Amslane Day 9- Aid requests and stuck in the house
Sun has returned! And it seems that with all the rain came some snow on top of the high Southern peaks. Walked along the river in the morning to continue my fodder field counts and didn’t slip in this time. After my morning hike, Souad and I went with Yousef to visit Yemena’s mother’s house to conduct a survey. The grandparents and one daughter care for the two crippled daughters of Yemena’s brother, who were lying on the sitting cushions, unable to move or speak. It was hard and sad to watch as we interviewed the family. Halti Habdoge kept asking us to help the girls. But we aren’t doctors, just here to research and observe. I think people assume that since we work with an organization we have money and connections to help and give them money or medical services. Really wish we could help, it feels horrible to see how difficult life is here and be powerless to make immediate meaningful change for them. In the long run, I hope my findings give the GDF information about life and livelihoods in these rural areas so they can continue their community lead development projects which have and could help improve life in these communities. But while I’m here I’m just trying to help with daily tasks related to my research, like fodder collection and feeding that will make the lives of these women a little easier since they are responsible for virtually all the animal and domestic activities, even some farming tasks to assist the men.
After walking over the river bridge Souad and I met another two women; Fatim and Habdoge, and interviewed them after onion and touga weed collection from their barley and vegetable fields. One of the women asked me for money, rubbing her fingers together in gesture. This hasn’t happened so far, so it took me aback, although I was expecting this from other researchers experiences in the High Atlas it still was awkward and surprising. I also wonder from how Souad sometimes interacts with people and doesn’t translate everything (like mealtimes or when we meet people in the streets) if she is omitting other less explicit instances of people asking for help or saving me the worry and awkwardness of having to respond, even on other subjects. I helped carry a big bag of touga for them to their house. Habdoge then invited us for tea pointing out the beehives and apple orchards in front of her house. Her mother and several other women and two girls were outside. I tried spinning wool with her mother, but had a lot of trouble with the old spinner which was quite amusing for them. They served us tea and bread in the kitchen, cats and chickens venturing inside to lick butter and peck up bread from the concrete floor. They also served plain pasta but it was cooked in milk- apparently that is very common in Morocco, so I couldn’t eat it. So still so kind of them to have us stay for lunch.
Yousef out of fear that his rabbit will be hurt by the cats has taken to locking the doors to the oven/firewood room. So we were once again locked in when trying to leave for more interviews. Once Halti Hadija came back and opened the door we were free and began searching for Halti Fatim It’blade who invited us this morning for tea. So many of the residents have the same name, so its really hard to find someone even when you know their last name since there are only 8 families most people are family and might have the same two names which has been quite confusing. When we got to her house, her two daughters and young son (asleep) had tea and bread with us in the sitting room. They have quite a nice house and were so amiable and helpful with the questionnaire. Planning to do a participant observation with her in the future.