Women's Education Volunteer Program in Morocco - Rabat
Interested in being a Women’s Education volunteer in Morocco? International Volunteer HQ’s Women’s Education project empowers volunteers to assist with a wide range of learning opportunities for women who may be unemployed, illiterate or otherwise disadvantaged. Women in Morocco suffer great inequalities and volunteers are needed to help them upskill and gain confidence which can boost their independence, job prospects and financial security.
Highlights:
- Programs start every first and third Monday of the month
- Affordable fees from CA$410 for 1 week
- Includes accommodation, meals, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
- Educate amd enhance women’s job prospects and cultural understanding
- Delight your senses in Morocco's markets and kasbahs
- Stay with a local family and experience daily life in Rabat
Who is this program suited to?
Key information
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
Many women in Morocco suffer from poverty, illiteracy and unemployment. This affects their social standing and, in turn, their children’s education. Since a national directive in 2005, the Moroccan government has been working to improve women’s education and health, and is eager to promote income-generating activities for women. However, volunteers are still needed to help to deliver these goals.
As a Women’s Education volunteer you will help to enable local Moroccan women and young girls to improve their literacy levels in English, French and Arabic, and to provide them with professional development opportunities.
Volunteer tasks can vary but usually involve:
- Running cooking classes
- Sewing
- Computer training
- Offering academic support
- Occasional childcare
These tasks are dependent on your program duration and language ability. Many of the women this project helps will have little to no English so longer term volunteers who can communicate in French or Arabic are more likely to be able to help effectively.
Why do Women's Education volunteering in Morocco with IVHQ?
When you volunteer in Morocco you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Improving learning opportunities for women
- Helping women gain and develop skills in a safe place
- Practicing your French, Arabic and English
- Gaining a range of volunteer experiences
- Immersing yourself in Moroccan culture
- Discovering Morocco’s rich history
Volunteer requirements
- To join this project, volunteers need to be fluent in French and/or Arabic
- Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program and may be asked to provide additional documentation to the local team
- All volunteers aged 13+ are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ prior to departure. Those aged 13-17, if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two character reference letters instead
- All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
- All volunteers must speak fluent English.
”As I wrap up my two weeks in this beautiful country I can only say thank you. Thank you to this place and to these people for teaching me so many things, about the world and about myself. I’ve met the most amazing people, saw things I never dreamed I’d see, was embraced and accepted by people I barely knew. I leave Morocco slightly sunburned, probably a few pounds heavier (damn all that bread!) and smelling of mint tea and Argon oil. Good bye, Morocco. I’ll never forget you. ”
Tonya, US , 42
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Location
Rabat is a bustling, beautiful place and the capital city of Morocco. With a vibrant mixture of African, Berber and European cultures, it is a fascinating place to visit. It’s the home of Morocco’s king and his court, a huge number of mosques and monuments, an old Medina listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a wide range of other interesting things to see and do.
While Morocco has made progress towards improving quality of life for its citizens, there is still a huge socioeconomic gap between those with wealth and those without, and a big difference in access to basic necessities in rural and urban areas. Employment can be especially difficult to come by. Volunteers can help address the challenges of inequality and poverty by assisting with a range of projects that aim to continue to develop society and equality in Morocco. Volunteer projects are located in Rabat, Casablanca and Sale.
Arrival and orientation
The program orientation begins the first and third Monday of each month, and volunteers need to arrive in Rabat on the Sunday before orientation. After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Rabat International Airport (RBA). Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.
When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Rabat, Casablanca or Sale (location will depend on proximity to your specific placement). Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.
If you are traveling in Morocco prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up at the Rabat Ville Train Station on the day before your program orientation.
Orientation is hosted by our Moroccan team at the volunteer base in Rabat. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date. Orientation covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Morocco – an introduction to Morocco, Moroccan customs, rules and expectations, language lessons, safety, travel opportunities in Morocco, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.
Volunteer schedule example
First Day
On your first day of volunteering, you will be escorted to your placement by a local coordinator and introduced to the placement staff you will be working with.
Weekdays
Work and break times are dependent on each project and placement. Volunteers taking Arabic or French language lessons spend half the day volunteering and the other half of the day taking language lessons. A typical volunteer day would be as follows
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast at your homestay. |
| 9:00 - 10:00 AM | Volunteers leave home and travel to their placements to begin work. |
| 2:00 - 5:00 PM | Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel home, prepare for the next day or do some shopping and sightseeing. |
| 8:00 PM | Dinner at the homestay. |
Weekends
During the weekends, volunteers have spare time and usually relax or take the opportunity to explore other parts of Rabat and Morocco. In Rabat, you can visit the ancient city ruins of Chellah, learn to surf, treat your senses to the charms of the market stalls in the old Medina, see any of the city’s large number of sacred and religious sites, mosques and monuments, take a traditional steam bath, wander the pretty blue and white streets of the Kasbah des Oudaias, or take in a beautiful garden or art gallery.
Long weekends can be taken to travel further afield to destinations, such as Marrakech, Merzouga, Tinghir, Fes, Meknes, Volubilis, Tangier, and Gibraltar, Andalusia and Portugal in southern Europe.
Accommodation and WiFi
Volunteers are accommodated in a homestay with a local family. It is exciting to stay with a family, as this is an opportunity to learn the Moroccan way of life, meet local people, eat local food, speak the local language (Darija: the Moroccan Arabic dialect) and engage in local customs and traditions. These families receive money from your program fee for support, food and board.
Living is basic, yet still comfortable, and most homestays have electricity and running water. You can expect to share a room with other volunteers, however in some homestays volunteers have their own rooms. It is important to note that Moroccan homes have a shared living environment in which Sdaders - Moroccan couches - are used for sitting and dining during the day and as beds at night.
Bedding is provided, but it is recommended you bring your own towel and toiletries, as well as a sleeping bag if you wish to travel on the weekends.
WiFi is available in the majority of the homestays in Morocco. To keep connected, you can also purchase a local SIM card with data for an unlocked mobile phone.
Meals
Volunteers in Morocco are served breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
Influenced by African, Arab, Moorish and Berber cuisines, Moroccan cooking blends Mediterranean fruits and vegetables with spices. A Moroccan meal often begins with a series of hot and cold salads, followed by a Moroccan stew called tagine, and bread. Lamb and chicken dishes are common, as is couscous topped with meat and vegetables.
The consumption of pork and alcohol are prohibited, as per Muslim dietary restrictions. Drinking mint tea is a daily tradition and bread is eaten with nearly every meal.
Bottled water is readily available in Morocco and volunteers should budget approximately US$5 (approximately CA$6) per week for 2 liters a day. If you have any special dietary requirements, please include these in your application.
Pricing
Duration |
Program FeeDue 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
|
|---|---|
| 1 week | CA$409 Equivalent to CA$59/day |
| 2 weeks | CA$766 Equivalent to CA$55/day |
| 3 weeks | CA$1018 Equivalent to CA$49/day |
| 4 weeks | CA$1269 Equivalent to CA$46/day |
| 5 weeks | CA$1520 Equivalent to CA$44/day |
| 6 weeks | CA$1771 Equivalent to CA$43/day |
| 8 weeks | CA$2274 Equivalent to CA$41/day |
| 10 weeks | CA$2644 Equivalent to CA$38/day |
| 12 weeks | CA$3014 Equivalent to CA$36/day |
| 16 weeks | CA$3754 Equivalent to CA$34/day |
| 20 weeks | CA$4495 Equivalent to CA$33/day |
| 24 weeks | CA$5235 Equivalent to CA$32/day |
- Accommodation
- Meals
- 24/7 in-country support
- In-country program orientation
- Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
- Airport pick-up
- Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists
- Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
- Discounts on language lessons
- Certificate of International Volunteering
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
- All programs attract a Registration Fee of CA$395 in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services. IVHQ fees are priced in USD but you may elect to pay in CAD.
- A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
- Additional things to budget for include: Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check, public transport to and from your placement each day and return to the airport when your program finishes.
- Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Morocco generally find US$40 to be sufficient for weekly expenses.
Affordable Arabic & French Language Lessons
Our local team in Morocco offer Arabic and French lessons to volunteers, which can be organized and paid for in advance through IVHQ. Lessons are tailored to each volunteer’s current level of Arabic or French. Past volunteers feel that taking these lessons can help you immensely with your day to day volunteer work and communicating with local people.
- 10 Hour Package – US$265 (approximately CA$350)
- 20 Hour Package – US$535 (approximately CA$707)
- 30 Hour Package – US$800 (approximately CA$1058)
- 40 Hour Package – US$1065 (approximately CA$1408)
Please make a note in your application or contact your IVHQ Program Manager after you have registered for the program if you would like to add language lessons to your Morocco volunteer experience.
Check what's required to visit Morocco
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Safety and support
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
- All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
- All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
- All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
- All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Protecting against COVID-19:
Volunteers tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours of travel
Health & safety information provided during orientation
Strict disinfecting standards for programs & accomodation
Greater physical distance between volunteers
Essential country information
| Capital | Rabat |
| Population | 36.47 million |
| Languages | Arabic and Berber |
| Currency | Moroccan Dirham (MAD) |
| Time zone | UTC±00:00 |
Weather and climate
Morocco has a Mediterranean climate that is generally hot and dry for most of the year, with cooler, yet still mild, temperatures and rainfall during the winter months between November and March. Morocco has widely varying terrain and the climate varies greatly throughout the country. Temperatures can be incredibly high in the southern and south eastern desert areas whereas, the temperature drops considerably in the higher lying mountainous areas, even dropping to freezing point at night. In Rabat, temperatures reach an average high of 27°C (80.6°F) in the summer months and an average high of 17°C (62.6°F) in the winter months. Temperatures can drop to an average of 7°C (44.6°F) in the winter and it is generally always cold in the evenings throughout the year.
