Chaima Ait El Mekki's Employee Profile

Morocco Country Director

Chaima Ait El Mekki - Morocco Country Director

What countries have you traveled to?

Tanzania/Egypt/Jordan/Turkey/UAE/Australia/Fiji/Western Europe/DR/Peru/USA/Thailand/ Cambodia/Laos/Malaysia/Indonesia.

How has your international experience evolved to make you an even more valuable addition to the Rustic Pathways team?

Definitely! Especially the ability to see my colleagues’ operations. It had inspired me and impacted positively the way I work.

How did you get involved with Rustic Pathways?

Coincidence! A friend of mine was offered the job while he was the old director’s bank teller here in Marrakesh but had to turn it down. Same friend gave another friend a call who called me and I immediately joined. This was in 2012 and I got hooked since then!

How long have you been working with Rustic Pathways?

I led programs between 2012 and 2014 and worked as a Country Director since Jan 2015.

What is the most fulfilling aspect of your job?

Connecting, meeting people and the mind shifts students achieve by the end of my programs.

What do you like most about Rustic Pathways?

Rustic is able the connect people in a magical way!

What makes Rustic Pathways different from other international program providers?

The authenticity and the local expertise.

Have you traveled with other Rustic Pathways employees? What was your experience like?

Authentic and unique! I was able to see the places we went to from a lens that is not tour-like.

What has been one of your favorite moments at Rustic Pathways?

Watching students’ last moment in county as they share their favorite Rustic moments and their mind shifts during their time in country.

What is your favorite project you have worked on and why?

The Peace, Wonder, and understanding Islam program. That program affected many students and leaders and was a total success.

How do you embody Rustic Pathways’ vision and bring it to life?

I personally believe that my kids and grandkids can live in a more peaceful  world and that can happen if we create ravel experiences that create bridges of mutual understanding and that cherish difference and acceptance.

How do you stay focused on Rustic’s mission to positively impact lives and communities around the world?

By following our community service protocol. All projects are chosen according to community priorities, all projects get evaluated and their impact gets measured.

Why do you view travel as an essential part of every education?

Travels widens perspectives, open eyes to difference and new possibilities, enhances the ability to accept the other with all their differences, creates a great sense of empathy. All these are qualities the world would like in future leaders.

What makes you proud to work at Rustic Pathways?

Connecting people that leave our experiences with broader perspectives and more empathy towards difference.

What makes Morocco the perfect place for international volunteering?

Morocco is Carrefour of many cultures and that makes it very unique! It’s a tree with roots in Africa laying its beautiful branches in Europe.

What is the first thing program participants do when they arrive in Morocco?

One of the two: 1) They visit Hassan II mosque which is a great intro to Morocco. It shows the intricate architecture that Morocco had inherited over the years, its Muslim identity, and its diversity and acceptance. 2) Head to Marrakech and experience the amazement the medina labyrinth offers.

What is the most unique aspect of Rustic Pathways’ programs in Morocco?

The intercultural exchange. We rely on local connections when we create programs and we make sure students get to have as many encounters as possible with people who are not their leaders.

Part of the “ethos” of Rustic Pathways is to start meaningful dialogues and create real interactions with the local communities. How do you ensure your programs abroad include these immersive aspects?

People to people connections for sure!

ما هي الدول التي سبقت لك زيارتها؟

تانزانيا/مصر/ الاردن/ الامارات/ أستراليا/ تركيا/ جزر فيجي/ أوروبا الغربية/ جمهورية الدومنيكان/ الپيرو/تايلاند/ كامبوديا / إندونيسيا/لاووس/ ماليزيا 

 

كيف ساهمت تجربة أسفارك في جعلك عنصرا قيما داخل فريق راستك پاثوايز؟ 

كثيرا! خاصة أنني تمكنت من رؤية طريقة عمل زملائي في مختلف بقاع العالم و هذا أثر بشكل إيجابي على طريقة عملي في المغرب 

 

كيف بدأت رحلة عملك مع راستك پاثوايز؟

بمحض الصدفة! قصتي بدأت حين رفض أحد أصدقئي العمل بحكم أنه كان موظفا بأحد البنوك بمراكش. نفس الصديق عرض العمل على صديق آخر الذي بدوره اتصل بي. أحببت العمل! 

 

متى بدأت هذه الرحلة؟ 

بدأت سنة 2012 كمرافقة تلاميذ و التحقت كمديرة فرع المغرب سنة 2015

 

ما هو الجانب الأكثر إرضاء لعملك؟

لراستك طريقة سحرية في ربط العلاقات بين الناس! 

 

ما الذي يجعل راستك پاثوايز مختلفة عن باقي المؤسسات المنافسة ؟

الأصالة و الخبرة المحلية التي تعتمد عليها جميع برامجنا. 

 

هل سبق لك السفر مع زملائك؟ كيف كانت تجربتك؟ 

فريدة و أصيلة بحيث تمكنت من رؤية المناطق التي قمنا بزيارة من منظور يتعدى السياحة إلى السفر. 

 

ماهي لحظتك المفضلة في راستك پاثوايز؟

عندما يشاركني تلامذتنا لحظاتهم المفضلة و المفاهيم التي تمكنوا من تصحيحها خلال و عند نهايةالبرنامج. 

 

ماهو برامجك المفضل و لماذا؟ 

Peace, wonder, and understanding Islam 

لأنه برنامج أثر بشكل إيجابي على عدد كبير من التلاميذ و كان من أنجح برامجنا. 

 

كيف تجسدين رؤية  راستك پاثوايز؟

أنا شخصيا أؤمن بأمكانية عيش أبنائي و أحفادي في عالم أكثر سلاما. و هذا قابل للتحقيق إذا تمكنا منخلق تجارب سفر ترسخ قيام التفاهم و تقبل الإختلاف. 

 

كيف تستطيعين التركيز على كون راستك پاثوايز تؤمن بمبدأ التأثير الإيجابي على مختلف الأفراد والجماعات؟

بتتبع پروتكول راستك پاثوايز الخاص بمشاريعنا التنموية. يتم كل مشروع حسب أولويات القرية التي نعملبها ثم نقوم بقياس مدى تاثير هده المشاريع على السكان.  

 

لماذا ترين السفر كعنصر أساسي في التعليم؟

السفر يمدد الآفاق، و يفتح العين على الاختلافات و الامكانات الجديدة، و يعزز القدرة على تقبل الآخر معاختلافه، كما يخلق الحس بالتعاطف. و هذة كلها ميزات نتعطش لها في كل قائد من المستقبل. 

 

ما الذي يجعلك فخورة بعملك في   راستك پاثوايز؟

التعامل مع أشخاص يغادرون برامجنا بآفاق أوسع و تعاطف أكبر مع كل ماهو/من هو مختلف. 

 

ما الذي يجعل من المغرب مكانا مثاليا للتطوع؟ 

‏المغرب ملتقى عدد من الثقافات وهذا يجعل منه مكانا فريدا. ‏فالمغرب هو عبارة عن شجرة ‏متجه الديرة فيأفريقيا لكن أوراقها واغصانها شامخة في أوروبا.

 

ما هو أول شيء يقوم به المشاركون في برامجكم في المغرب؟

‏قد يزورون مسجد الحسن الثاني في الدار البيضاء الذي يظهر المعمار الإسلامي وتفاصيله الموروثة عبرالسنين او يتجهون إلى مدينة مراكش الحمراء حيث ينبهرون بثنايا المدينة القديمة. 

 

ما الذي يجعل تجارب راستك پاثوايز في المغرب فريدة؟

التبادل الثقافي! نعتمد على علاقاتنا المحلية عند تصميم برامجنا التي تمكن تلامذتنا من مقابلة أكبر عددمن المغاربة عن طريق أنشطة مختلفة. 

 

جزء من “روح”  راستك پاثوايز هو خلق علاقات هادفة مع السكان المحليين. ماذا تفعلين للتأكد من ذلك؟ 

العلاقات الإنسانية بالتأكيد!