Final placement info.

Alex and I have learned our final placement info, and are quite pleased at how well it is tailored to our experience, education, and interests.

We have inherited a new and big project that has regional implications.  The site is located 1.5 hours southeast of Marakech in the Douar (Village) Timzgida – rural town Tidili Messfioua - province Al Haouz  (http://www.maplandia.com/morocco/tensift/marrakesh/tidili-mesfioua/).  The site has really interesting mesoscopic geologic structure (i.e. ellipsoidal ring) that I suspect has some history of ancient volcanism (pyroclasts are noted in geologic reports that I've found on the area). Elevation is about 1000m ASL, but peaks within 15 km of site extend up to 2200 m.

Here are some videos of the area we'll be in (note flower-filled, lush green fields and boulders for climbing ;-):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XAFETqyS4E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kvmfHPcGog&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtuYnNlHXX0

I'm a little overwhelmed because no former volunteers have been to our site before, and so we will be trail blazing to some degree.  There is no internet, but we will have access to electricity and tap water.  We will be ~8km walk from our nearest market, which occurs once/week.  Our counterpart is the president of the local association.  We will be working on NGO development with additional support from USAID.  While Alex will be focusing on environmental education and teaching English, my position will be focused more on technical support.  Below is the USAID job description that I found for the position (excuse the grammar/vocab lost in translation from French to English):

"OPINION OF URGENT RECRUITMENT- engineer specialized in water purification

In the framework of a Project of Purification (fitting and durable treatment worn waters) financed by the USAID,the Association Tissilte for the Development (ATD).  Situated in: Douar (Village) Timzgida – rural town Tidili Messfioua - province Al Haouz

Recruit for 3 years an experienced engineer specialized in purification liquidates

-MISSION
The candidate will have for task:
- Elaboration, the supervision and the coordination, when they are executed by offices of studies or businesses or external organisms, of the composing technical of the Project, to knowledge: the realization of the studies of purification and of garbage collection, the dimensionnement of the sewer systems, the dimensionnement of the station of épuration., the establishment of the CPS, Planning of the spots, followed it by the purification works, the system of management of the quality, the studies of environmental impact, the check of quality of waters, the biological treatments and physico-chimiques of worn waters, the mastery of the techniques of analyses microbiologiques, the system of Management of Environment ISO, the éco toxicology of waters and grounds and the analyses of the grounds
- the supervision of all the works on work-site
- The technical elaboration of all the reports (advancement state, quarterly, annual and final) to transmit to the lessors of bottom and to the partners.
-Followed and evaluation of the architectural conception, works on the work-site and informers of performance of the Project
-Supervision and communication with the architect and the businesses.
-The contribution to elaboration, to the execution and to the evaluation of the programs of sensibilisation and of formation of the profitable households of the Project.
The defined benefits above are indicative and at all restrictive

-DUREE OF THE MISSION: three years

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
-Tenured Etre of a diploma of engineer option genius rural or hydraulic with specialized specialization in management and engineering of the services of water and of purification
-To have a previous experience confirmed in conception and followed by the work-sites in purification (5yr);
-To have good aptitudes of communication and the direction of the organization.
-To have a work experience with the NGO and the organizations of community development.
-To have excellent capacities of compilation in French and in Arab; the knowledge of the English language is desirable.
-To have good knowledge in the computer domain: environment Windows: Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint and network Internet.
Nearby City: Marrakesh"

We leave tomorrow for our first site visit to our new home in Timzgida, and will return to Ouarzazate next week for additional technical trainings.  This will be followed by 1 more month of language training in Ait Ben Haddou, and then we will be sworn in after language tests on May 25th.

Stay tuned, and wish us luck =)

-Jonathan