Friday, June 5, 2020

Rabat

Alumni Spotlight: Jeanette Lam

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By Lexi Reich

Unsure of which study abroad program to choose, Jeanette Lam, 21, left the decision to a coin toss. Through that chance and the SIT journalism program in Morocco, she found herself in Paris last summer working as a cinematographer and editing assistant on a feature documentary.

“France’s Children,” directed by Aida Alami, advisor to the SIT program, follows the story of an immigration activist in France, and other activists who, fueled by the desire to empower their community, reject victimhood.

“This experience was one of the most unique opportunities I’ve ever had,” Lam said.

Age-old traditional Moroccan pastry meets new health concern

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By Kayla Dwyer

For more than 65 years, the Ougaamou family has kept tradition alive in the 17th century walled medina, in Rabat, Morocco’s capital — but they are one of very few to do so. From a hole-in-the-wall stand they sell sfenj, traditional Moroccan donuts whose tough and greasy exterior conceals a steaming, flaky inside.

“Sfenj? Yes, good, very good — especially with tea, it’s wonderful,” said Youness Elfaleh, 22, whose eyes widen at the thought of the Moroccan oil-fried doughnut. “But I can only eat it one or two times a month.”

This traditional treat may be on its way out of favor even in sweet-loving Morocco.

Photo of the Day: October 16, 2015

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“You felt weird vibrations between you and the other person,” said Bouchra Zidaoui, 30, pictured above left. “We don’t usually look at each other’s eyes.”

But Zidaoui, of Rabat, did just that — for one uninterrupted minute with 19-year-old Basma Boujendar, right, on the grass outside the Comedy Cafe off Mohamed V Avenue in the center of Rabat, Morocco’s capital.

Nearly a hundred people came at 6 p.m. Oct. 15 to watch and pair up in Rabat’s local version of what’s being called “the world’s biggest eye contact experiment” by The Liberators International, a social movement emphasizing connections with humanity through public participatory events.

Moroccan butcher sees sales spike for sacred Muslim holiday

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By Rob Dozier

RABAT, Morocco — For more than 30 years, Abdeni Mdegdeg has sold meat year-round near the old walled medina of Morocco’s capital city. Now comes the time of year when his services are in the highest demand: the important Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha, or the “Feast of the Sacrifice.”

“Working as a butcher is a popular profession in Morocco,” Mdegdeg said. “And, it’s a sacred one.”

Especially on Thursday, the day of Eid throughout the Muslim world, when people will partake in tradition of sacrificing sheep or other livestock.

Rabat resident makes room for felines

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By Kiannah Sepeda-Miller

RABAT, Morocco — Several times each day, Mohammed Amine Hennaoui, 19, feeds a nameless cat and her three kittens by hand amid the hustle-bustle of his father’s construction supply store.

“The Prophet Mohammed tells us to care for cats,” Hennaoui said. “If you feed them, God will bless you.”

Cats abound in Rabat. Many do not have homes and some bear battle scars on their scrawny bodies. In the medina, Rabat’s ancient inner city where Hennaoui lives and works, there are cats on every street. They loiter outside stores, nap on car roofs and nibble on tossed fish, but the most fortunate are cared for by devoted cat lovers like Hennaoui.

Cheese and Camaraderie in Rabat’s Old Medina

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By Zoe Hu

Photographs by Eloise Schieferdecker

RABAT, Morocco — They know when to expect him. Among the stuttering moped engines  and the rumbles of street-life in Rabat’s traditional medina, Abdelatif Reda’s customers wait.The small cart before them stands unmanned. Its owner, they speculate, must be out for his afternoon prayer. But Reda will return — as he has done for years, every day after 5 p.m. — to sell his homemade cheese.

Rabat’s medina is a pastel-washed huddle of squat shops and alleyways, fortified by walls that stand on 17th-century lines.

Deficit pushes Morocco to cut subsidies

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By ISHAN THAKORE

This article was published by Al Jazeera on May 02, 2014.

Rabat – Ahmed Dabachi’s heavy blue coat is stained with soot as he lugs a 25-pound butane canister from inside his dark shop to a customer in Rabat.

This is the fuel that many Moroccans depend on for cooking and also often for heating. The government heavily subsidizes the cost for Dabachi and also for his customers. He sells canisters for 42 dirhams or $5.04, but they actually trade for $14.50 on the commodities market.

Dabachi is wary of any but the slightest price increases, knowing they would be bad for him but even worse for families who rely on his products.

Challenging Illiteracy in Morocco, a Bookseller Pursues Paradise

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By Hannah Rehak

Photographs by Will Matsuda

RABAT, Morocco – Magazines spill out onto a busy street and blue painted shutters stretch open, exposing Aziz Muhammed sitting on a dusty pillow. As always, he is reading, eyes focused on an orange-bound book, spectacles resting on his prominent nose. Though tucked away behind the work of hundreds of authors, Muhammed is known throughout the medina, the oldest part of Rabat, for his unique aesthetic. He is a 66-year-old bouquiniste, a proud bookseller, in a country with an adult literacy rate of approximately 67 percent.

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