Your embassy website may have links to NGOs and other projects, but unless you have a
working knowledge of Arabic or Berber, or have specific specialist skills, many will not be
interested.
Good starting points:Idealist.org (www.idealist.org) Has volunteering and job opportunities in Morocco.
International Cultural Youth Exchange (ICYE; www.icye.org) Allows you to search for
upcoming Moroccan volunteer opportunities.
The Big Trip (Lonely Planet) This guide to gap years and overseas adventures includes a
chapter on volunteering and working overseas, and a directory of resources.
Volunteer Abroad (www.volunteerabroad.com/Morocco.cfm) A good place to start looking for
volunteer places, as it provides links to organisations with Moroccan programs.
Working Abroad (www.workingabroad.com) Worldwide volunteering and teaching
opportunities.
Organisations
International or local organisations that sometimes have Morocco placements or camps:
Baraka Community Partnerships (www.barakacommunity.com) At the Tijhza Village Project
in the High Atlas, it needs help with schemes including a reforestation program, repairing and
renovating poorer homes, supporting the two schools, establishing a preschool and mothers’
group, and developing compost toilets and bee-keeping programs.
Chantiers Sociaux Marocains (CSM; www.csm.netsons.org) Rabat-based NGO engaged in
nationwide health, education and development projects, with international volunteers aged 18 to
35.
Jeunesse des Chantiers Marocains (http://perso.menara.ma/youthcamps) A nonprofit,
youth-focused travel and cultural exchange organisation. Programs in Marrakesh include
volunteering at a nursery school or orphanage, with accommodation in a homestay organised.
Peace Corps (www.peacecorps.gov) Long-established US volunteer scheme with deep roots in
Morocco; volunteer programs lasting two years.
Projects Abroad (www.projects-abroad.co.uk) The UK-based organisation offers Moroccan
volunteering holidays from healthcare to working with nomads.
United Planet (www.unitedplanet.org) One-week to one-year volunteering placements that
sometimes include Morocco.
Women Travellers
» » Prior to marriage, Moroccan men have little opportunity to meet and get to know women,
which is a major reason why Western women receive so much attention.
» » Not bound by Moroccan society and Islamic law, foreign women are seen as excitingly
independent and generally available.
» » Increased tourism to Morocco has also brought female visitors who are unprepared – or
simply unaware that cultural mores in Muslim countries are different from the West.
» » Around 70% of Morocco’s population is under the age of 30, and by the end of their trip
most Western women may think they’ve met every male in this group.
» » The constant attention is impossible to shake off, no matter what tactic is employed, and
soon becomes wearing.