Portraits of Tadla Azilal

 

These interviews have been part of our curriculum for the advanced English students at the Youth Center.

 The activity evolved in the following manner: As we became familiar with our community, we also became curious about the myriad small enterprises we encountered around town. We wondered how people decided on a vocation, and what were the rewards and pitfalls of their trade. When we asked our students, they could only provide vague speculations.

At  about the same time, we became aware of Brandon Stanton's ''Humans of New York'' interviews on Facebook. In this remarkable series, the author presents a photograph of an average New Yorker along with their short autobiographic statement. These interviews, which feature people you might pass every day, reveal the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary; simple stories as well as heroic struggles that make up each of our lives. The students were moved by these stories, and it occurred to us they might use the format to practice their written and spoken English while helping us and them better understand the community.  Here are some of the interviews:

Orange Juice Lady

by Ibtissam

It has been twenty years that I have worked this cart. I’m from Bengrir. As you know, in the countryside we live in miserable conditions. I never went to school. At the age of thirteen, I got married to my sister’s husband because she died giving birth to her fourth child. Thus, I found myself with a husband and my sister’s four kids, and before long, with three additional kids of my own, which makes seven. That’s why I was obliged to work ro help my poor husband. The kids have never gone to school. They all work to help and we can’t afford the school expenses anyway.

My day starts at dawn. After praying, I go with my husband to Oulad Moussa. We buy oranges from the wholesale market there. We bring 20 kilos of oranges (or more) to the house and seoparate the good and damaged oranges. After this, I do the house work. At El Asr time (mid-afternoon), my husband takes his cart to one place, and I take mine to another. Before, El Caid (inspector) was chasing us every day and taking all our things. I remember one day, he took my juicer three times. I was very upset, so I took my kids and went to the El Caid and said: “You are preventing me from earning my kids’ bread!” But he answered: “ I’m obliged to respect my supervisor’s orders.” Frankly, I understood very well what he told me. After a while, he helped us to have three nice new carts. 

Now, it’s been six months since they did that. We can earn 40 or 60 dirhams each day in the cold season, but it’s more profitable during the summer, because people need to refresh themselves with a glass of cold orange juice. Nevertheless, we can’t deny that we’re better off with those new carts, which we rent for only 300 dirhams every six months. Al Hamdoullah, that’s the grace and blessing for us. And because of this work, I can provide myself and my family with what we need.