Women In Our Lives: An anthology

n i n e m Wo s e v i L our

ESSAYS BY YOUNG MOROCCAN WRITERS

Thank you Thank you to our judges, Hodna Nuernberg (The Olive Writers), Julia Mckeown (Peace Corps Morocco), Stephen Weeks (U.S. Embassy Rabat) and Zineb Laadioui (Between the Lines alumnae) for their efforts, And a special thank you to Loubna Arrach (U.S. Embassy Rabat) for her unflagging support and encouragement.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR THREE WINNERS: First prize: Chamss Eddouha El Gouirti, 17, Taounat.

Second Prize:Rania Chellah, 15, Meknes.

Third Prize: Ahmed Baqqal, 19, Fes.

Contributors: Ferdaous Ben Malk,19, Ait Melloule. ................................................................................................ 3 Abd Ennour Alouach, 17, Essaouira. ................................................................................................. 5 Ahmed beqqali, 19, Fez. ..................................................................................................................... 7 Atouani Abdennour, 18, Tendrara. ................................................................................................... 9 Assia Aboulama, 15, Azrou. ................................................................................................................... 11 Aya boukri, 15, Benslimane. ............................................................................................................. 13 Aya yakouti, 15, Azrou. ..................................................................................................................... 15 Aya Zaki, 16, Meknes......................................................................................................................... 17 Firdaous Azzari, 17, Azrou. ............................................................................................................... 20 Boutayna Bouchibti Jaziri, 14, Immouzer Kandar......................................................................... 22 Chamss Eddouha El Gouirti, 17, Touanate. ................................................................................... 24 Diae Mrani, 16, Meknes. ................................................................................................................... 27 Doha Kabbouri, 14, Tendrara. .......................................................................................................... 29 Marwa Hajji Laamouri, 17, Casablanca .......................................................................................... 31 Hamza Ouaddi, 19, Tamesna. .......................................................................................................... 34 Younes Kenbib, 19, Taza. .................................................................................................................. 36 Khaoula Majjati, 18, Azilal................................................................................................................. 39 Marwa Belmadani, 16, Meknes. ....................................................................................................... 41 Meriem Benchalha, 18, Essaouira. ................................................................................................... 43 Mohamed Hammouda, 19, Taza. .................................................................................................... 45 Mouad Ezzahir, 18, Casablanca. ...................................................................................................... 47 Nacer Nafea, 18, Rabat. .................................................................................................................... 49 Nada Bouskouk, 15, Azrou. .............................................................................................................. 51 Othmane El Jadid, 17, Casablanca. ................................................................................................. 53

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Ouassima Tarik, 18, Azilal. ................................................................................................................ 56 Rania Chellah, 15, Meknes. ............................................................................................................. 58 Fatima Ezzahra Oakid, 18, Settat..................................................................................................... 61 Riham Khalfi, 15, Marrakesh............................................................................................................. 63 Soukaina Abou Eljaouad, 16, Benslimane...................................................................................... 65 Soumaya El Haffari, 14, Rabat. ........................................................................................................ 67

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Ferdaous Ben Malk,19, Ait Melloule.

My purple inspiration There are many people in our lives who inspire us directly or indirectly. The woman I am writing about today is the best example for any young or adult lady. She managed to impact a huge number of students, teachers and even ordinary people. And I am one of those people. I met Mrs. Barb Mackraz three years ago during her visit to my high school.

I've heard a lot about her, but meeting her was an exception. Barb is an American lady and she is the creator of Morocco Library Project, which I became a member in later.

Once you meet her you know how kind and optimistic she is, with her friendly smile.

This lady has a great and powerful message she wants to spread, and every member shares the same aim, which is spreading the habit of reading and create as much as possible of libraries around Morocco and in other countries in the continent of Africa.

And her goal has achieved perfectly. I can say that I am the best witness on the success of MLP in the last few years. Because of her, I managed to express myself easily and share my ideas and my thoughts through writing book reviews and essays and sharing them with other people around the world. And the most important is inspiring my community exactly as I got inspired by Barb's passion and her noble aim. A lot of people around me such as friends and relatives became interested as well about books and discovering the world of reading. Also instead of being only a consumer I started thinking about my own project and creating small libraries in my area to share and pass some of my humble experience, so I can touch the effect and see the results around me.

Through the years and the different experiences we live every day, we meet different types of people. There is the one who may frustrate us and underestimate our potentials, and there is the one who heartens and support us even with a good word that can give you great energy and strength to continue with the same level. And this is exactly what my purple inspiration does every day.( I call her purple because it's her favorite color besides, the first library was created was named "Purple Library " ). Thanks to her I was

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able to discover new books and authors, I became me myself a writer. Thanks to MLP and Mrs. Barb I made new friendships. Friends that share the same interests and we have the same goal. We all got inspired with the incredible work Barb does every day and this featured in the impact and the great effect we live in our lives today.

She told me once "Start small with passion, and it will grow". It's absolutely right. And as I like to say always" small ideas can have a big impact " . When I see her hard work and her sacrifice, I know how life and responsibility should be. I've learned a lot through these three years of this experience. I got inspired and I learned how to inspire others . In addition to express my ideas wildly with ne fear.

Finally, I want to send this message to every girl and powerful lady in this universe.

Today's life is more complicated and difficult to impose yourself and show what you can do, so being creative and different will let the world respect you and support you. So be who you are and let your soul shine wherever you go.

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Abd Ennour Alouach, 17, Essaouira.

Iron Women, Strong Women, Pretty Women, Ambitious… All are descriptions of a mother struggling to prove herself, fighting time for her family, for their happiness and success and everything good about them. But no one knows the suffering and sacrifice she endured to become what she is now. Many women embody these descriptions, but this one happens to be my mother.

She is not famous in the world, in any field or in her community. She didn’t write a book summarizing her life to appear on television or tell her story to gain selfsatisfaction from others. She owns a family, maybe a bit big to recognize her efforts. In 1971, Khadija Daoudi was born in a rural village called Talmest of a father working as a merchant and mother of a housewife. She was the eldest daughter and after one year she had a brother. After reaching the age of going to school, she didn’t go like the other girls the same age as her because she had to help her mother with the housework and raising her brothers, which in turn still need nurturing. The years go by and she has not gone to school but is taking on great responsibility for herself. This was the situation for years. Every day her brothers waited until they came back from school, to then take a book and make the most of it; looking and thinking about its content and story. My mom, too, was there, seeing the words but not understanding a thing.

When she was 16 years old, like when all the other girls in the town reach the same age, her parents saw her as a grown up women who must marry, just waiting for a suitable husband. But my mother took another way. She started selling the seeds of Argan, raising chickens to then sell their eggs, and after a while, she started to form herself. She became part of the community along with other people and learned some new life lessons. She completed what she was, at the same time staying involved in her family. She worked with her parents but didn’t ask for money from them. Not looking too much at the business of it all, she began to think about her own life; buy clothes, jewelry, and even traditional beauty products. More important than this though was thinking

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about marriage and starting a family. It didn’t take much time, but she married her cousin who was a working teacher and he taught her some reading and writing. Then she made a promise to teach her children and raise them to have the best education she could give them.

Seeing as though my mother has not studied in her life, she is very careful and motivated to teach us because of the fact that she couldn’t achieve her dreams due to her family circumstances. She is able to influence my thoughts with her own charm and convince me that education is a human need to live a normal life. It is the food of life; it is the highest human experience to deal with the situations you encounter. She encourages us to seek knowledge for self-development so that I communicate with others and exchange information with different foreign cultures. She helps us to discover everything new like when we visit new places, search for information, read stories and scientific books. Sometimes more difficult at times, she supports us financially and morally to achieve our goals and ambitions by seizing the opportunities offered by life.

She recommends us to stick to our values; the values we have learned from her wisdom. To be honest with everyone in our actions and words, do charity and support those in need, and help people, especially children, to learn and fight ignorance to let us improve and develop our society.

My mother remains a strong symbol of women in my mind. She is my role model.

There she is, put right in front of me by the Earth, to work on developing myself to a great extent. I have and will become someone of great standing thanks to ideas inspired by a woman, perhaps this iron, strong, pretty, ambitious mother, who is proof of the saying “women are half of society”.

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Ahmed beqqali, 19, Fez. Our lives are marked by inspiring, strong, resilient women, and when I think of all those traits, the first woman that comes to my mind, is my mother.

My mother died when I was five years old, our memories with her may be short-lived, but her mark is etched to me. She has overcome a turbulent childhood torn between a messy divorce when she was a child and a less-than-caring father that she had to live with starting the tender age of twelve. My mother found herself kicked out of her mother's house after her new step-father exhibited questionable behavior towards her presence, she then travelled all the way to Fez to live with her father. She was astounded to find that her five brothers were uncared for, that their house was an appalling mess with their father nowhere to be found. She then took it upon herself to raise her brothers as their dad went through a series of short marriages with random women and lived a life of extravagance and opulence by himself, only addressing his children to provide financial care.

She worked herself out to the bone to provide care and love to her brothers and study simultaneously. She completed her studies and majored as a pediatrician. She then married my father, who was unemployed at the time, and lived with him, being the sole breadwinner of our household for several years.

My mother was an eccentric woman to say the least, but she was a magnet, with a larger-than-life personality and a magnetic charisma that pulled people towards her, and a sense of humor that could light up the whole town and a smile that could appease the gates of hell. She was strong and resilient, smart and strategic and tender and warm. She raised me to love life and never broke down in the face of adversity.

On a sweltering November evening, she came home with dead look on her face, holding what seems to be test results from a doctor, she sat down on her favorite green sofa and said to our nanny, and her right hand, “I have gastric cancer. Stage three, my chances of survival are slim, Fatima.� I don't recall Fatima's answer to that, but I still remember the look on her face, I still remember how they both looked at me immediately, as if they

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mourned my future before it materialized before their eyes. My mother then proceeded to hold me tight to her chest and then said, in an oddly calm tone “If this is what God wants. Then it is what it is. My children won't suffer with me.� I'll never forget this moment. I was four, but I was aware of what was going on. I've always been aware. This is my curse, I knew too much, too soon. She went on to battle her illness for ten months.

Her smile never left her face throughout this battle and she never made it clear that she was in pain. She celebrated our birthdays, she took us out, she traveled with us as if she wasn't in an excruciating state of being the whole time. Always hopeful, always positive, always strong.

She finally succumbed to her illness on a gloomy July evening, but she left smiling, and surrounded by everyone she loved. She lived loud and died proud. And today, whenever I feel down, I think of her and I think of what she would do if she was here, and I feel a little less beat down. And that is inspiration to me.

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Atouani Abdennour, 18, Tendrara.

An Extraordinary Woman After that my dad passed away in 2013, she addressed to me with watering eyes and serious tone in her voice and said: "your father died, and from now on I don't want you to worry about anything. I will be the mother, the father, and the warm shelter" and so she was.

She is a great mother who provided love and caring. She worries about us like nobody does, when I am sick I can feel her heart beating along with mine, she always says that she wishes she could transfer my pain to her body and take the pain instead of my poor body. All my life she was there for me. She is besides me through my worst days reminding me that no matter how dark it gets, the sun will rise no matter what, you just have to stick to your dream and be strong. My mother was a symbol of generosity.

She never refuses guests; she would make them feel better about themselves instead.

Because of that, she was the center of her neighbors’ attention. That made a huge impact on my life because I knew that happiness is in helping others. In addition to that, she was the responsible father whom I looked after.

Although she is just a regular Moroccan woman who never went to school, she managed her family excellently. She never made us feel poor. And whenever the family faces troubles, she always manages to find solutions with a big smile. My mother is the thinking mind of our little family; she is the one to take hard decisions for all of us.

Furthermore, she is the safe shelter in which I feel like my soul is peaceful, since she was like the protector of the family.

She defends me when she knows I am right and sacrifices all she has in order to raise responsible and successful grown ups. She always guided me with advice keeping me out of the danger zone. I recall one day I asked her: “how can I make it for you for all

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the beautiful things you did for me?” She simply said : “never say that again! Have you ever seen a cloud asking the beautiful flowers to pay it back for the rain? Of course not!

My biggest wish is to see you all grown and successful and see you helping those who are in need and seeking the truth.”

She always tells me to stick to my books and studies because it is the key to success and a portal to a better life. So she decided to be literate as well. Consequently she joined illiteracy fighting classes. I saw something in her eyes; it was the strong will of learning. Everyday I saw her fighting against the letters and the numbers in her book to prove that if she can do it. I can do it too. Day by day, I started getting more confident because of her encouragement. Her smile makes everyone in the family happy and brings peace. One of my huge goals in life is to never let that smile disappear. I always try to keep her happy because I know that my happiness is in keeping her happy and as long as she smiles, I know that life is still good. And watching her working hard to make my siblings and I feel comfort and not in need pushed me to achieve my full potential.

Consequently I work harder in school in order to repay her in the future when becoming successful. I am proud to be a son of an extraordinary woman.

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Assia Aboulama, 15, Azrou.

Each one has got his own best example and so I've got mine. She is completely different and doesn't care at all except of something bad. And this is one of the reasons why I’ve chosen her as my favorite pattern. I will start describing her according to her confusing number 12, which is something of her career, it seems a bit strange but it is a number that holds all the difficulties and talented abilities which she encountered and confronted during the university studies. 12 years refer to real happenings in her life such as; becoming a bit wiser the age of 12, starting sport ° gym° at the age of 12 , and many other things . As the situations fluctuated and she faced psychological, social and intellectual difficulties and she was becoming more powerful , and with a little of challenge and steadfastness she was able to overcome everything that was an obstacle in front of her with the help of Her parents who are the best stimulating treasure a person can get .

She faced barriers wherever she went, but she would not retreat. The barriers in a game are entertainment and fun, the person increases the level of his intelligence which leads to enthusiasm and thrill and so the game develops to sharpen the talent in life. Since she is a woman, the hurdles are numerous in front of her as she crosses, just because her nature is more sensitive and this is not due to the fundamental difference that belongs to thought, she has realized good results after hard trials, which has its own characteristics in the composition of the woman we are speaking about. It is not correct to say that time is harsh, there is no harsher than the human being on himself, moreover , talking about it by going beyond the concept that is common among all members of society is just a waste of time and for every opinion freedom of expression. Our freedom depends on the beginning of the freedom of the other and this is obvious, but the desire to draw attention to the severity of hard-ship besides her simplicity and our disregard for the meaning refer to our mental failure to employ the terminology in the form and much difference in content. And this concept of hard-ship that she was facing as she struggles to achieve her goals has helped her to succeed. for success in our life we need support

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containing someone who believes in our abilities and our dreams. Sometimes the words change the mood to the best or the worst but unfortunately this majority of people are using words to break the goals and to try to put a lot of negative ways within you but by ignoring them you will become more trustful and self-confident because you can defy your failure in many attempts but you will become the best just trust yourself and ignore negative people Every person in this life has got a goal to reach. we like the personality to be usually up or at least attracting when we confront similar peers .evidently we differ a lot from one to another even within the same family members and of course we never find a twin state of ideas and thoughts . People are not alike logically understood . Thus, someone thinks that his humanity is linked to wealth; if he is penniless he is naught and won’t enjoy his existence anymore. Also he can’t communicate easily with others and so won’t feel as a human. However an expert knows the importance of creating working and discovering. Life goes and good ones make more efforts while the bad does nothing except trying to imitate only his doomsday wills.

If you have noticed something, I am only given information in previous statements, as if I am not talking about a person, but in fact all the words are from this woman because this is all that I have benefited in my life thanks to her, so I have preferred to express it in order to benefit will from her experience. This woman practices three services in her life , she is a sport woman, an English teacher and a writer .Also this is nice to change the routine of life, in her sport activity . In fact, she doesn't face any problem she is loved by everyone and is helpful. When she teaches she is very sophisticated and is not hard with the students. Instead, the smile doesn't leave her mouth no matter what happens.

Concerning the writing, I think it is the best part for her because it empties everything inside her and puts it between the pages to complete all the negatives by trying not to hurt anyone. Now this is the time to tell you about this perfect woman who will be left in the thought of something special. She is my aunt and this is something awesome . I am proud of being her sister's daughter . The words will not describe how much I have benefited from her in my life.it is really something amazing.

And this was the story about my pattern .

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Aya boukri, 15, Benslimane.

Women are so special in our life .they are the source of love, peace, compassion, and kindness in every home. No society can live without women, Because they are playing an active role in all the areas, where women make up half of society.

Thanks to them men are successful , thanks to their sincerity life becomes easy and great . Thanks to them , Children can learn many noble values .They are the reason for our existence in this life and the reason behind our success. They give us tenderness and teach us patience, it is very difficult but women do this unconditionally. They can do anything just to make their children, family and husbands happy. Being a mother and a Wife at the same time is difficult task, yet they can make it without any waiting for an exchange. They are the source of inspiration for many of us. Accordingly, there are many women who have inspired me and played a big role in my life. My aunt is one of them. She has a great impact on my life and thanks to her I have learned a lot of things. Also my teacher of primary school who taught me many things; she was like my old sister and I will never forget her and the fact that she was very hard working. Also my mother who is the greatest woman that marked my life. Indeed, my mother is the light of my eyes, and my soul. She has always encouraged me to work hard, No matter how I go through difficult conditions and obstacles in this life. She taught me to be optimistic, and not to be selfish. She is my best friend who loves me more than everyone doe. She cares a lot about me and I cannot imagine my life without her. She is everything and I am nothing without her. Actually, I always consider her my heroine because of her intelligence and elegance. Her looks can make me happy, can make me smile, and can make me feel better. Thanks to her I have learned so many great things: like how to be strong, and to live with many values such as love, honesty, devotion, loyalty and peace . My mother always turned my sadness into happiness. I love her character and her personality especially. She is the one whom I tell my secrets. I tell her how was my day in details. We share the good and the bad, when I have some problems she helps me to solve them and to depend on myself, She is the only person whom I trust 13

too much. When I want to do something I remember her pieces of advice, and her words which are engraved in my heart. When I need her at anytime, she is ready to hear me and support me. She is the only person who does this with me.

I tell her my worries , and my happiness. Thanks to her my father and my sisters are happy and successful in their lives. I’m happy to have a good mother like her and she knows how much I love her. I thankful to my God because he gave me an expensive gift and it is the best gift in my life and my aim is to be like my mother, I hope to achieve this goal. The goal to be a great person to help my future kids and to raise them with all the love I got in my heart to teach them how to think and to open up their minds and to make this sad world a little bit happier and peaceful .

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Aya yakouti, 15, Azrou.

Many of us believe that heroes are rare, perhaps because Hollywood has never ceased to tell us about their large muscle or other qualities an ordinary person couldn't hope to aspire to, but I’ve seen so many that it can’t be so. I've seen teenagers as heroes of kindness, showing the kind of perseverance that would rival any fictional character. I've seen young men helping strangers in the street whenever possible. I've seen people of all religions and ethnicities pouring their time and money into charity, into the homeless and volunteering at schools. Yes, I’ve seen heroes, but none of them rivaled her, she might not have super strength, or laser eyes. She couldn't possibly read minds or move things without touching them. But she always was there for me, and for that I’m forever grateful. She is my mother.

I like to think back to the time when I was a child. How shy and uncomfortable i was back then. With cheeks that always seemed flushed and curls that danced a lively dance when i lumbered along to catch up with my mother, my legs were weak and frail that they couldn’t even carry me, it was only a matter of time before I stumbled, my limbs grew heavier every moment, but before I’d fall, she would catch me, her grip tender, yet firm. She would smile at me, and tell me to try again, who would’ve thought that learning how to walk would be as difficult? But I couldn’t be discouraged by my first poor attempts, I would try again and again, and she would laugh at me over and over, until I finally walked with no difficulties. She giggled, clapping her hands at my long awaited victory. Her laugh sounded like a birdsong, so sweet and joyful. It was as if her sound lifted a veil from my eyes that allowed me to see the world more clearly. It's funny how laughter can do that, those honest rumblings of the soul.

My mother was fond of surprises -and she still is, as a matter of fact- , each day a multitude of tiny little things, mostly insignificant. And yet they made me smile from toes to lips. Which hand held my cookie? Which way would we walk our way to school?

Would it be splashing in puddles or leaping over? It was a real delight; those daily

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adventures.. I can still sense her excitement seeing a simple flower or the light that played upon the path. In a life so ordinary it was her that was extraordinary, not because she was given so much, yet because she made it that way. As the baker turns flour and water to bread, as God turns seed and water to flower, mother turned the mundane into fascination and love; she was my heaven, my superhero.

As years flew by, I began realizing the horrors of life, that wasn’t as bright and shiny as I formerly thought it was. My childhood was nothing but calm before the storm, and the storm indeed came. In this storm that howls, she was the gentle breeze. And so I constantly came to rest at her side. Every person needs a harbor, a secure attachment of love - for without one we are in such a pain, so lost and confused. And then life becomes a torture we are expected to endure, surviving, not living. Were it not for her, my beloved mother, there would be no relief, no emotional morphine. She was - and still – is my hero. What less could she be? She is safety and love, an anchor I always hold onto, that I tether myself to because I want to. There were times when I felt like an utter failure, when everything felt so wrong that i would just believe that I’ve had enough, but before I could even see it coming, she would pop in and convince me otherwise. And right when I think everyone would leave, I would still find her, as the one and only person who stood with me through thick and thin. My mother is my tutor, my life coach, and my best friend.

If it wasn’t for her, I would be nothing like what i am now; I would surely be empty, hollow; where would my safe harbor be, away from the gales and the storms? Who would shield me from despair? Who would stand by my side when the night comes?

Therefore, a future without her would be no future at all, truly unfathomable. She is part of my being; her love had seeped into my skin and rested in my bones. I loved her since the moment my eyes fluttered open, and I will still do, until they shut forever.

There isn’t a person in existence who can love you the way your mother does, and if you think there is, you’re merely deluding yourself. No one would care the way your mother does. No one would put your benefit before their own, no one but her. Your mother is your shelter, your guardian; your forever home... always with an open door, the key is always in your pocket, and her love is always yours. A mother’s love is a divine gift, some beings don’t have the fortune to know it. Those who have it should appreciate it, before they lose it too.

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Aya Zaki, 16, Meknes.

When I first heard about the ‘Women in our lives’ essay contest, and that participants need to write an essay about a woman who in their eyes is an inspiring role model and had a special influence on their lives, the first person that came to my mind wasn’t my mom surprisingly, it was my older sister Soumaya. I know Soumaya will be shocked a bit when she finds out that I’m writing this essay about her, that I chose her as the special woman in my life. I didn’t choose my mom because, let’s face it, mothers have lots of responsibilities that require their attention these days. So it’s only fair to talk about my sister who has been there to inspire me.

I bet you are wondering why she would be shocked like I first mentioned.

Well, it’s not that she’s not special and worth writing about, but it’s the fact that we don’t get along with each other a lot. She’s 6 years older than me so I guess the age difference is why we sometimes argue on stupid things. She’s always older and wiser and I’m always young and immature. But of course, in the end of every argument, we return to normal, no fights, just two sisters who talk and laugh with each other. I assume that’s how most sisters are.

I’ve always asked myself how is it possible that the woman whom I argue and fight with; whom I don’t get along with, is the same woman who has made a huge influence on my life, and made me want to be exactly like her; and wish to have the same life she has or at least a similar life. Truth is when I was younger, I solely believed that my sister lived a life full of success and great opportunities, impressive school grades; friends and family who showered her with love and care; … I thought she never had a single problem; that she was always so .. Perfect. Growing up through the years, however, I begun to understand the fact that nobody is perfect. Regardless of the successes Soumaya has achieved, she had her ups and downs like anyone else. However, She was able to study hard, get a great career and a good salary from that; a loving home and husband. Isn’t this what we all dream of?

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I want to study hard like my sister, and get my baccalaureate with an impressive grade, which should provide me with a great future, a comfortable job, and a home … no husband just yet for me! I’m mostly inspired by my sister because all these accomplishments and more weren’t presented to her on a silver platter; I know she’s been through a lot of struggles to achieve them. Even though, we weren’t close, I could tell she went through a lot of problems but somehow always managed to get over them, she suffered so much, and fought hard for what she wanted, something I try to learn myself. People used to envy her on her intelligence, on her school progress… They envied her so much when she got the chance to go study in America for a whole year. It’s normal to envy her on something they will never achieve. The opportunity she was given to study abroad was amazing; I hope I get the chance to do it one day as well. Soumaya came back with a lot of positive energy from her year of exchange, for someone who had to be a year behind everyone else in school. All her friends had got their baccalaureate while she was away, but she never saw that as a bad thing. She was strong for going all alone to a new country; being a Moroccan Muslim girl who wears the Hijab and prays five times a day must have been very hard. After she finished high school with a good grade, she started her education in a good college, then she was lucky enough to get a job after graduating, and she finally got married and settled away from us leaving an empty spot in our house and hearts.

I believe my sister is living the life she always wanted, and I’m happy for her.

People envy her for that too. I remember hearing different things at her wedding that showed me how so many wanted to be in her place. I admire how she never gave up though, no matter what people said. She never cared much for people anyway, because it wasn’t her fault that they were too busy watching her succeed in her life that they did nothing with their own. I never envied her, or hated her, I always encouraged her, and prayed for her to be happy and I always will.

Soumaya is my idol, my number one role model, and if it wasn’t for the ‘women in our lives’ essay contest, she would never learn of my admiration to her. But I love her, and I will always be there for her, because I know she will always be there for me. In fact, she’s the one who told me about this contest, because she never ceases to share opportunities with me and want me to live my life to the fullest. I wonder who she

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would write about if she could participate, but that doesn’t matter much! What matters is that she’s the woman in my life. She’s my idol and will always be.

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Firdaous Azzari, 17, Azrou.

We all know women who have broken barriers. who have inspired us to try to do the impossible and reach for the stars. While some of these women are famous, we find more right in our own communities who influence us to realize our full potential and lead by their example.

I am inclined to believe that finding a person who has a significant impact one’s life may take years before we fully understand the magnitude of that person’s influence, years of taking the little things that person does for granted‌

For me, it took me

seventeen years to realize what an extraordinary influence my mother has been on my life ; my mother who has greatly impacted my life, she has stood beside me through thick and thin. I know that as long as she is her she will stand beside me to love and support me unconditionally as she has done all these years.

To tell you the truth, my mother divorced my father when i was 11 years old ; and as we know divorce, is a possible condition in family life, requires many mothers to raise their children alone, and thus find themselves facing many challenges, the most important of which is the raising of children girls or boys in a healthy environment that provides them with balance both psychologically and existentially.

My mother is one of them, she found herself facing the burden of supporting our family on one hand, managing our affairs and playing a dual role with us, and finding herself forced to fill the void left by my father in our lives.

Apart from that, in order to be able to provide us with housing, food and clothing, she went every night to wash the dishes at parties for a cheap price ; also to pay study fees she deprived herself of everything. And this is one of the most difficult roles my mother has ever faced.

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Although, she did not give up on us. She is the kind of mother who always has time for me and for my brother, it’s because of her that i am who I am who I am today, behind my choices, my character, my values and behind me proudly stands my mother.

All throughout my childhood I have been closer to my mother than I am to my father, she has been an amazing friend to me, but an even better parental figure.

Laying down the rules for me and establishing boundaries when needed. It is because of the love and respect I have for my mother that I am now, cautious of the choice I make. I cherish the approval and fear her disappointment in me. I feel confident that all the lessons he has taught me and the advice she has given me, will continue to shape my standards and values in life.

Moreover, she have been taught me that honesty integrity, hard work and respect should be constituted into daily living, and that to get what we want in life, we have to earn it.

Now that I am tall enough to understand that my mother is able to overcame adversity, and accomplish all that she has, inspires me every day to make myself a better person. I greatly admire her strength and strong will, and I am extremely proud to be her daughter.

And in my mother’s words, we only get one chance to live our lives, so it is up to take what we have and move forward in life. Our future is not set in stone ; we create the path of our own destiny.

As a general rule for me, my mother is a person who impacted my life who can’t be replaced by anyone.

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Boutayna Bouchibti Jaziri, 14, Immouzer Kandar.

The woman who has impacted my life the most is my mother, Fatima. She was born in the city of Al Hoceima. Her father was a soldier and her mother was a housewife. She has two older brothers, a younger brother and two younger sisters. When she was four years old, her father died. In order to support her family, my grandmother had to work in the fields. She stopped going to school in third grade to help raise her sister Rachida.

Because she never returned to school, she forgot how to read. When she was 15 years old she started working at home making clothes from wool for her family.

One day, she went to Fes because her aunt was sick. There she met her aunt’s neighbor, my father. After two months they were engaged and after a year they were married. They lived in Fes for four years before they moved to our village, Ait Sebaa. My mom miscarried her first two babies. My sister Nihad was born when she was twenty-five years old, my sister Nidal was born when she was twenty-six years old and I was born when she was 30 years old. At first, my mother made clothes from wool and my father sold them to support us. However, after a few years, they opened a small restaurant. Everyday my mother cooks all the food and my dad serves it. She also cleans the house, makes our food and does the laundry My mom is like my best friend. She is kind, honest and very social, but is also very serious and can become stressed. When my sisters and I were young she would sometimes punish us but only if we were being naughty. Before the restaurant, she didn’t have any time to raise us because she was working all day, so she asked a woman from our family to help her raise us. She always did things like this. She suffered greatly in order to her raise us to the best we could be. She deprives herself of many things so that we would not be deprived of them.

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Our mother takes care of us physically and mentally. When we were sick our mom would stay up with us and treat us with herbs. I have never seen a doctor because my mother took care of me so well and has kept me healthy. She always makes sure to feed us the best healthy food. She has encouraged me to learn and to expand my knowledge. My mother taught me to value education so I work very hard in school. I’m the first in my school in English and the second in French.

My mom told me she wants me to do well in school because education will give me a higher quality of life. She never finished school, that’s why she wants me to finish. She never pressured me to marry early or become a mother. When I tell her about my dreams for the future, she always supports me and tries to help me achieve them.

Sometimes I think about what my life would be like if I had another mother. Maybe I would be engaged or I would not be doing well in school because I wouldn’t have a mom who encourages me. Because of this my mother is my idol. I hope one day to repay all her sacrifices and make her proud. I love her from the bottom of my heart. She faced a range of difficulties in her life but in spite of all this has succeeded in giving her daughters good lives. My mother inspires me to break barriers.

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Chamss Eddouha El Gouirti, 17, Touanate.

The power of a woman My community is filled with strong women. Khadija, my aunt, happens to be one of them. She might even be the strongest. She inspires me. She makes me believe in myself and be strong when everything seems to be going wrong. Her smile gives me power, and she always tells me, “Stay positive even when your whole world is falling apart.”

Life has knocked her down a few times, and showed her things she never wanted to see.

She experienced sadness and failure, but one thing is for sure: Khadija always gets back up.

She spent her childhood in a small village, but went to school in a city far away from her family. She felt lonely, frustrated, and anxious. When she got her baccalaureate degree, she suffered from a disease which made her hair fall out and caused her psychological trauma. Now she doesn’t have eyebrows or eyelashes or any hair at all, but I still see her as my beautiful role model with her blue eyes. There was no effective treatment to stop this sickness. Khadija accepted her new shape, but society didn’t. She was harassed, was subject to insults, was treated mercilessly, and she lost a lot of her friends because of something she didn’t want or choose.

At the age of 23, after studying in university, my aunt worked in a cabling company in Tangier and after in another city called Bouznika where she met her husband who originally seemed open-minded. He was a personal guard. She thought she would live the perfect love story, but after marriage the story of torment began.

At the age of 29, she started taking medicine to make her hair grow again, but it affected her eyesight, so she stopped the treatment. After three years of marriage, she become

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pregnant, but sadly her baby was stillborn. One year later, she gave birth of a new baby, a little moon with yellow hair like sunshine, named Mohammed Rabie.

At work, my aunt faced many problems. She was blackmailed. Her boss made her choose between doing dishonest things or being fired, and she was sexually harassed. So she no longer worked in that company, which eventually went bankrupt.

Then, she gave birth to her second child with green eyes like emerald, Saad. During this time, my aunt worked in a private school to save her family because her husband’s wages were not enough. This man was not much of a husband. He was abusive and insulted her for no reason. He even forced her to resign only to prove his manliness and power that he never possessed. Their financial situation became too weak. They didn’t have enough money to pay rent or bills, so they moved to live with her husband’s brothers at a house without electricity, without water to drink, and without happiness.

My aunt was patient for her little angels so she hid those problems from her family, but the situation worsened. That unjust man began to accuse her of betrayal. He even expressed doubts about his young son and his wife’s faithfulness in addition to calling her “bald,” “good-for-nothing,” “whore,” and even threatening her with knife. A weak man can’t love a strong woman.

As a result, the children and their mother suffered mentally and psychologically. Her smile disappeared, and she forgot the taste of joy. That’s why my aunt decided to escape this scorn. On the first night of Ramadan, she took her sons to her family’s home where she decided to divorce that psychopathic man.

Indeed, she broke the handcuffs of injustice and started a new happy life with her children. Now she works as a teacher and lives in bliss with her sons. Saad is 6-years-old, and Mohammed Rabie is 8. Saad is the best student in his class , but Mohammed Rabie is still recovering from the trauma and suffering.

My aunt is a woman who is strong enough to face it all. A woman who has confronted all the challenges in life on her own, picked herself back up and wiped her own tears.

She rose above and grew from things that were meant to break her. She became

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stronger than she seems, braver than she believes, smarter than she thinks, and she is loved more than she will ever know.

I adore talking with her. She makes me feel capable of facing the word. I have learned so much from her like taking time to get to know myself and to know exactly what I want in life, being honest and respecting others who deserve it, realizing that nothing is perfect but being proud of myself with all my imperfections nonetheless, knowing my worth and not acting kindly towards those who hurt me with their words or actions, and eventually being with the right man who respects me and loves me and looks at me like a woman with ideas and ambition, not as a mere body fit only for reproduction.

At last, I want to tell Khadija this: you’re a diamond, dear. No one can break you. And I want to tell all the woman of the world: much love, much respect. Remember who you are, and show the universe what you can do.

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Diae Mrani, 16, Meknes.

It’s her my source of inspiration….And who else would ever get to be? She’s the one who changes the world for better day by day …to better put it, the world wouldn’t be this way without her. If only i could write about her using golden ink, but unfortunately, all I have now are some algorithms to tap in order to get some letters that would translate my thoughts into words.

Today , I’m going to hold on to this keyboard and try to write about the GREATEST woman i can ever know ! The woman who gave me birth, the woman who offered me the chance to live, and who sacrificed all her life for the sake of mine : Mum <3 Her life started as a simple girls just like others ,a child with dreams, and an adult with ambitions, she worked hard to make her only dream come true :to become a teacher at the university. However, when she got the chance to make it, she refused, and do you know why ? It’s because of us ;me and my brothers ;she thought that we were still young and that we still need her by our sides. Therefore, she gave up on it, even if she knew that it was her chance to realize her only dream. She chose to stay with us, to teach and educate us, to hold us in her arms when we come back from school, to give us the opportunity to sleep on her warm chest whenever we need it, to support us when no one does, and to make us smile while everyone’s causing our sadness.

Mommy…She’s the sun that brightens my day ,the nurse that heals my illness, the ear that never gets tired of hearing my voice no matter how annoying it gets, the psychologist to analyze my personality, to tell me how to perfect myself, the solution to all my problems, and the only one to wipe my tears. My mother is the only one caring about me, the one who worries about my matters without even thinking of hers..She’s the light of my darkness, and the motivation that makes me strong and helps me face all those struggles with brave !

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Hold on…I guess you are wondering now what is inspiring about this ? Well, it’s okey ,I’m going to tell you something :I’m someone who believes deeply that love is the key to everything !If we want to succeed in life, we should love what we do, if we want to reach happiness, we must share love around us .And my mu mis the heart full of love, the brain ready to produce more and more oxytocin, and she’s the school that teaches me how to love, and that sacrifice is nothing else but a way to express our affection.

What it was about her that made me the best version of myself ? It’s all those things she sacrifices day by day for the sake of the ones she loves. Whenever i think of it deeply ,i get to realize that i’m able to achieve anything and everything i want only by sacrificing, in the end sacrifice isn’t a negative thing as we see it for most of the time .She taught me how to be a strong girl, to face challenges and to be both a girl with a sweet soul and a woman with an iron heart , to fulfill many roles at the same time, to serve myself as well as developing the society ,she educated me to be honest with myself and treat the others just like i want to be treated, and what i should really mention is that she’s the one supporting me to improve my skills !Mum is the energy that pushes me to work hard, the hope that keeps me alive, and that’s especially why i decided to write about HER today !

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Doha Kabbouri, 14, Tendrara.

Fatiha: My Inspiration, Role Model, and My Mother.

Fatiha Kabbouri is beautiful, kind, and honest. I never heard her lie and I hope she will not. She loves the truth and this is one of her advantages.

I am polite, positive and intelligent. I am all of this because of my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support, encouragement, and her push for me to do and be at my best at all time.

She solves problems and teaches me how to face difficulties.

She is a leader and serious. She teaches us to be independent. She loves and cares for us, with her we are never in need of anything. She is patient and helpful, and she is always present in the time of need. She is wise and helps us understand life by leading us away from the same mistakes she made herself. Her beautiful smile and strong personality complement the fact that she is wonderful mother.

The fact the she is a women never stops her from whatever she wants to accomplish. She teaches us that women and men are equal and encourages us to always give our opinions even in the company of men. She not only wants us to believe that we are equal but she wants us to practice it in life even though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not easy.

She is a protector and would give anything to make sure those she loves are safe. She is a truly a grace blessed by God. She is the reason why I smile and I too would do anything to make her happy and proud. I cannot imagine my life without her; she remains the most influential and important person in my life.

She is the light that illuminates my way and the very air that I breathe. She is smart, intelligent and seems to find a way where there is no way. She makes sure we do our duties and makes sure we have all the tools we need to do them well. From watching her Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come to learn that I can accomplish anything as long as I work hard.

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She always tells me to try my best in school and always reminds me of the importance of education and knowledge. She herself never got the chance to finish high school but she encourages all her children, especially her daughters, to reach above and beyond what women in her time could only dream of. She reminds me “stand of your own feet so you don't depend on anyone, and take responsibility for all your success and avoid failures.”

She has shown me how to be kind and generous. I help those in need when I am able to and because of her example. She also taught me to love and respect others, first and foremost, my elders. I am better person because of her, not just in words but in my actions as well.

Words cannot express how beautiful she is, she is the most beautiful thing in the world.

She is a star in my eyes because she is herself all the time and she always wants to change for the better. She was the one who taught me “ fault is not in the fall and failure but in not trying.”

She is wise and my hero. She is more than a mother; she is a friend, my best friend.

When I am sick she looks after me, when I am sad she comforts me, when I am sad she hugs me. A single and me hug from her takes all my sadness away.

I wish from all my heart and pray that Allah will protect her. She is my inspiration, my role model; she is the best woman I know.

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Marwa Hajji Laamouri, 17, Casablanca -------------17 years ago-------Ring Ring Ring ! Slow steps approached behind the closed door. But that, I couldn’t have aknowledged for sure, I was wrapped up in a cosy furr cover, deeply asleep, occasionaly tore out of the magical world of dreams. As dreams and reality blurred into one confusing mixture of senses, I could still make out but one well known feeling : the warm arms of « yaya ». At the time, my mouth and throat, joining forces, could only bable a few sounds. However, luckily, I stayed around long enough to eventually give a name to the woman who woke up every day to take me from my mother s arms and take care of me for the rest of the day. That name, even though childish, I have kept until now in fact.

To that name I also owe the recognition by everyone of the special relationship that links us. « The little daughter of Saadia », that’s what others call me.

--------The present moment-------I have two mothers, and two families. It is what I have always told everyone. Who could have predicted that the woman who was only supposed to be there for a very short period of time, would always be in my heart ?! Probably all of those who knew her.

Our relationship evolved naturally. Not a day would pass without me climbing the stairs two by two to get to her appartment on the third floor. Arrived there, I would feel like home, no in fact that is too far from reality, for I had never thought there was a difference between my actual home and there. When I was younger I used to go on my own, but as I grew older and began to bring loads of homework home, I started to go whenever time would permit it with my mom. Unfortunately, time will never again allow me to pay her a visit for her presence on earth is sealed in the past : she passed away last year. However a little trip down the memory lane will surely be enough to peint you

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an accurate enough portray of the dazzling person she was. Therefore I welcome you to take a sit and drop a look at my pensieve (magical object used in Harry potter to review memories).

---------5 months before her passing away, at home------I lift my head to check the time on the clock, it’s 8 P.M. I know I still have homework to do but I can’t let a precious day slip from my hands without seeing those I love. « Mom, it’s time to go I think ». As I close the door behind us, my mom warns me that she’s tired and that she won’t be staying too long. Arrived at the last stair, I look for light under the front door to make sure they are home, then I ring. « It’s me ! » The door slides open and I hug « tati » (her daughter). «Yayaaa » I cheerfuly say as I jump to hug her. As usual, she asks me about how school is doing. Ever since I had started school, she would push me to be the best I could, and God she was proud when I did succeed. I Remember her asking me to teach her french. She has never had the chance to go to school as a child, which is why she is illiterate. Though, she isn’t that easily brought down. She got into a literacy class in a mosque. Now, she can read and write. The corners of her mouth stretch into a smile as the formalities come to an end. « I am participating in the writing of a Quran ». The glitch in her eyes is the same one you see in a child’s eyes looking at an ice cream. The spirit and the eagerness of a young soul moved that body.

Tati enters the cozy room after she was in the balcony : « I wonder when the quarrels created by the people in this building will finally stop ! ». It’s been a while since things haven’t been doing so well in our building and obviously it concerns us all, however yaya takes it holds the matter a little bit closer to her heart : « It’s the same old story with the same old person ! Is he really not going to leave the syndicate, he has already ruined it all. They’re really are no men in this building. They’re all a herd of goats and sheep. If they just leave it to the women, this building would become the best in the neighborhood ». Jumping from her seat and with a heat in her voice and tone, all I can say is that she isn’t afraid to express her opinion- « That’s it ! Starting of today, I refuse to pay for the syndicate. » - nor to pass to action.

Suddenly she turns to me concerned « But have you eaten yet ?! Go take some fruits from the kitchen, now » That last sentence feels more like an order than a suggestion,

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which is why I execute myself on the moment. Walking back from the kitchen through the corridor, my eyes meet the clock and the needle pointing to 11 oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock. With the terrible school morning thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waiting for me in mind, I urge my mom to leave although it tears my heart to have to break the insane laughs that were resonating in the room. I guess yaya is feeling the same for she begs us to stay just a little more. As easily persuaded as we are, we agreed to participate in the extension of a laughing and joking session. Better than the therapist I assure you !

------------The present moment--------Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all for today. I hope the strength of the ever-lasting personality of hers has been well depicted. She possessed a character that pushes the boundaries of time, for it has forever been anchored in me.

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Hamza Ouaddi, 19, Tamesna.

In this era of time, not everyone still knows the real definition of word “appreciation”, and that what lacks humanity in general, and appreciation can be toward so many things and persons, in the 8th of March we people and in all over the globe, we celebrate Women’s day, but what we really should know that women should be celebrated and appreciated every single day of our lives.

My god blessed me with a wonderful lady that took the responsibility and the mission of being my mother, she was born and raised in the country side, so she was going through everything but comfortable circumstances, from what she was telling me that my grandfather used to charge her with hard tasks in farming and taking care of cows and sheep, and he would beat her if she failed to do something of what he asked , my grandmother did not have many choices in front of the anger of my grandfather, so she couldn’t do much about my mother , so when my mum turned fifteen years old, my father in somehow proposed and she said “YES” , she was in love with him even though she was still young , but those hard circumstances would turn anybody into a mature human being , but she loved him and maybe saw it as her way out of that misery. After that and within two years of marriage, she gave birth to me, and she was only seventeen when she had me in her arms, she told me that she had no idea of how to diaper me or how to properly feed me, because she was away of her home, and my father had to work in another city so she was by herself with my aunt who was younger than her, so she was almost not counted as a big help, and things were a bit hard with shortage of money and poor conditions my parents we’re suffering from.

She could have left me somewhere in a train station or maybe in a driveway of a fancy villa, or easily she could have gotten rid of me in her first month, but guess what? this lady was the best example of a WOMAN and stayed by my side all the time and fought side to side with my father and they made it out of that hard position into a great family,

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and today we’re not only three family members, but we are five members, now I have two siblings who caught our family train.

Her power, her patience and stamina to take in all these hard times she was facing, and in return she gave love and warm home to my dad who turned to be her “lifesaver” as she stated, and me the fruit of their love, my siblings the joy of our family. All those factors of hers made me feel stronger and so lucky that I have her around me, and I see her as an icon to be respected and APPRECIATED. If anyone who can live in bad circumstances and produce and give for free an unlimited source of love and ambition and harmony to our society, that would be a WOMAN.

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Younes Kenbib, 19, Taza.

Aisha: The Legend

Life is a big novel; between its lines it holds several deep secrets and mesmerizing stories which are closer to imagination than reality. Let us take a leap into the dark ages of this “Cherifian Empire” history, where courage was the best weapon, faith the real Excalibur, and religion the most effective shield… In the name of the most Merciful, and the most Beneficent, she solemnly swore to lead her life upon His obedience. She is a free white bird who lost his track and got stuck in our Planet. Every passing day was an opportunity for her to call her Creator and ask him for the right way to visit her eternal home.

Although she knows that she is already following the right path, she perseveres keeping contact with God five times a day, dedicating half of it to worshipping God, and the other half to yearning for the values she was raised upon: Freedom, Pride, and Resistance; this was the motto she inherited from her predecessors, and this is the motto of the whole Moroccan nation. This is a brief story that will shed the light on the person who helped on forging the puzzle of my personality and mind. Throughout this story, we will learn about one of many other forgotten legends who helped expulsing the Imperial powers in the era of the Moroccan Protectorate, a woman who stood tall for her country to emancipate it from the yoke of colonialism. She held the name of one of the Prophet’s wives and with it she held traits of her character as well. Aisha was her name; “Mima” is what everyone calls her.

In a country who never knew how to bend the knee, with women and men who never knew how to kneel to Imperial injustice Aisha was born. Unfortunately for her, she was born in the middle of a vortex of injustice, oppression, and darkness led by Imperial powers. Fortunately for her, she was raised in a climate of justice, of freedom, and righteous values. The Moroccan nation’s loyalty relies with “Amir Al Muminin", letting an intruder wreaking havoc in our lands was never been part of our Doctrine. Even when the

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darkness of the night covered the holly sky, she believed that stars will shine to illuminate the way, and so she spent her nights under the shiny belt of Orion holding the two weapons her Father entrusted her with while he was in his mission of liberating the country. A very old rusty gun and a Coran was all she had. Hence, it was all she needed to protect the six souls her father entrusted her with. The first one represented the courage she had, and the second one was her faith. One was to defend her family and the other one was to pray for all her nation. She was the eldest, the bravest, fearful from no one but her God. Dutiful to her parents and to the cause, disobedience was a word unfound in her dictionary. That is how she is and that is the path she always follows.

Pious as ever, fearing no one but her real creator, the one who witnessed her existence and the one who blessed her with existence. Her whole life was dedicated to Him. God has ninety nine names but His most famous one is Allah.

The dark night has tented on the human world again and this time with no stars to give hope for a tomorrow. The moon was pale as a human’s face while throwing up all the drinks he mixed for the night, and the shadows of the night were engulfing Earth and roaming night free. Lost in her thoughts, the darkness of the night, and oblivion, she narrated stories tome.

She wanted me every time to listen very carefully, get morals of everything she said, and unravel the hidden secrets between the lines she spoke. She said: “Moroccans at the time knew one way; they have endured the pain and continued on fighting for their principles, for their rights, for and with their King until they thrived and earned what they have aspired for, Freedom and Justice”. I looked straight to her grayish eyes, while a maleficent shadow of light gave more beauty to the platinum inside her abyss. Her eyes held a black raven in her iris, stained with a color of coal that engulfs you between its wings like a blanket, while her orbs scintillated with a roguish sparkle giving a mischievous umber that could be seen from her eyelashes. Her eyes imprisoned a deep sorrow which cloaked her eyes and played on the depth of her mind. I, with a very excited tone replied: “Tell me more Mima… Tell me more!!” Time had begun to dissolve into itself, as shapeless as the rain while she was narrating stories of the glorious martyrs who died yearning for

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Independence. Meanwhile, having this intimate conversation with her made my eyes so heavy I could no longer see the vividness of the mighty sky anymore, unusual salty water was coming out of my eyes while she remained intact, focused on the story she wanted me to imbibe. It was her way to convey her thoughts and her heritage.

I have drawn my path at an early age, determined to study political science/ International Relations. I am planning to take the torch that has been passed to me and become one of the next leaders nurture peace on Earth and work to ensure a bright future for the humanity.

Last but not least, while many other imminent figures held the name of “Iron Lady”, I would give my Grandmother the name of “Steel Lady” for all what she has experienced, for the life she had led, and for the next generation she has raised. Aisha, as many other women who disdain the spotlight, is one of the emblematic figures who fought against oppression and Imperialism. They prefer to be unknown and fight for the alter reward (Heaven). They, the nameless ones who protect the peace of their nation within its shadow, are the ones worth to be called True Legends … National Treasures.

In conclusion, Aisha has experienced away more than she could ever verbalize. She doesn’t have one story to tell. She is the story…

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Khaoula Majjati, 18, Azilal.

My Savior I know a lot of people who can be good models like our parents, teachers or famous people .But my aunt is the person who has the biggest impact on my life. The person who taught me the meaning of love, support and friendship better than anyone else has ever done, even my parents. My aunt is called Saâdiya. She is 59 years old and she lives in Rabat with her small family. She does not have any daughters at all. All her children are boys. That is why she considers me as her loveable daughter. My aunt is the person I call when I feel sad and when I need guidance. She gives me a positive energy to focus on my goals and to study hard. Although she is not educated, she always encourages me to become successful at my studies, and she inspires me to be the very best in all that I do.

My beloved aunt went through difficult circumstances. Her husband left her when she was pregnant and he immigrated to Algeria in order to find a temporary job. She was left alone with her three children without any provider. Despite all the sufferance this had caused her, she stayed very strong and went out to work. She has the unique abilities to face difficulties. Her optimism in life and her continuous care for other people is something that motivates me to emulate her in my everyday life. Her continual advice makes me feel that I am always supported. I still remember how she supported me when I was in the darkest moments of my depression. She was a key element in my steady recovery. She tried, with different ways, to help me to find solutions and new perspectives. I remember a few years ago when she told me: ÂŤ Be a good person first, everything else comes secondÂť. She is the most sincere, generous and caring person I know. Another invaluable trait that my aunt possesses is trustworthiness. I trust her enough to talk to her and I know she will keep my secrets. Her heart is the solid safe where I all my personal things.

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Unfortunately, my aunt was diagnosed with a dangerous disease recently. She suffers from a cancer. She becomes like a decaying flower every day. With every second that passes, she loses her color. She cannot stand or talk with us, the tumor is growing and weakening all her body. She suffers silently from the pain, and yet she keeps the praising God. She always thanks Him for what he has blessed her with. She still resists her sickness and fights it as she has done all the hardships in her life. Her strong faith and hopeful attitude keeps me strong. The way she sees light at the end of the tunnel teaches me to have patience whenever I face difficulties. She is an actual embodiment of perseverance that gives meaning to my every day struggles. I wish I could see her recover from it. I wish I could see her smile again.

My role model is someone I try to follow carefully. She is a person who has positively influenced me in life. She is not a person filled with selfishness and greed.

When I suffered from a big problem in my life, she turned me into someone totally different with her help. She has an amazing view of the world which keeps her positive and striving to better herself. I do not know what I would have been without her. I actually cannot imagine how I would be without her.

She is my heroine!

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Marwa Belmadani, 16, Meknes.

In Our life, there's always this human being who is so close to us, emotionally of course, with this person, we are always thrilled, and we spend the most enjoyable time ever. No matter how different this person can be from us in the matter of age or race or colour, we feel good talking to this person and sharing with him our deepest and most dreadful secrets because we know he's a keeper, and he will always be there for us no matter what are the consequences. For some, this person is a friend maybe from school or from social networks, for others he's a family member, a parent, a sibling, or a cousin. For me, this person is my grandmother. The person who I devoutly wish to be like when I grow old and the person who makes me happy and optimistic and patient in my life.

A sea of words wouldn't be enough to talk about her. When I'm sitting next to her, drinking the delicious tea, she makes and listening to her, to the lovely stories she tells, to the memorable advice she gives, I look at her with great attention and just think how a person can be at a time delightful, kind, careful, modest, faithful, and wise! I know that besides God nobody's perfect, but if there's anyone that is close to perfection it would be her.

Even her name Rahma is a proof of the big mercy her heart shows to people. In our society, most teenagers see their grandparents as old people who are close minded and a little backward, so they just visit them on holidays and not by choice but because their parents force them .But with my grandmother things are different, I sometimes think that she's closer to me than my own parents, and in somehow I think she's the only one who actually understands me and knows what I'm feeling without even having to tell her. I visit her almost every day, And whenever I'm there she makes my favorite meals and talks with me about everything with big attention, she's like my therapist, one way or another she always manages to find solutions to my problems and insure me and tell me that everything is going to be okay. For an illiterate person, she shares great wisdom and knowledge; I mean nothing she says is ever misplaced or inconvenient, people feel secure and relieved when she talks to them. She's always there to support me during some dark

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times when everything seems to be going wrong by holding me in her arms and braiding my hair and baking the sweetest sweets until I forget every bad thing going on and just be happy and wish to be stuck at that moment forever. Her life was glorious. It still is, she got married so young, she had kids and raised them to be well-educated persons, even after her husband died, she remained a good believer and never doubted God's will, every word that gets out of her mouth is loaded with faith and belief that make me feel peaceful and calm. I think I am the person I am today thanks to her, her kindness and goodness are contagious and for that I am the best version of myself, I try to follow her path and be a good person just like her. Common people and by that I refer to ignorant people believe that women are vulnerable, especially, grey-haired Moroccan women who are seen as ignorant housewives with one ability which is cooking and doing house chores and raising the children, but I'm assuring you that it's untrue because in 50 or 60 years, If I am as half as happy and serene as my grandmother I will be the luckiest person alive. For some people, what I'm saying may sound hypocrite and maybe weird, But I am sure that if they knew my grandmother, they would definitely describe her as I do. You see, besides the fact that she's a tremendous person, she helped me surpass an unpleasant time in my life where I could no longer depend on anyone and suspect everything even God and to be honest, I wasn't expecting that the few words she'll say were going to have such a profound effect on me. I was so pessimistic, never looking at the bright side of things until she sat with me one afternoon and talked to me about how beautiful and meaningful life is and how we should seize every moment of it and consider the falls as lessons that will encourage us in order to be much stronger. I mentioned this little anecdote just, so you take time to observe and think about my granny, a woman that can be represented as the incarnation of tenderness and generosity, a woman that all people should set as an example in their lives.

Finally, the only thing I can add is that a person should never underestimate the others by judging them based on their aspect and specifically women because deep down they are leaders and warriors even if they appear fragile and tender.

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Meriem Benchalha, 18, Essaouira.

She was born during the 60’s, she was very artistic, she was beautiful inside out.

I loved everything about her, and how could I not, she was my mother, yes, was, she passed away a couple of years ago.

But I’m not here to talk about how she died, I’m here to give you a glimpse of her life, and how she made me the young active slightly annoying girl that I am today.

My mom had a passion for embroidery since she was a little girl, it’s a very well known art in Morocco, and it’s used to decorate everything from pillows and sheets to clothes and bags and also shoes.

My mother used her skills and talent to work with a tailor who owned a little shop in midtown Essaouira, or as they call it: the city of wind.

The tailor was known for making traditional Moroccan wear including jallabas as well as caftans, and after years of my mom and the tailor working together, sharing a passion, a career, and a lot of time, they got married and had three daughters, including myself, so as you might have guessed by now the tailor is my dad.

My mother was well respected among her friends and customers, due to her amazing, and flawless work, and the time and effort she puts in every peace she makes, she was a perfectionist, but in a good way, as she would give every project she’s working on the time, power, and creativity it deserves, and that’s something people appreciated about her.

My mom worked on raising me, and my sisters to become strong and independent females.

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Even thought we weren’t rich or privileged, my mom did her best to give us an amazing childhood, documenting each memory and moment throughout photos, we traveled as much as we could and had as much fun as we could within our financial ability.

My mom also reminded us constantly of the importance of family bond, and helped us realize that family is above all, and that we should always stand up for each other, the way we stand up for ourselves.

She also was very encouraging and supportive of our artistic side, whether its writing, painting or singing, she was always happy with any achievement.

She never hesitated to help me and my sisters, understand, everything about being a female emotionally as well as physically, also to never feel ashamed of who we are, and that equality is within our rights as humans.

My mom didn’t finish her education, but that didn’t hold her back, or stop her from making sure we were on the top of our game when it came to our education, she wanted more for us, she wanted us to follow our dreams and become active members of the society, so she made sure we were engaged in school, and extracurricular activities.

Even thought my mother grew up in a time where females didn’t get a say in anything, couldn’t stand up for themselves, where males had the upper hand, and girls we’re merely creatures in the same world, machines to reproduce, cook and clean, my mother knew better than to raise us with the same believes, so instead she raised us the right way.

She believed the way to stop injustice towards woman was through us, the new generation, to speak for ourselves and all the women before us, and to say: time’s up for woman to be free at last.

And for this I say: thank you mom, you will always be remembered for the true fighter that you were.

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Mohamed Hammouda, 19, Taza.

Behind a successful man a woman, she could be a mother, a sister, a wife, a daughter, a friend. For me she is a second mother who showed up like an angel in my life and changed it, from hopeless to hopeful life. She is a flower which gives its nectar to the bee for free. She can help the others as much as she can, an exceptional woman, she did a lot of things for her friends.

Anne came to Morocco in 2016. At that moment I was in the high school and my English was not good enough to start a conversation with her. But after I joined her extra classes at “Dar Atakapha” in a small village called Matmata, my English got better and better.

However, she woke up Mohamed the writer inside me, He was going to die but she saved him and helped him to start again until he becomes an active person and a good writer. Thanks to the competitions which Anne used to suggest to me to participate in, I become a good short storyteller and short story writer. I thought becoming a writer in Morocco is like being a dentist in a town where everybody has false teeth but she changed and killed that idea from my mind totally.

Although we are from two different cultures, Moroccan culture and American culture, and two different religions, Christianity and Islam, we became close friend like son and mom. I liked her humorous spirit and her straightforwardness. Until now I still remember her advice “a good reader is a good writer”, also I cannot forget the books which she gave me to read for example: ALCHIMIST, THE EMPERORS’S CHILDREN, BALTHASAR’S ODESSEY, THE HOUSE OF UNEXPECTED SISTERS, and IN ARABIAN NIGHTS… I enjoyed reading all of them and that encouraged me to write my first short story “FORBIDDEN LOVE” And get familiar with the storytelling and other literature versions like narration and description.

I cannot imagine if that woman does not showed up in my life, I would become like I am now with all these skills and power. Saying the word “thanks” to the women like Anne is

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an underestimation, I have to thank her every day for everything she did for me; we need more days or months to celebrate women because the 8th March is not enough. We need all March.

This powerful woman is an incredible teacher, best mother, good friend, and a rose like the other women. She is the light of my darkness. I gave her a character in my childhood story which I am still working on it. It is an honor for me to write about her and all the roses all over the world. That woman is my idol, I consider her as my mother.

She left her family in the U.S and came here to be a volunteer teacher, it is something no one can do it except good people with a beautiful heart. I started too teaching voluntarily the others, from inside my house to outside it. I admired her respect to my religion, she never says bad things about my religion; the same thing for me. Anne and I know that religion is a personal thing and every one of us must respect the other believes. Our relationship is very strong could not be destroy by no one because it based on respect and confidence. Moreover, we know each other clearly, I know that she is BLACK COFFEE LOVER. And she knows I am SHORT STORY LOVER. Anne is one of my friend I will never forget her. Also I will never regret that I joined her to my close friends because it is easy to have millions of friends but it is hard to have millions of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Annesâ&#x20AC;?. All in all Anne is a perfect rose.

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Mouad Ezzahir, 18, Casablanca.

A woman so demure, A society so impure.

Growing up in a male-dominated Moroccan society, I have always come across this sort of subsequent patriarchal culture that is very condescending to women, a culture where they are facing general and blatant devaluation. Women have been told that they occupy no other place but that of caregivers, that the sole purpose of their creation is to reproduce and care for the generations that follow.

Moral codes are very complicated and intricate and when they cross religious statements, they implicitly impose immense boundaries on one’s sense of decision making, and now allow me to flip the coin and tell you a story I have witnessed growing up, the story of a woman who, against all odds, was able to get a proper education and raise her daughters well when everyone and everything stood in her way in the name of “decency”: my grandmother.

From a young age, I have always seen my granny as a power figure, she was the first person that taught me the meaning behind how to live and not simply exist. She always says that certain memories fade away quickly like they were never meant to be remembered whilst the most bitter ones stick like honey to a pot, and with that being said, her painful story goes as follow.

Let me take you back to the 1950s in a setting where Morocco was still in an early postindependence phase, imagine having to live as a daughter of a Franco-Moroccan soldier in a city as conservative as Rabat., living in the midst of unbearable envy and a certain sense of not belonging.

The tale gets even more crooked as everything gets taken away from her by the time her husband and daughter die leaving her with nothing but her other four daughters and strong will. Her husband’s family conspired against her and kicked her out with nothing in her hand or pockets; luckily, one of them took her in until she became financially

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stable and able to provide for her family; I will not bore you with the details, the only thing with relevance to the story and that you should know is that she forgave the people who put her to the streets immediately; Ah, my sweet grandmother.

Fast forward to my childhood; this demure hard-working woman has been my biggest and most meaningful role model and inspiration since I came to this world, and she has been there for me ever since pulling me up when I reach rock bottom.

I’ve seen her happy, ill and drowning in sorrows, but I would never have guessed the later if she hadn’t told me because she is always positive and joyful.

She was once a sharp object that rounded up with times, finding happiness in that of others; if I could sum her entire existence in one word, it would be “giver”, that is what she does best, her love is so pure and genuine that meeting her is as close as getting to the tangerine sun without getting burnt.

She taught me how to love unconditionally, how to give without ever expecting counterparts; it is because of her that I stand up in front of people and animate workshops; it is because of her that I feel that I matter, that my words have a weight and resonate, that they’re not just a distant whisper that fades away as soon as it is spoken.

She was the first person that has accepted me for being “different”, for thinking outside the box; I used to feel like an intruder, like I somehow never belonged to wherever I set foot in but I always knew that I could go to her house and be myself, that there was where the efflorescence of my personality took place My tears are swirling up with the ink I used to write this paper, they stream down more and more with every glide my ballpoint makes because talking about my grandma is to me the equivalent of standing down the Acheron river screaming prayers to the Gods; because I have never loved someone as much and I will never.

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Nacer Nafea, 18, Rabat.

The woman, the emotional body that is full of secrets, even history couldn’t be fair with her all the times.

If we go back to theology, we will notice that woman is designed as a second creature after the man; even God never said that Adam is the first creature. For me, it is a different story.

Amina, the lady who came to me and saved me. I am writing with full encouragement that she is my mother. The woman who adopted me when I was abandoned by my parents from my birth. Do you know why I chose her?

The answer will be obvious for many of us, it is because I love her but it is not the specific reason I am speaking about her.

In 2004, Amina took the decision to raise a child even she suffers from different illnesses, without talking about her bad luck and the depression periods that she went through.

I still remember very her sentences: “ God saved you by giving you life for the past four years in orphan; I saved you from fire( referring to the darkness of life), but I did not take away from it because it is your turn now.”

This old lady, who works four hours a day, five days a week, could say many things in three sentences. Now? I am eighteen years old, and I know that I still in the beginning because as long life cycle still working, there is no end. Even when we die, our body, our atoms will serve as a metric for many other organisms and will be used trillions of times.

Amina gave the keys to make my mind work in the right methodology but in my way.

Her philosophy is simple” climb the mountain to see the others not to let them see you”, Do you know why?

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Life is not always fair, that is why the human should work to see what it is going on from above because many people won’t see you even you are in the top, but you will know who needs help as the one who needs guidance.

As you remark, I did not describe Amina physically a lot, because the flesh means nothing when there is nothing inside. It is the Contemplation and meditation. We should ask a question and work to answer them by actions. Climbing the mounting is answering these question, because there is the road to the truth but not always the reality. the appearances could trick you a lot of times.

My Mom said one time that she might be the one who broke the bonds in Plato’s allegory cave. Amina is a wonderful creature when she uses her mind.

Without Amina, I could not dream about being a leader who could save other lives and try to enlighten the road to the world. Without Amina, I could never imagine that I have so much stuff to say or to describe.

In these lines, I want to say that this is a boy who is proving that women come first in everything. Women should be recognized, never be underestimated and encouraged to enlighten human lives.

Amina is a concrete example of a woman that thousands of people who said:” she is a desperate woman, she is just a woman without the man she is unlucky”. Now, I go to the street, proud to say “you see this woman, she is a human because she built a person who can teach himself how to cogitate.’

In the end, I could say that many women around the world create leaders, whatever this leader could be, man or woman because there is one thing; this leader will impact the others.

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Nada Bouskouk, 15, Azrou.

My mother has been always my role model that has a significant influence in my life, and she continues to do so. She is the kind of person that has an optimistic attitude; always looking for the bright side of things. Furthermore, she is persistent in spite of the obstacles that she faces. She is the person that conveys and illustrates the image of perseverance and patience.

My mother is the one who shaped my personality all through my life; she always taught me not only to be grateful and appreciate simple things in life, but also how to be patient and resilient in times of hardships. yet, it took me a long time to discover how unique my mom is. Due to her I learned how to be kind and loving but not allow others to take my caring and kindness for a weakness. She has also taught me to dream big and to do everything within my power to make those dream a reality. Always right there next to me, making sure that I am the best, she also never let me give up on something that I was good at. Without her influence, I would have no morals, I would not know how to reach my true potential. She always believed that if you have made your mind to do something, you can Always succeed. I may not give her the best credit for everything but most of the times she seems to be always there for me. My mother is a kind of person that anyone can look up to and say I would like to be like that Digging back into my past, I can recall an episode from my childhood where my mother told me â&#x20AC;&#x153;self-belief and hard work will always earn your successâ&#x20AC;?; what she said has been always etched in my memory. As I grew, I knew that life is something that requires big efforts and what she told me was totally right. I was not as hard-working as I am today. This transition was all because of my mom's support and love; she has enriched my life with her passion for learning and changed it with her devotion to human sacrifice.

She taught me to never give up and always keep my head up. She made me the person I am today. Without my mother, I would never have learned to be a friend or

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show empathy to anyone else. She is the only one who is reliable when I cannot solve my own problem or when I need advice. She always knows when to say something and when to says nothing and allows me to try to do things myself. In every circumstances of my life she has been my mentor as well as my guiding lamp showing the way and inspiring to face the challenges of life with wisdom and courage.

She taught me to succeed with honesty and probity, to understand that it was important to go to bed every day with conscience and that nothing could replace hard work. She taught me how important it is to accept my faults and, instead of living in a state of denial and stubbornness, to work and to correct them. Due to my mother I learned that there are more important values than wealth and money, and that people should always remain truly human.

When asked who has had the most extraordinary impact on my life, the most obvious answer would be that of my mother. I am so lucky to have been raised by a wonderful mom who has taught me positive values. I owe to her what I have successfully become in this life. She has definitely been able to alter my life and make of me what I am today. I will always be grateful to my mom.

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Othmane El Jadid, 17, Casablanca.

Since i knew about this competition i started thinking about what woman should I write about , there is a lot of women that influenced my life , family, friends , maybe just strangers because basically a lot of women influenced my life from singers to authors that made me take choices in my life and made me who I am today but I couldn’t really choose between all of them so just started digging inside my memory to find the woman that impacted me the most through my life , I went back to my deepest emotions , I came back to my early childhood when my grandma was still alive , I had so few memories with her as a kid I wasn’t very allowed to bother her because she was old and she needed to rest but all my memories with her she was very nice to me , I was very curious who was that women , how she come ended up living with us at one home , with that childish mind I was trying to figure out clues for my big mystery .

After a long pursuit of the first clue I had to learn about her life , it was easy to get to know her , she was a very loving grandma , my relationship with her was at least giving her food wait for her to finish eat , look at her eat and try to read between her wrinkles to see where they all came from how each one of them tell a different story , how my dad grow up , how she grew up , how the problems made her this quit skinny women , what secrets she have , I had this deep feeling that she had a story behind to be kept in that little room silently watching a TV with only 2 channels . I kept getting closer and closer by days and discovering another face , she was a very kind hearted women and specially funny , she was trying to make me laugh even in the most saddest rainy days , she made me learn how to look at life in neutral way to not be sad or happy about something to live peacefully with all ideas , she was religious but yet peaceful and accepting , and even if I tried to get to know her story , but she was very closed about it , she was always saying how everyone should do charity and good work and just leave it and move on never regret it or mention it cause that’s what counts in someone’s life . but I didn’t like the situation she been in at all specially for someone that old , she would enjoy her life more , but everything got clear at one night where she starting to ask

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about seen all her other kids , not just my dad but as I find out they all refuse to get in touch with her , I was really shocked . so I kept asking and looking for the story behind but no answers . after few months we get a call from another city here in morocco from one of her daughters –my aunt- to take care of her , a city where her husband – grandpa – died 20 years before . so she went there , few weeks she fall sick , the doctor said she had blocked vain in her brain that is too late to cure , even surgery can’t succeed because of her age , the only help is she live her few months left in peace with her family , that was a big shock for me specially when she traveled I started to forget her , I felt bad for her , that only made me look harder for her story and made this women get what she deserves because I knew she had something special made me more curious more mature as a kid in that age . I kept asking members of family, and the story I find out was mind blowing . So basically she got married at the age of 12 and she got her first child at 16 , she had a normal life first but then the French colonialism ,her husband * grandpa * was one of the lead resistors in that area so she had to cover his resisting him and all the resistors and the area so they can get free passes in and out without the French soldiers notice them , so sometimes she sang very loud to cover their voices talking inside the houses , or maybe just do loud housework to cover the noise , later when they resisters won over the French colonialism , my grandpa had no land to plant and no job so he was broke nothing to feed the kids with , so he find a solution to marry another woman , my grandma felt so bad she took the kids and left but the life was so hard she got to come back and live with grandpa and the rich women she gave all she got worked day and night for her kids that they can be something one day , specially my dad , the one that got a license , and find a job in the big city CASABLANCA , she was happy she moved with him and his new bride the girl from the city life was good till grandpa died and the second wife took it all , her money and her kids money, but she didn’t fight at all , her treasure was her kids so she stayed with my dad, all the other kids left and see her once a year , she was happy with her little room and the 3 meals a day , that was the light that took me up and made me start rebuild that little room and fill it with art and made music in it , brought a lot of music instrument and fill it with life , from tiny TV and a bed , to a room that creates living art and give to people , so that her

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smile , wrinkles , fight , struggle , live all along from years and years and she will be remembered forever To the women that changed my life Grandma Rest in peace

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Ouassima Tarik, 18, Azilal.

A GLOWING WOMAN In this world, there are a lot of heroes who save people's lives. Mine is not a normal one, but a superhero in one of the truest sense of the word. My greatest source of motivation and inspiration came into this life in 1997. Her name is Nassro ABASS. She is a Muslim African-American woman who came to Morocco as a Peace Corps Volunteer to work with the youth of the country. She is interested in youth development, especially girls empowerment. She set foot in our village, AIT ATTAB, in 2017. We met for the first time in Dar Chabab, a youth club. We didn't talk much then but I was drawn to her thanks to her loveable and spontaneous personality. A personality that changed the way I see life.

One that made me consider her as the most influential person in my life? What I will tell you next will show how much she has impacted my life.

Nasroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charming and energetic nature is an example worthy of modeling. She is a true symbol of determination and perseverance. A woman in a foreign country away from her family and friends. A stranger facing a new society, its different traditions and language.

Such conditions usually cause normal people to break down, but not my steel-nerved hero. Never did she collapse. She stayed strong for us, for me. She told me once that her most difficult times here were in RAMADAN. We can all imagine how spending this sacred month without our family can be hollow and lifeless. She broke her fasts alone in the table. However, this strong young lady never lost hope. She stayed optimistic and handled many similar struggles that faced her with optimism and peace of mind. She taught me a lot with her unique positive attitude, her smile in the face of hardship, her clinging to hope. I learned to keep on moving however impossible circumstances might seem.

Nasro has devoted two years of her life helping our rural area's girls. She believes that is incredibly important to encourage young women to be in control of their own lives. She thinks it is necessary to equip them with tools to better their familiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; future as well as

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their own. That is why she created a club and named it ‘GLOW’, which stands for "GIRLS LEADING OUR WORLD ". It is a safe and supportive space where girls and young women are encouraged to engage and lead conversation about sensitive topics and challenges that they face in their home community and personal life. She proposed that I help her manage it by suggesting new ideas or activities, translating what she says to the girls and explaining difficult concepts to them like feminism or leadership or girl empowerment.

Doing all of this aided me improve my English level and develop many communication skills. Through this wonderful project, she encourages young girl express themselves freely and comfortably. She teaches us to be self-confident, have a clear vision and to work hard to achieve it. The most important thing I learned from GLOW is how to be a glowing citizen of not only my community, but of the world. It inspired me to be more humane and get rid of my selfishness that makes me focus just on myself and forget the people around me who are in need of my support and help.

Unfortunately, it s Nassro’s last year in Morocco. She will finish her mission in next December and go back to her homeland, USA. That actually breaks my heart and makes me sad, but I took it upon myself to be her succession, the mirror that reflect her light to enlighten the world of lost people, and guide them find their way to go ahead in their journey.

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Rania Chellah, 15, Meknes.

What do you know about the 80s? Personally, I do not know much about it, but I know that it was a time when Moroccan women suffered from all kind of discrimination, when their large majority did not get the opportunity to go school nor to wear something different from a jellaba, and when gender equality was not a thing. However, it was also the time when my mother grew up, in a small meknessi street, and the time she decided she would become someone fabulous.

Middle and high school were a real struggle for a girl who was not allowed to do her homework instead of helping with the chores. In fact, my mother’s family and community simply did not give the same value to her education that they gave to the one of her male cousins and other relatives. They saw her as someone who should stay home, get married and have kids. They saw her as “a girl” should be seen. Even my grandmother didn’t see the point in educating her own daughter instead of just find her a husband and teach her how to cook. However, my mom, although her young age, always managed to top every class she was taking and to not let the negativity she was surrounded by get to her. She made her education her number one priority and tried to convince her family to do so.

After graduating high school, it even took a whole summer vacation to convince my grandmother that college was necessary. My mother decided to pursue studies in biology, dreaming about becoming a pharmacist. Her motivation came from the idea of becoming an independent woman; a woman who do not wait for her husband to work for her. But, after two years of studying in meknes, she started to understand that she needed to do more if she wanted to achieve her goals, so she came up with the idea to go study in Russia, knowing that it wouldn’t be simple to convince her mother. However, she raised that challenge and even, somehow, finished by succeeding. She knew that attending this new 58

college would be everything but easy and that it will take her tons of hard work to succeed. The college was also located in a faraway country, in a time where cell phones were not a thing, which made this whole adventure harder. However, this was her dream, so she went for it. Four years later, she came back to morocco with a diploma, proving all the people that doubted her because she was a woman wrong. This diploma has enabled her to open a pharmacy which wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t successful at all the first years, but which she managed to make so by working hard and being patient. The diploma also enabled her to defy the idea that a woman should stay home and cook, and that studies are a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thing. And this is how my mother, who did not come from a rich family, who did not have many of opportunities offered to her, became a successful person.

My mother, and her inspiring story, have taught me two important things: the first one is that a woman can do whatever a man can do, and the second one is that nor money nor people should ever stand in the way between me and my dreams.

Today, my mother works at her pharmacy, takes us to school, and takes care of us all by herself, yet she has always managed to do everything right. She is the person from who I get my motivation and my passion, and she is the person who always pushes me to do more and to believe in myself. This has made our mother-daughter relationship even stronger and more powerful. Actually, it is not just a simple mother-daughter relation; she is also my advisor, my role model, my friend, my teacher at the school of life, my motivator, my supporterâ&#x20AC;Ś When I was in kindergarten, she was the person who left all of her work and all she had to do to come watch the plays I participated in. When I was struggling to make friends in my new school in 7th grade, she was the person who kept telling me how special I am. Whenever I had a nightmare, she was the one who stayed awake, sitting on my bed and holding my hand until I fell asleep. Since I was born, she is the person who struggles everyday to give me everything I need, and to offer me the best life she could. Today, she is the person who keeps telling me to believe 59

in myself and in my dreams. No one has ever supported me like she does, and that is one of the many reasons why I will always be grateful to my mother.

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Fatima Ezzahra Oakid, 18, Settat.

How can a person be the reason of life, the source of inspiration and the lighthouse when storms take over the whole world? She could. Piece by piece, she collected me up when life shattered every corner of my soul; she taught me how to be free and never bow down my head. My mother is made of a sequence of sacrifices from the day she gave birth to my little body, which had been nurtured through her blood, protected by her bones and covered by her skin. I always wondered if she ever recognized that she smells like heaven, that her palms are my favorite pillows, that I have never been proud of something more than my resemblance to her, and that I love my eyes not only because they're like hers, but also because they see thanks to her light. She taught me to be unapologetically, freely and confidently me, she never puts a cage to protect me, but rather she destroys every cage in which I hide in my coward moments, and lifts me high with her tender hands. She's the one who put the "her" in "hero" for me. I look up to her because she's the one who founded me, who put the first brakes of kindness, freedom and self-confidence to build this soul of mine.

We’ve been in several ups and downs together in our relationship, just like any other… Or maybe not, because she has the magic to turn every stressful situation between us into a beautiful memory. She doesn’t work outside the house. However, she does inside the hearts of every family member; she shows us that there is good in the world, and that we must be that good, spreading the love she gave us into every corner we go to, and brightening up the roads of people who may not know a lot about the power of love.

And when everything seems to fall apart, she stand tall just like a hero, no she is actually a hero; the first and greatest one I’ve ever believed in, she said that life is going to be harder, that it’s supposed and designed to be so, and that I am strong, beautiful and blessed enough to live and not just exist. And every time life knocks me down, I remember that if my mother has survived all this time; even though she had to go through every hard situation I could imagine. Then, surely I will survive, reflect the light

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she keeps giving me, and remind my body of the origin of the blood in its veins, of every cell in its skin; mother.

I almost owe her every quality I own, especially patience; the patience when nothing works out, when people do me wrong and when it seems that my prayers weren’t answered. I know motherhood is tough and tiring, but she was always the best example of a mother for me, and I learned from her how to set in myself an example for others, by working and focusing on my own personality. She let me dream, expanded my naïve imagination and strengthened my belief in love and empathy, and she was with me whenever I achieved one the dreams I keep telling her about over and over, but most of all, she stands right by my side, when some of my dreams seem way out of reach than I expected, and she makes me feel grateful for the obstacles as well as the blessings.

Finally, I’d like to highlight the fact that she had always pushed me to learn, and never stop learning and chasing for opportunities... including this one I’m writing to.

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Riham Khalfi, 15, Marrakesh.

Education… education is a necessity for people. Going to school and learning new things may be for us just another annoying thing we’re forced to do so that we can get over it. But there are those who dream of it, who want to go to school so badly but they have missed their chance. They want to discover this whole new world so that soon they will build their own world with their own ways.

So let me tell you a story, a story that will surely change your way of looking to things: “Once upon a time, there was a little girl, neither a princess nor a fairy. A normal girl who lived in Pakistan. She had only one dream which is to finish her studies and choose her life alone, so that fate will no longer plays with her path.

To bring this dream to reality she gave her all although all the elements of life were shouting to her face to stop trying, not to continue, but she do kept struggling and not giving up, although the Taliban, although their guns were aimed toward her, why? Because, she was special. She had something not all the girls had: Courage. Full of struggles, her life went on, until the day some masked men calling themselves Taliban shot her in the head. The little girl laid on the floor unconscious. When she opened her eyes, the place was all covered up with balloons, letters and boxes of chocolate. The little girl was moved but much more after knowing that she was in the land which she read about in books and heard of only in the news: Britain. Her story was heard by millions of people all around the world and everyone encourage her to keep up.”

The girl’s name is Malala Youssefi, Malala who stood against Taliban, and fought not just for her rights but for all the other deprived girls who can not continue

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their studies. A second life was given to her after the shooting and she knew how to live it.

“With guns we can kill terrorists; with education we can kill terrorism” That’s what she said. Reason had spoken, we heard, we saw and still there is pain.

This is the woman who really inspires me. She had nothing but still she clanged to her dreams. I have everything, why not working hard and following her wavy path?

Malala is the symbol of bravery and loyalty to her dreams. She had goals, some she achieved and she is still working on the rest. I have dreams and goals too, and I will try to transform them from written words in my diary that I keep close to my heart, into reality that I will be living. I’ll fight just like how she did. I’ll help people as she did and still doing. I’m not the only one who has been inspired by Malala; she changed many lives and opened many doors. Malala said once: “when the world is silent even the smallest voice can make a change.” Indeed her voice echoed in the corners of the world and her book ‘I am Malala’ touched many hearts.

Finally, Malala had won the Nobel peace prize and that something I really want to try in the future, discovering this new feeling that you changed something in the world is wonderful enough. It’s a long way but I’ll walk until its end for sure even if I die trying. She taught me to do what I love, what is right and to be strong no matter what. She proved after what happened to her, with many others that after frowning to you, life can smile again.

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Soukaina Abou Eljaouad, 16, Benslimane.

Can you imagine your life without women in society? How do you feel when you hear the word women? For me, it comes to my mind my mother whom I can't ever imagine my life without her because she is everything in my life and I can't replace my mum with anything; whatever they are, a person should respect them .

In the past, the majority of people were closed minded towards women and didn't believe in the great role they were playing, and are still playing. Obviously, they were considered only as housewives who were taking care of their children and their husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs . Besides, the girls didn't go to school and they didn't have the right to learn how to write and read because their community, then, thought that knowledge is just for men and the destiny of girls is marriage. However, nowadays, thank God, women become more respectful and are involving in discussion of all the society cases and work in all the areas of life because they are the corner stone of the society, and this is what I believe in.

Women, now, arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only considered the rocket booster of society but also a model to follow.

Accordingly, I take my ex teacher of the previous year as a perfect example to

follow her path. I am not the only one who likes her but she is one of the most favorite teachers of many students of the school. In fact, she gave meaning to my life. She is very disciplined; I like her so much because she tries to teach us good things in good ways.

She always advise us never think negatively and always be positive and happy when we think and do something. She changed me and she changed the way I see life. She makes me know that there exist teachers who give us information with feelings. Absolutely, she makes me know that the teacher is a human who shares with us feeling along with many values. She was successful in her personal life. I know that she is a great wife and a lovely mother of two children. Although, she is a worker woman but she looks after her

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husband and children. Also she is doing her housework as any other housewives. My ex teacher is not the best just in her private life but also she is very good in her job; she has never feel bored of her job as a teacher in simple school. She is famous by her love to help others because she schedules extra hours for the weak students, especially to prepare with them before the exams. Also, she had never seen her careless about some students who have psychological problems; on the contrary, she helped them to come over their weakness and encouraged them how to be able to face life and its difficulties. I have learned from her many values and principals like love, honesty, tolerance, peace, respect, courage also help others and never fail to try because her goal was teaching us to succeed in our study and our life too. She has been a big inspiration and has always pushed me to achieve my goals. I always have that hope to be successful in my life with my own experience as her. She has a good sense of humor also she loves shopping, food, travel, read books, and fitness; she has a wonderful sense of adventure. All of these make me love her personality more and more. Actually, I will become a great teacher like her in future. Finally, as we know there is no doubt that woman is a source of creativity freedom and a statue of stability and never forget the fact that ÂŤ behind every successful man is a great woman behindÂť.

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Soumaya El Haffari, 14, Rabat.

The Woman Who Never Gave Up Since the beginning of time, all over the world, women have been an essential element in all kinds of domains, whether social, religious, political or scientific. Women have an effect on everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives. She can be the darling wife, the perfect mother, the sincere sister or the best friend. A woman is an important person in each house as she has a great impact on people, on their personalities, characters, attitudes and beliefs. For me, the woman who had an impact on my life was my mother. She raised me in, what I consider to be, a perfect way, although she was not educated. One might say that there are a thousand uneducated women who raised their children properly. But this is a different case.

My mom did not have an easy childhood. She was denied many things, most importantly, the right to go to school. My grandparents had a wrong belief, they thought that girls should just stay at home, help in the kitchen, clean, cook and do chores. While her brothers went to school, my mom was forced to stay behind. She did not agree with this thinking, so she used to take her brothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pens and papers to try and teach herself to write and read. However, she found this quite difficult and instead started drawing what she loved most: clothes. She promised herself that one day, when she will grow up, she would study and follow her dream to become a fashion designer.

One day, she got the opportunity to leave her small town and move to a big city. There she started going to school, even though she had become an adult. She had to raise her young children and study at the same time. She stayed up late and did her best, all while caring for my siblings and me. After she finished her studies, she went a step further on the way to achieve her dream. So, 67

she got into the world of fashion. First, she started with a small business. A place where she designed traditional clothes with a modern touch. At this time, she had only three employees, which were women who also went through the same childhood. She made it her goal to help others as she advanced in life. After a few years, she was able to expand her business and she became a well-known designer in her area, with dozens of employees. Although she succeeded, she never forgot her home town. She made it her purpose to raise awareness of the fact that girls should also go to school, that it is their right, and that the idea that girls should remain home is wrong. She started by establishing a school for illiterate women where they could study for free. Then, she invested much of her time, going house by house and talking to the people in the rural area where she grew up about the importance of schooling, especially those people who believed that girls should not study. She also donated money to the community to provide children with schoolbags, books and supplies as well as bikes for those who live far from school. In the end, she managed to convince many families that girls and boys should be treated equally.

The way my mother lived and tried to save poor girls from illiteracy, had a great impact on my view of life. She raised me to respect everyone equally and to be fair to all people, whether male or female, and no matter who they are or where they come from. Color, background, social status and most importantly gender, do not mean anything, she made me realize that what matters is the soul and mind. A quote that reminds me of my mom’s story is as follows: “It’s your decisions and not your conditions that determine your destiny” -Robbins. So, it does not matter where you come from, who your parents are or how much money you have, it does not matter whether you are a boy or a girl. If you put a purpose in mind, you will achieve your dreams, just like my mom did. She truly is my role-model and one day I hope to be as successful as she is now. She taught me many things for which I will always be grateful. She taught me to be 68

respectful, honest, tolerant, empathetic, confident and hardworking. Having these qualities is what made her who she is today and I aspire to be like her when grow up.

To conclude, all women who try to be successful, who set a goal in their mind, can achieve it, no matter what society might say about women being the â&#x20AC;&#x153;weakerâ&#x20AC;? gender. They can be strong as long as they do not give up and follow their dreams. They have to work hard, stay positive, but never forget to stay kind and help others. My mother is one of the women who actually took a chance and made a change. She helps me see the potential in me and this will certainly help me become a better person. She is my source of inspiration.

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