Just as my village is turning into the lush green season known as spring, I too have been developing and blossoming as I reach middle of my service. As the barley inches higher and higher toward the sky I feel more and more adjusted I my village.

Spring is a time of growth and not just for the land. I had the pleasure of visiting the Neddie this past week. The neddie is a center for women. The women produce crafts and textiles to sell. This center is also a place where the women’s literacy classes are held. This place also serves a source of pride for the women. It’s a place they call solely their own outside of their homes. I sat in on a literacy class of eight women learning Arabic. I was seated next to Fatima, a woman in her late seventies who appeared to me to be very determined. It may have taken her ten minutes to finish one page squinting her eyes to see the script well, but she was eager to continue reading even after the teacher told her she had read enough for the day. Witnessing this can surely motivate anyone. At the end of the class the women packed their books and headed home to retrieve their baskets and harvesting knives to head to the fields.

The weather has already turned into summer as temperatures are reaching the upper eighties. The days are longer. As time is inching closer to summer so has my work which slows down a bit during these months where the heat can be unbearable at times. The good news is that my family is visiting me next month and I will be able to introduce them to life in Magreb. So happy Harvesting to everyone!