Rug School Opening

After 9 months of working with  a team of Moroccans and American volunteers we have finally opened our rug school in Boumia, about 40 minutes from Midelt.  We will be teaching two sessions of 25 women a comprehensive program to make traditional Berber rugs and be successful in providing a better life for their families.  The program was initially set up to help sex trade workers and women in the arduous agricultural field, providing them the knowledge, skill and experience to make, market and sell rugs.
The name of the project is:
   Below is the original concept submitted for a grant.

                         Education For Sustainable Development

Mission Statement

Our mission is to help economically disadvantaged women improve their status within society by equipping them with entrepreneurial skills, vocational training, education and raising awareness among them for a range of family and social issues.

Target Group

The target group of financially disadvantaged women presently works around the Boumia area in the agricultural and/or socially demeaning trades that are financially limited and socially demeaning.

60% of the women are married with 4-6 children, 30% are divorced with children and 10% are single women without children.

Added Value Provided by the Program

The program is being set up to provide an alternate lifestyle thus improving the standard of living of the women and their family and increase their status within the community. 

Teaching participants how to make carpets, market and sell the product on a sustainable scale will instill confidence in these women to be able to start their own income- generating activities.  Empowering them with the knowledge skill and experience necessary to be successful will create leaders for the future of the community and the country.

Certificates

At the end of the training period, participants will be rewarded with certificates for their completion of the curriculum, recognizing their ability to make carpets and understand the process from shearing to selling for profit.

With the certificates, participants will have the confidence to take the initiative, explore and start their own projects.

(Option)  NURSERY FACILITIES

We would like to provide childcare facilities on the site to insure greater participation and fewer dropouts.  The cost for this facility is estimated to be about 2,000 Dh per week.  For a 7 month vs. 10 month the cost is estimated at  28,000 Dh vs.  44,000.

Reports

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) will be providing Progress Reports and a final Completion Report to keep EPP informed during the program.

• Progress Reports:   There will be a report supplied at each segment of the program as indicated in the Draw Schedule and detailed on the Curriculum.  For the 7-month program 8 reports will be filed, one with each draw request at the Set Up, six 2-week periods and closing program.  For the 10-month program 12 reports will be filed at Set Up, ten 2-week periods and the closing program.  These reports will detail participants in the program at each stage, perceived proficiency of participants with each stage, financial expenditures at each stage and input from management on suggesting changes on the next program to improve the system and evaluate success of the program to date.
• Completion Report:     A report will be provided at the end of the program compiling all of the data on the Progress Reports, including expenses, participation, drop out rate, proficiency.  This data will be analyzed and evaluations provided to determine the degree of success of the program.  Interviews with each participant, each instructor and employee will be conducted and results included in the report.

The curriculum  is a 12 week program.  One session started March 7th with 25 women.  The next sessions starts 6 weeks later.  Hopefully the program success will enable us to continue receiving funding to begin another school at another location after the completion of the Boumia program.

THE CURRICULUM
 

Education for Sustainble Development
Curriculum - 2 groups of 25 women each
Sessions will be taught 2 days a week, 2 sessions a day, (not to exceed 4 hours) , one in the
	morning and one in the afternoon
	Session		# Of
Week	#	Topic	Session	HRS	Description
1	1	Project Introduction	1	2	Program Introduction
1	2	Wool	2	2	Introduction -History, Washing
1	3			2	Types, Quality, Shearing
1	4	Wool Prep-Washing	2	3	Washing wool in River
2	5			3	Washing wool in River
2	6	Wool Prep-Threading	4	4	Opening wool
3	7			4	Brushing wool
3	8			4	Dying wool
4	9			4	Spooling wool
4	10	Weaving	2	3	Looms, set up, maintainence
5	11			3	Measuring carpet, weaving basics
5	12	Rug Production-Set Up	2	3	Carpet layout on looms
5	13			3	Preliminary Design set up
6	14	Rug Production	2	4	Weaving
6	15			4	Techniques
7	16	Design	2	4	Berber tradition, patterns
7	17			4	Knot styles, symbols
8	18	Hanbel design	2	3	Color, basic layout
8	19			3	Working session-make rugs
8	20	Temination Production	1	2	Completion carpet, knots, cutting
8	21	Washing Carpets	2	2	Techniques, importance, product care
9	22			2	Working Session-wash carpets
9	23	Certificates, awards	1	3	Review, assesment and certificates
9	24	Marketing/Advertising	2	2	Middlemen
9	25			2	Brochures, coops,
10	26	Bookkeeping/Accounting	2	2	Basic Accounting, Importance
10	27			2	Cost Analysis, Profit Margins
10	28	Productivity-Family Health	1	2	Importance of family to production
10	29	Export/Freight	1	2	Exporting basics, freight procedures
11	30	Starting a Coop	2	2	Introduction to coops, benefits
11	31			2	Setting up a coop/association
11	32	Review, Interviews	1	2	Exit interviews,  review program

            

 The funding for the program is being provided by the Millennium Challenge.  Much thanks goes to the people we worked with here to get through the process.  There were numerous trips to Rabat to work on the details.  Everything we submitted was written in English and French so the process was confusing at times.  

After getting preliminary approval in September 2011we secured a building with the help of the Boumia city managers.  It took a lot of work but it turned out great.  The building was painted inside and out, The utilities repaired, the wall and trash was removed, furniture moved in, school equipment purchased and installed, Signs, flags and pictures of the King put up.

The Log for the outside of the building and put on all the student folders, letterhead and correspondence was created by Stacey another PCV.  She did an awesome job.  What do you think?

Everything big in Morocco starts with a glass of milk and dates.  As people entered the facility they were met by PCVs outside "Mar Haba-Welcome" and offered a small glass of milk in traditional decorative Moroccan glasses and a platter of dates.  At the opening there were over 130 people, students, teachers, city and state officials, local dignitaries, PCVs (Ann Marie, Sanyog, Joe, Kathryn and Max) from the surrounding area, people from Millenium (MCI) and "100 Hours to Success" (one of the programs being taught) and others.  It was quite the event. 

The program opened with Hayat's introduction explaining the mission statement and program particulars.  Then I spoke for the Peace Corps, in my limited Darija, thanking everyone for their help and giving a little talk about the friendship/similarities between Americans and Moroccans.  "We all want the same thing, heath, happiness and a future for our children."  Everyone seems to liked what I had to say after Hayat translated for me.  Speakers went on for the next 2 hours, with a break for tea and Berber cookies.

After everyone spoke, the first class "Wool and Rug History"was presented.  As people filtered out the response was overwhelmingly positive. 

 After cleaning and closing up, wishing everyone well and thanking them for their support and encouragement several of us went to Zaida for a celebratory dinner of Kefta, lamb chops, bread and tea.  

On the way home we dropped by the Taddert Hotel to relax and discuss the day.  "Well done everyone."
Now the work starts.  We have to teach for the next 12 weeks, write reports and hopefully start the selection process for the next school.  Maybe we could have one in a Beach town.  I would like that.