Lovenotes.... From Morocco: Waiting with a watchful eye

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February 23, 2011

Waiting with a watchful eye

After the ill-fated attempt at delivering aid to Morocco in January, I made plans to try again in March. Though we have now received approval for the school aid distribution (for which I am ever grateful), we're still struggling with the logistics and legalities of the livestock project. Nevertheless, I recruited my dear friend Melissa from The Nourish Collective to accompany and assist and I set a tentative departure date of March 24th.

And then this happened...

The protests which have swept through the North Africa, toppling the governments of Tunisia and Egypt, reached Morocco. By the end of the day on February 20th, twenty-four banks were burned, along with 50 shops and private buildings and 66 vehicles...in a single day. Five people were found dead in one of those banks.To be fair, things have been relatively quiet in the 36 hours since the protest. And the "opposition" isn't calling for King Mohammed's resignation, preferring instead sweeping government reforms. I have spoken with Hassane and he advised me today to hold off a bit longer on booking my airline reservation. I think the apparent implosion of neighboring Libya is keeping all of us on the edge of our seats.

I talked with Melissa yesterday and she's in agreement: we can't leave for Morocco until we both feel that the region is somewhat stable. I'm getting a bit antsy about this aid: the bank account is a little too plump for my liking and I have a stockroom full of backpacks, school supplies, dental kits and handmade soap that I'd like to see make its way into the hands of Moroccan school children...sooner rather than later. But I think wisdom dictates that we monitor the situation with a calm head and a watchful eye. I plan to make a final decision by March 4th and will keep you posted. Until then, please keep all the people of North Africa in your thoughts.

*Photo credit: CNN

Posted by Lela at February 23, 2011 7:33 PM