Our visit to Anamer, an Amegerzerhi community in the Atlas Mountains, was extremely enlightening into the tangible realities and actions of participatory development. We met with multiple workshop groups, one of which was all women, and one of which was all men from the community, where they were asked to draw out the resources they felt their community had and those they needed. I was intrigued that so many people would take two or more hours out of their busy days to sit and converse with us about issues, they believe will not all be magically fixed by our listening; however, they see the value in investing time and energy into such workshops, for the hope of some progress, even if it isn’t going to benefit them but future generations of their community. 

Additionally, the major similarity between what the men's and women's groups highlighted was the issue of water, and the necessity to dig a deeper well and build a water basin, in order to store more water at a time and use less energy from the solar-powered pump, which would allow them to cultivate almost double their current amount of trees. The use of solar panels is extremely interesting to me, as it seems that, as a whole, the Moroccan government is heavily invested in renewable energy to a higher degree than other countries, such as the U.S, as a rural community that struggles with other infrastructure issues, such as road maintenance or data cell towers, is still powered through solar panels. In one way, making Anamar more “developed” through its progressive energy use, then other countries historically viewed as “Developed” but are falling behind in renewable energy initiatives. Coincidentally, during this trip, I noticed that the 20 Dirham note has solar panels and wind mills depicted on the bill right next to the image of King Mohammed VI, a physical representation of the Moroccan government's investment into renewable energy.

Furthermore, during the workshop exercise, I was at first almost embarrassed to depict the resource-rich community I’m attached to at UVA, where issues such as having enough water during the summer or a working sanitation system are never in the realm of possible issues we’ll face, like they are in Anamer and in many other places. However, through the mapping exercise, it was clear how the U.S falls short, often in failing to prioritize the well-being of all of its citizens, with high costs of living from health care to housing, especially with the individualistic culture so deeply embedded into the quotidian of American life. 

For instance, when we discussed the issue of rampant gun violence in the U.S, we struggled to even explain the concept. The fact that America, the land of “dreams,” not only allows but essentially enables its citizens to experience such systemic violence adheres to logic. When this subject was brought up in the men's and women's discussion group, both exclaimed in shock at how this was legal and why people didn’t fear punishment for such a crime. Additionally, many were shocked by the concept of our generation becoming desensitized to gun violence. How to even begin to explain how gun rights have become ingrained in American culture and manipulated into falsely coinciding with individual freedoms. 

During the women's workshop, someone brought up the fact that in 2022, UVA experienced a fatal shooting in which multiple UVA students were shot and killed on a field trip bus, to which the women in the room expressed rapid horror. One young woman who had been elected to present one of the group's posters and continued to answer a majority of questions posed seemed to be one of the younger women who could speak Arabic, and whose confidence and poise were captivating to listen to, even with the language barrier. She was the one who explained that most girls in the village are unable to go to secondary school, and the barriers that the creation of the women's sewing cooperative faces, since there are only two sewing machines to work and learn with. She expressed that seeing our problems made theirs seem small, and that at least they never have to worry about being at peace. To which our side of UVA students collectively animatedly rejected, cringing in our first-world privilege of access to world-renowned universities and health care, even if there are inaccessibility issues, to be pitied by a woman fighting for bare minimum resources and opportunities, such as more sewing machines. 

However, there was something profoundly moving about this exchange and the different forms our struggles can take. Sitting in a room full of welcoming, kind, and hardworking women who expressed sympathy for the pressures and challenges of my own life was unexpected. Their lives, and the opportunities available to them, have been shaped largely by the simple chance of where they were born, yet they still met us with remarkable generosity and compassion.