founder (Nezha Alaoui- Google her, she's great), and she laid out the plan to have me provide ideas for content and eventually write for the website throughout my time at the foundation. Additionally, I research and contact funding organizations about supporting the Mayshad Foundation, as well as other organizations with whom we could partner. I spend a lot of time on the computer, and I am adjusting to a “desk job.” I think that as I begin to have more responsibilities with the foundation, I will enjoy it more and more.
The people I work with are so caring, and they have really watched out for me this past week. One co-worker took me to lunch on my first day and has ensured I can find my way home to my host family. Another coworker took it upon himself to give me a ride home on the back of his vespa on my first day (a terrifying experience that fulfills all of my 12-year-old-Lizzie-McGuire-movie-loving-self dreams). I learn more about what I am doing and about the organization as I progress. I cannot wait to see what this organization teaches me as I (attempt to) provide my experiences to help out the foundation!
Watch the video below to see why I'm doing what I'm doing.
The people I work with are so caring, and they have really watched out for me this past week. One co-worker took me to lunch on my first day and has ensured I can find my way home to my host family. Another coworker took it upon himself to give me a ride home on the back of his vespa on my first day (a terrifying experience that fulfills all of my 12-year-old-Lizzie-McGuire-movie-loving-self dreams). I learn more about what I am doing and about the organization as I progress. I cannot wait to see what this organization teaches me as I (attempt to) provide my experiences to help out the foundation!
Watch the video below to see why I'm doing what I'm doing.
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