Interview of Georgia Morgan
Georgia Morgan is an American intern at Dar Si Hmad who worked on the
RISE 5.2 semester and piloted the ‘Unsung Heroes of Dar Si Hmad’ Project.
She is on a gap year of service through UNC’s Global Gap Year Fellowship.
Tomorrow is her last day of internship at DSH and we are all going to miss her!
Interview conducted on 20 March 2018.
What is your name and how old are you?
My name is Georgia Morgan and I am 19 years old.
Where are you from?
I am from Cary, North Carolina in the United States.
How long will you be in Agadir?
I’ve been in Agadir for 2 months now, and I’ll be leaving in about a week
and a half for Italy as the last part of my gap year.
Where do you currently go to school?
This August, I will start my studies at the University of North Carolina in
Chapel Hill. I’m not sure what I’ll major in yet, but I am interested in
environmental studies, international relations/ global studies and journalism/
mass communication.
What brought you to Agadir/ DSH?
I am here in Agadir working with Dar Si Hmad as a part of my university’s
Global Gap Year Fellowship. I applied and was accepted to UNC last fall and
decided to apply to this fellowship that allows about 8 rising freshman to do a
year of service abroad before beginning their university education. My goal for
this gap year has been to work with organizations that focus on human rights
and environmentalism. Before coming here, I spent 3 months in Cape Town,
South Africa working with a refugee and migrant organization. Dar Si Hmad
seemed like a perfect second venture, as this organization specifically addresses
human rights and environmental issues and how the two directly impact each other.
Describe your role at DSH.
Here at Dar Si Hmad, I’ve been heavily involved in the new semester of
RISE, including reading applications, organizing interviews, selecting members,
curriculum design and facilitating/ participating in the actual sessions. It’s
been a lot of fun to meet young Moroccans around my age and learn from
their perspectives on the social issues we’ve been discussing. I’ve also been
in charge of starting this project! When I first arrived to Agadir in January,
this project was proposed to me and I began developing the ideas and goals
of the ‘Unsung Heroes of Dar Si Hmad’. I came up with a list of people to
interview and photograph as well as questions we’d like to ask to gain some
insight into these people’s lives and roles here at DSH. It’s been a lot of fun,
and I’ve enjoyed getting to know everyone further, hearing new stories and
seeing how much Dar Si Hmad’s work and community means to people.
What is your favorite part about coming to DSH?
My favorite part about coming into Dar Si Hmad has been the community,
especially with the RISE sessions. On days we have RISE, there’s always a
lot of people in the office and it’s a very engaging day. I’ve really enjoyed
working with Alex, Natalie, Ayman, Hafida, Sara and Maisie to make this
semester of RISE a reality! On the days we hold sessions, we usually spend
the day preparing and have lunch together which is a lot of fun. Then we come
back together for the actual session, and it’s really great to see all the RISErs
come in smiling and fresh with ideas. Everyone at Dar Si Hmad is so friendly
and generous. I come in every morning and am greeted by Abdallah’s
smiling face, Maisie’s bubbly personality, Soufian’s contagious laugh and every
now and then, our fluffy friend Dandara.
What is one of your most memorable moments at DSH?
One of my most memorable moments at Dar Si Hmad was on a Wednesday,
and Maisie wanted to go out to lunch to have rfissa in Batoir. Everyone in the
office decided to go, but it was pouring rain outside which is very uncommon
for Agadir. We decided to go anyway, and we had to run through the rain for
about 10 minutes. By time we got to the restaurant we were all soaking wet and
laughing because we felt so silly. We had a great lunch though and devoured
the rfissa. We had good conversation, lots of laughs, delicious food and warm
tea as the rain poured outside. It was just a really fun day and one of my first
adventures with my coworkers.
What is one thing you’d like everyone to know about DSH?
I want everyone to know how truly amazing, impressive and impactful the work done by
Dar Si Hmad is. The office and staff size is all quite small, which makes it even more
impressive when learning about all that this organization has done and continues to
do. The fog project in Aït Baamrane is incredible and has changed the lives of the
people in those villages. Additionally, the Oasis School, Permaculture project,
Ethnographic Field School and RISE Program provide so many opportunities
for not only people in the Aït Baamrane region, but also in Agadir and internationally.
I have learned a lot and been inspired by the incredibly hardworking and passionate
people I’ve worked with and met here through Dar Si Hmad.
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