Garden Day at Youssef Fen Tachfin
“In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
What a way to spend the 5th of May! Digging by hand, shovel, and rake into the Moroccan soil to plant flower seedlings with the young children at the local government school called “Youssef Ben Tachfin”. Groups of students crammed into the small designated garden area and took turns with tools to plant the first green space on the school property. Light laughter filled the air with mingled voices of Arabic, French, and English in attempts of communication. At one point while waiting for my students to show up with their tools, I had one shovel to share with about twenty Youssef school students and they all waited patiently and silently for their turn to try digging with it.
“Love is a fruit in season at all times, and with reach of every hand.” --Mother Teresa
By the end of the three hour work session, there were plenty of large picks and hoes for shoveling and bottoms of brooms for sweeping.
Older GWA students worked a bit awkwardly alongside younger Youssef school students at first, to move the scattered “Maize” into an arranged grouping, and then plant seedlings of various daisies, geraniums, lavender, and bouganvia into 10‘x20 perennial garden. Two small hoses with water are located beside the long bed so there are hopes of their survival. About 100 corn plants, 6 tomato plants, and two Moroccan medicinal herb plants filled the vegetable section.
Several times during the day the adults and children expressed their appreciation for our efforts. Light and hope shinned from their faces and I felt so blessed to be working with them. How could I express my gratitude for having the opportunity to make such meager contributions? I am inspired by watching my students collaborate, create and serve...initiating everything through their heart. I’m also thrilled to be digging in the garden myself! And how much fun it was to demonstrate how to use the large shovel by jumping onto the blade until it sunk sufficiently into the soil and listen to their gasps of surprise! Or just the simple joy of being around the fresh vibrant flowering plants?
In leaving, one of the teachers from the Youssef school asked one of my students, “If you could change one thing about our school, what would it be?” The student replied, “Stop hitting the children. Just think...what if one of the girls was your daughter?” I was aware that this had been on her mind, but surprised that she would speak to the adults about it. I prayed silently for wisdom and grace for us all. Later, my student explained to me that many of the students at the school were afraid of their teachers and even though it is against the law for teachers to hit students, they still do.
