I really meant to write this in Marrakech airport on my way home, or at least as soon as I arrived back but events seem to have overtaken me. In fact I am not entirely sure if one can write a travel blog when sitting at your own desk at home but too bad and here goes! I had a few lovely classes during my last week but I think that my main contribution as a volunteer was in the garden. As I was breaking up the solid red sub-soil of the beds with the claw end ...

This may not be of huge interest to anyone who is not involved in teaching (and may not be of interest to teachers either for that matter, so do stop reading here if you wish!) I just thought I would record a few thoughts on the teaching so far. As I think I have already said the girls have huge drive and a great capacity for hard work as they know only too well that they are really lucky to be here. A place in an EFA boarding house is now so sought after t...

Furniture has been arriving all week - both chairs and flatpack office stuff; the carpenter has virtually moved in; photos and information have been posted on the new notice boards; Khamissa has been baking solidly for at least four days and huge plates of cakes, biscuits and snacks (even chocolate ones!) have been arriving from all the other EFA houses; Sinead, with the girls, has produced a lovely painting of butterflies taking flight; and on a more mundane lev...

Have just had a great weekend - I had hoped to go to Essaouira, a town on the coast but unfortunately Sinead could not get the weekend off so have had to stay in Asni, BUT the payoff has been a visit to the Saturday market, a 'New Year' party at Dar Asni 1, the house for the younger girls and a great run this morning and a walk this afternoon. The only challenge has been a massive wind which seems to have howled through the mountains for the last few days, which...

Now I have been here for over a week I think it is time to write a second instalment as SO much seems to have happened and it is just getting better and better! I now have a timetable of sessions with small groups of girls during the day which is brilliant as it means that I am doing a bit more than troubleshooting homework problems and I can plan something vaguely constructive. I usually try to do a mixture of revision of what they are doing at school as well ...