The Road Less Traveled

Our role as community development agents in a nutshell: lots of formal and informal interviews with villagers, NGOs, and religious leaders to assess community challenges (e.g. environmental, health, education, and gender discrimination) in order to tailor education/technical skills transfer programs that address community needs. So far, our work at Ait Ben Haddou has been practice for our future 2-year assignment, but we recently learned that if our mock project idea is received well, then we may receive funding for implementation. Here's what we've learned so far...(Excerpt from Cultural and Environmental Report that Alex and I prepared with our other group members: Luis Benedetto, Sara del Fierro, and Toan Dang).

Ait Ben Haddou is a small desert community located at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains (which contains the highest peak in North Africa). It is a dry arid sector that lies in between the mountains to the north and the Sahara to the south. Ait Ben Haddou’s tall hills and rocky terrain create a picturesque albeit treacherous aesthetic. Another natural feature that distinguishes the town is its river. Like many communities at the door of the Sahara, Ait Ben Haddou relies on its seasonal river. The river runs just meters from the houses that depend on it. Although there is no cash crop in this douar (village) the river is used to grow crops as a means of subsistence and to support livestock. The “Salty River” was given its name as a result of the mixing of two streams, one salty and one fresh. However, all who draw from the river past their intersection must grow crops that are salt water tolerant.

Ait Ben Haddou also features a unique piece of Moroccan history. The growth of Ait Ben Haddou is partially attributed to its strategic location along the caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech. The Kasbah located across the river is a 500 year old piece of living history. Although most of the families have relocated to the town proper, there are still a few active families who reside in the Kasbah. The structure is made of mud and stone and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Kasbah, which has been featured in many motion pictures over the past 50 years, has been the greatest draw and source of revenue for the people of Ait Ben Haddou. There are many stories to the origin of the structure and its former leadership, however all that can be determined from oral history is that it is between 400-500 years old, and that it was the fortified structure and focal point for commerce and security for hundreds of years. An oral history of the town attributes the name to the Sheik Haddou and his descendents, Ben Haddou. Another urban legend also tells the tale of Xenab, an ancient queen; though not much sound information has been found. Historically, Ait Ben Haddou has had good relations with neighboring douars, often coming together in times of conflict for protection against any outside threats.

In order to assess the cultural values and environmental issues of people living in Ait Ben Haddou, community walks and interviews were performed. The results of these investigations are reported herein, and are divided according to the following: films/tourism, river/irrigation, gender roles, education, health, environment, and the future of Ait Ben Haddou. It should be noted that our sample groups were composed of four discrete groups: 3 young men, 3 young women, 1 middle-aged woman, and 2 elderly men. Question sets were generated by our CBT group and many questions, when applicable, were recycled in order to refute any discrepancies between each group’s respective answers. The subjective nature of our interviews are in no way intended to reflect the entire population of Ait Ben Haddou.

The film and tourism industry have been a long running source of income for the residents of Ait Ben Haddou. Dozens of films have used the backdrop of the ancient Kasbah. When films are shot in the Kasbah, there is a sudden burst of activity in the town. Movies employ local men as security guards, laborers, and extras. This rush of opportunity brings work and money to the populace. Also, as a result of the fame of many movies filmed in Ait Ben Haddou, tourists flock to this cinematic Mecca. Europeans, Africans and Americans all come to walk the streets which have been featured in their favorite films, spanning from Lawrence of Arabia (1963) to The Prince of Persia (2009). The next film is slated to begin in May 2011.

There are several levels of people who benefit from the tourists. First and most profitable, are hotels. There are at least 20, including two located within the walls of the Kasbah itself. Hotels are big industry in this area, and are responsible for much of the money generated in the town. Next are tour guides, many are local and spent some time of their childhood living in the Kasbah. These men, who are all multilingual, lead tour groups in English, Spanish, French, German, and Arabic. Many of them speak all five languages fluently. Bazaars, which are the novelty shops located in and around the Kasbah, are another benefactor of the tourist trade. These shops sell many different items to tourists including: slippers, jalabas, gem stones, daggers, carpets, assorted clothing, art, and other wares. Although some crafts are local, many are imported from foreign lands. The bazaars line every major walkway to the Kasbah and are located all throughout. One of the final benefactors is the taHanut owners, local shops and groceries, which sell food, drinks, postcards, and necessities to tourists on their way in and out of the Kasbah.

Despite all the positives and growth that has been allowed due to these industries, there are negative externalities associated with films and tourism. There is a great amount of waste that is created from the tourists on their visits to Ait Ben Haddou. Garbage litters many of the streets and walkways, and until recently there were no public trash receptacles. In addition, hotels create environmental issues by releasing sewage into the local waterway. Another of the issues with tourism is that although there are winners, who make profits from visitors, there is a whole class of people who do not benefit. Traditional farmers and taHanut owners who do not reside on major paths are left out of their share of the money and must struggle to make enough. Also, due to the tourists there has been a steep rise in prices of goods and services in Ait Ben Haddou. Tourists come in with currency that is much more valuable than the Moroccan Dirham and drive up the prices of commodities. One of the most dramatic results of the tourist industry is the result that it has had on youth in Ait Ben Haddou. Many children do not attend schools in order to beg tourists for spare money. This has become a serious issue and results in many children not advancing in school. Non-locals have also flocked to the town to compete with locals for job opportunities, compromising some of the traditional values of Ait Ben Haddou locals.

One controversial addition to Ait Ben Haddou as a result of the tourism has been the installation of a UNESCO-sponsored bridge in 2010 leading across the river. This bridge connects the ancient Kasbah to the modern village, which was established in the 1950’s. While some older generations view this addition as convenient and beneficial to the community, as it allows easier access to burial grounds on the Kasbah side and during times of flooding, other younger generations feel the loss of profit, as taxiing people across the river via donkeys is no longer a necessity. Despite the problems created by tourism, some locals still view it as Ait Ben Haddou’s greatest asset.

River/Irrigation

The river is the life blood of Ait Ben Haddou; it flows from the mountains and is the combination of two bodies of water, one fresh and one salty. The brackish mixture, while hazardous to some crops, is used to irrigate the vegetation in the igran (fields). Despite its seeming hazards, there is still variety in the planting. Crops from these community fields include: alfalfa, carrots, almonds, olives, grapes, onions, pomegranate, beans, turnips, wheat, figs, different grasses, and barley, as well as absinth which is used in tea. All crops grown in the igran are grown for subsistence, and much of the crop is grown to support livestock.

Despite the seeming fertility and its importance to the community, the river is at the same time one of Ait Ben Haddou’s “biggest problem: a source of flooding and a source of droughts” (Fatima, community mentor). With limited wells (only five), that are privately owned, consistent water supply is often times a concern for irrigation. The residents of Ait Ben Haddou have adapted a regulatory system to ensure equitable distribution of water resources during times of limited water flow. When the water is flowing steadily and strongly there is no restriction placed on consumption. Community members may draw as much as they need to satiate their crops. When the water table drops, each family with space in the igran is allotted water on an hourly basis depending on the number and size of their lots. The water during drought is saved in special irrigation canals that run along the borders of the igran and are only accessed when the river is too low to draw from. In cases of extreme drought where the river is below functional levels for months to years, there is no recourse but to shut down farming for the entire igran until persistent and consistent flow returns. Within the last ten years there was a three-year period where no crops were harvested from the igran due to drought.

While assuming drought will be a reoccurring issue in a desert community such as Ait Ben Haddou, it may seem counterintuitive that flooding would also be problematic at times. However, as recently as seven years ago almonds were a cash crop in the douar, until flooding killed trees and removed topsoil to where the same numbers of trees could no longer be sustained in the igran. While less water is the more constant threat, floods have wreaked havoc on the community dating back to the 1940’s. Flooding has also contributed to an overall decrease in arable and habitable land over the years.

Other concerns for the river and igran are the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Fields are saturated in manure which is gathered from families’ livestock. The fields are mixed with manure before planting and flooding to support crop growth. There are certain species of earth worms and locust that are capable of inflicting great damage to the crops. To combat this, the government of Morocco provides farmers with free pesticides to protect their fields. DDT is a legal pesticide in Morocco and while it is unclear if this is provided by the government, it is known and used in this country.

The river and igran that it supports also give an illustration of how work is divided along gender lines. There are specific tasks associated with each gender. The task for the women of the community is the harvester. Women go to the fields in the morning and remove whatever vegetation they will need for their work at the house. Mostly women are pulling up alfalfa and grasses to feed livestock, however they are also responsible for gathering fruits and vegetables for human consumption. The men are responsible for plowing the igran and digging the trenches, planting the seasonal crops, and for irrigating their lots. Work is divided among mothers, fathers and children, and all members of the family contribute.

In general, the men and women of Ait Ben Haddou follow traditional gender roles, such that women are primarily responsible for cooking, cleaning, child care and other domestic activities. While women are relegated to a life around the home, men are more mobile (i.e. travel between douars and bigger cities in the region), and are responsible for business transactions and obtaining goods only available in bigger cities. This was particularly apparent in differences in the scaling of community maps created by the different genders (i.e. Men portrayed the community much larger than the women). After interviewing males and females separately, it became apparent that men and women are segregated within the community. That is, males dominate public places such as soccer fields, internet cafes, and bazaars. Young women have voiced concerns about being marginalized from these public spaces. Traditionally, women gathered together for child care at home, or along the river for washing, and had no facility for formal gathering.

Recently, however, a government sponsored program has allowed a gathering place for women to practice independence, and develop a means for self-subsistence via a NADI school/community center which offers knitting and crochet classes, as well as a literacy program. Founded within the last few months, the NADI currently operates on the weekends from 2-5pm, with plans to operate full time Monday through Friday starting in June 2011. The greater vision of the NADI is to empower the women of Ait Ben Haddou to create more co-ops and associations, through which they can make and sell their knitted crafts to tourists and at travelling exhibitions. Eventually, they also plan to invest in more sophisticated equipment, such as sewing machines. Currently, women and girls contribute 20Dhs a month towards the NADI, though the teacher, who travels from Ouarzazate for the classes. The NADI teacher is government contracted and the program is subject to her availability. In June, the contribution will rise to 40Dhs to support the daily activities and supply.

Unfortunately, Ait Ben Haddou’s highest form of education is an elementary school. For further education young people must travel to the souk town of Timlin for middle school (15km away) and the nearby city of Ouarzazate for high school, which is approximately 30 minutes away. This is particularly problematic because most residents don't have vehicles and can't afford travel to higher education. After prolonged periods of un-enrollment in school, many children are “left behind”, and until recently children were unable to re-enroll into the academic system. The gender segregation extends into the academic realm, such that men are able to achieve higher education via travel to neighboring towns. However, many females are forced to quit formal education after elementary school because parents fear that travel to bigger cities may corrupt these females during a volatile stage in their development and subject them to safety threats. The only transportation options for this inter-city travel are the grand taxi, camios, or walking, creating a financial limitation on the otherwise free public education. For these reasons, the education ceiling is different for men and women, with most men in the community having completed high school and women only through elementary school. Even fewer have been college educated because of familial obligations and financial and geographical constraints.

Common illnesses among the community are diabetes, hypertension, depression, and seasonal illness from pollen, cold temperatures, and lack of rain/water. There is a hospital in the town, though it is currently inoperable. Any medical attention must be obtained in Ouarzazate. The community does rely on some herbal remedies (e.g. sheeba and wormwood) for relief of common ailments, such as blisters and upset stomachs. Dental hygiene is also an apparent issue, as many members of the community, ranging from young adults to the elderly, are missing teeth or have extreme discoloration. Within the last 8-9 years, a potable water system was installed that adheres to more stringent sanitation standards than the previously used drinking waters sources (i.e. wells and river).

Environment

Ait Ben Haddou has environmental challenges with respect to air and water quality, and environmental education may prove very useful in increasing awareness. As the local population and tourism industry continues to expand, environmental issues will continue to worsen. Some concerns faced by the residents are trash disposal, air pollution from trash incineration, climate change, as well as intermittent water and electric supply. Due to modernization, the effects of climate change (i.e. persistent drought) are not detrimental to the livelihood of the douar because improved transportation and communication methods make it easier for Ait Ben Haddou residents to trade goods and services with other villages when local resources are scarce.

For waste disposal, the community either pays to have their waste removed to an offsite location for incineration, or they burn it in spaces outside of their homes. The smoke produced from the burning of plastics creates a noxious gas that permeates households, and may be responsible for headaches experienced by residents. It is in question as to whether or not a public service is available to locals for trash disposal. Other issues identified during community walks, and via interviews with locals have revealed that sewage and waste is disposed of in public waterways and ephemeral drainages. In addition, there is concern for communities downstream from Ait Ben Haddou because residents wash blankets and clothes in the river. Water from the river eventually ends up at a man-made lake above a damn near Ouarzazate.

Climate change has been noticed by the locals, especially the elders; they mentioned that the frequency and magnitude of rain has decreased, and the temperature has gotten increasingly warmer since the 1940’s. Residents previously harvested up to three times a year, but now harvest occurs as little as once a year.

It should be noted that Ait Ben Haddou is relatively affluent compared to other douars in the region. Although the people of Ait Ben Haddou have thrived in their community for centuries, the people of the douar await a fully functional post office, hospital, and educational system. Discrimination against women is a significant hurdle in achieving gender equality. Sole reliance on tourism as a means of economic growth will hinder many from breaking through the poverty line. While there are still significant hurdles for this community’s evolution, many locals are taking the initiative to make Ait Ben Haddou a better place (e.g., NETI school and the construction of a middle school in the neighboring town). One of their most valued aspects, the Kasbah, continues to be an inspiration not only to the local community, but to foreigners around the world.

Vision Statement: Although there are many challenges to address, the one thing that we'd like to focus on is helping the community to develop a sustainable, community run, fully staffed and resourced, NETI (women and children's center), capable of implementing literacy, work, and environmental education programs where participants help guide the focus of the curriculum.

After school/homework and on our one day off (Sundays), we go hiking and climbing. There is a boulder field only 20 minutes walk from our house. The boulders, which are sedimentary conglomerates composed of pebbles and cobbles provide great exercise via overhanging routes up sharp hand/foot holds formed from the depressions made after cobbles erode out of the boulders. Last Sunday, we hiked ~10 kilometers to the top of a nearby mountain, which was approximately 600-800 meters above our village (See red ring in photo below for reference). We napped under a gigantic date tree, befriended a very kind stray dog that accompanied us all day, found deserted goat pens with several baby goats inside (See photo), and were caught in a furious rain/wind storm upon summiting the peak. In Alex's time off, she has also been visiting the local women's association identified in the project vision statement mentioned above. Words can't convey the honor and elation that we feel from this experience so far. Although challenges are all over the place, the rewards continue to take our breath away!