Moroccan Student Volunteers in French Town During Pandemic Lockdown

The young woman joined the after-school service and the 3-11 year old leisure center in the city of Arnage on Tuesday, June 3 due to the confinement. "During the confinement, I remained in contact with the MDH, I participated in videoconferences with the animation team, as well as with Mohammed Cherkaoui, our Youth V reference in Morocco who remained attentive to how we lived the confinement. After deconfinement I helped out in the school support service," says the student.

She has a degree in materials chemistry, a field that she is passionate about. Her wish, she says, is to continue in this direction through a master’s degree, in Morocco or in France, because she aims for a career as a laboratory manager. But Meryem has decided to do volunteer work for a few months. "One of my professors, Ms. Halima, from the Un chemin pour réussir association, recommended me for an interview for a civic service abroad, which according to her could help me refine my career plan," she confides.

In Arnage, the young student has very specific expectations. "First of all, to improve my French. I love children, I have experience as an animator. In Tinghir with the 8-15 year olds I participated in the supervision of dance and theater workshops. So I want to discover what types of activities are offered here, how they are organized, how the animators manage the children," she says.