Page 6 - Rabat Week Two

After an eventful and adventurous weekend, our students came back to school ready to learn more. On Monday students learned more Arabic alphabet and how to connect letters. They were able to spell and write words, and even short phrases. For their Darija lesson, they learned names of places in the community and how to ask for and give directions, which they got to apply during the community conversations and lunch. It is truly amazing to see how much progress they have made in only one week of learning!!

In the afternoon, the students got to meet with the peers from the Outdoors program as well as the Service and Leadership program from the city of Mohamadia. The whole group walked to the beautiful Hilton park, only a 10 minute walk from the center. At the park the students got to know each other through team building activities and games led by the program leaders. They how to make connections that are deeper than the surface level and how to start a conversation with a person they have just met. 

On Tuesday, they learned more reading and writing, and they were able to write more complex short phrases. In Darija they learned the names of some foods and drinks that they can order from the cafés. They had a blast ordering all on their own, negotiating with their waiter, asking for the price and paying, all in Arabic! 

Tuesday afternoon it was all about calligraphy and the art of writing in Arabic. Arabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting known in Arabic as khatt (خط), which is derived from the word 'line', 'design', or 'construction. They learned the different types of script. Kufic is the oldest form of the Arabic script. From an artistic perspective, calligraphy has been linked in the Arabic civilization to various fields such as religion, art, architecture, education and craftsmanship, playing an important role in its advancement. The students got to learn from one of the best artists and calligraphers in Morocco, Mr. Mohammed Boukhana, who taught them the basic strokes and gave them tips on how to perfect their writing.