Lingua Franca

Learn/Study Abroad in Morocco

By Aziz El Madi

Two Salem State University Students participated in Service Learning Research Projects sponsored by the non-profit organization Volunteer Morocco and are improving the quality of life for those living in rural villages.  Jimmy Elliot, with the supervision of Aziz El Madi, a member of the faculty of Chemistry at Salem State University, collaborated with Dr Said Boutaleb from the Hydrogeology Department at Ibn Zohr University located in Morocco and performed water quality field work in two Moroccan regions; Imsouane and Shtouka. Underground water pollutants were studied in both regions.  The work done in 2013 was presented by Jimmy Elliot at the Environmental and Sustainability Symposium for Chemistry at Bridgewater State University.  Amine Mesnaoui participated in a service learning water quality research project during June 2014 where he conducted independent water quality research as a means to address contamination of polluted water that impacts the health of the communities living in southwest Morocco. While in Morocco, they also volunteered in rural health clinics in the Atlas Mountains. We wish both young men the best as they will be graduating in May.

Volunteer Morocco improves the self-sustainability of under-privileged communities and their members in southwest Morocco by facilitating healthcare access, education, farming technologies and assisting in the formation of micro-enterprises.  Volunteer Morocco carries out its operations by offering volunteer opportunities to university students as well as others interested in volunteering in Morocco.

Since its first US college student trip in 2007, Volunteer Morocco has planted more than 5,500 trees, organized 30 rural health clinics in remote areas of Southwest Morocco and delivered health services to more than 1,500 patients, distributed school supplies to Riad Village Elementary School, and coordinated and delivered $295,000 worth of medical equipment to hospitals and surrounding clinics in Southwest Morocco.  There are also opportunities during the service learning program to experience amazing food, sights, hiking, beaches, surfing, shopping, and culture.

On our website, there is quite a bit of information on the program and service learning trip experiences, www.volunteermorocco.org.

If you are interested, please take a look at this video. It was created by students that participated in Volunteer Morocco Service Learning Program during the winter 2015 session: https://goo.gl/Hcn2OT