Meet the CorpsAfrica/Maroc Group 5 Volunteers

Ali Aksim is from Ifran Atlas Saghir, Guelmim. He holds a diploma in sociology and is a painter and photographer. His art earned him first prize in the Moroccan “Talent and Creators” competition. He has also participated in volunteerism and social impact efforts at his university, through clubs such as Entrepreneurship Action Us (ENACTUS) and “Be Positive”. He used his art for social impact, from painting schools in his local community to organizing murals with positive social messages for youth. For example, in the underserved area of Aalouk he coordinated the painting and beautification of the village’s only primary school. He also oversaw a team and led the restoration of a library in El Maadr in the Tinznit Province. In Agadir ou Flla, he volunteered with a sports association to organize early morning walking and running groups with local youth. Through CorpsAfrica he seeks new experiences, skills development, and an understanding of social impact work. His primary goal in life is to put a smile on other people’s faces. 

Asmaa Berkia is from Beni Mellal. She studied English linguistics at Sultan Moulay Slimane University, where her thesis focused on bilinguals' attitudes toward Arabic-English code switching in relation to their gender. She aspires to pursue a career in Linguistics studies and work as an English language teacher for university linguistics studies. As a counterpart with Peace Corps, Asmaa has facilitated two Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) camps, where she equipped 75 girls in school, ages 13-20 years old, with life skills such as self-confidence, leadership, and organization. She has single-handedly translated GLOW training tools for Peace Corps Volunteers and counterparts to implement and lead girls’ empowerment camps all over Morocco. Asmaa also holds a certificate in Project Design and Management (PDM). Alongside a Peace Corps Volunteer, she utilized PDM pillars to implement financial literacy classes to female students from rural areas. As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, she is eager to empower community members in rural parts of Morocco to become changemakers. In her free time, she enjoys writing and exploring new cities. 

Nour-el-houda Bribire is originally from Mohammedia, Morocco. She is passionate about learning languages and public speaking; she puts these two passions together to uncover her true calling in life: teaching. Nour el houda simply loves to use the languages she knows (so far) all at once and she loves sharing her passion for languages with other people. She has volunteered to teach classes to orphans and vulnerable youth, and has taught English to Arabic-speakers and Arabic to English-speakers. Her experience as a volunteer teacher led her to apply for CorpsAfrica, where she hopes to grow professionally and personally while inspiring others to do the same. Nour el houda speaks Arabic, French, English, German, and conversational Japanese and enjoys reading, journaling daily, and writing poems. 

Mohammed El Azhari is originally from Meknes. He holds a Bachelors degree in English studies from Moulay Ismail University in Meknes. Mohammed worked as an English teacher in his city at a private school. He also volunteered as an English teacher at a language center to teach English classes to a class of 20 adult learners of English. Through these experiences, he developed advanced pedagogical techniques that he hopes to apply as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer. As an English teacher, he also developed key soft skills such as public speaking, leadership, teamwork, time management, communication, organization, and lesson planning. Mohammed also has experience with construction, which he is eager to bring forth in community projects. He realized his passion for volunteer work, and the power of collaboration to improve communities, which led him to apply to CorpsAfrica. He loves travelling and reading, and he speaks three languages: Arabic, English, and French. As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, Mohammed hopes to leave a positive impact on his community and while learning about business, management, and the best pedagogical methods for elevating youth in underserved areas. 

Hajar El Ouardi is from Ouarzazate city. She holds a Bachelor degree in English Studies: Communication and Pedagogy (ESCP) from Ibn Zohr University in Ouarzazate. She has five years of experience in teaching English as a foreign language and is passionate about the power of pedagogical tools, interactive classes, and cultural exchange in effective learning. Hajar loves travelling and exploring new communities. In 2018 she travelled to Indonesia as a recipient of the Darmaasiswa scholarship, where she studied religion and culture while teaching English. Prior to that, she worked for the tourism company Morocco Touring, where she oversaw communications, organized tours, and wrote blogposts to provide lasting travel experiences to visitors from all over the world. Hajar is also passionate about youth development after volunteering at educational camps around Morocco. Through these experiences she has developed skills in management, leadership, and teamwork. As a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, she seeks to further develop these skills while making a positive impact in Morocco. She is especially eager to utilize Human-Centered Design and human development tenants to increase development leaders making a change in Morocco.

Samba Gueye is from Dakar, Senegal and has already served as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer in Senegal. He has a Bachelors degree in Judicial Law and a Masters degree in Criminal Sciences from the University of Cheikh Anta Diop. He also has a license in teaching from the Senegalese Ministry of National Education and a training certification from the Senegalese Red Cross. Recently, in partnership with the COGEMAP consulting firm, Samba participated in the drafting of the national report in volunteering in Senegal. Under the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, this report is intended to promote the development of volunteerism in Senegal. In 2018, Samba served as a CorpsAfrica/Senegal Volunteer in the village of Bokhol, Dagana Department in the Saint Louis Region. During his service, Samba taught children, trained women in entrepreneurship skills, reforested schools, and facilitate a community market. In 2017, Samba founded a multiservice to train and employ local youth. As an investigating officer with the National Agency of Statistics and Demography, Samba conducted and partcipated in reports on population, agriculture, livestock and habitats, and business in Senegal. He has worked with the Senegalese National Policy under the Ministry of the Interior and the European Union on a six-month project to modern civil status in Senegal. Finally, throughout his career Samba has worked with the NGO EDEN (Education for Children), in the suburbs of Dakar, fighting for the rights of children and combating against against drugs, violence, and illiteracy. Samba is fluent in Wolof, French, English, and technology. In his spare time he enjoys watching documentaries and cartoons, reading, and writing. 

Jamila Hadi is originally from Taroudant. She has a Bachelors degree in Applied Foreign Languages from the Interdisciplinary Faculty of Taroudant as well as a Sales Techniques certificate from the Specialized Institute of Applied Technologies in Taroudant. Jamila is passionate about volunteering, girls’ empowerment, inclusion, and entrepreneurship. As a volunteer, Jamila has held leadership and training positions in many associations. With the Association for Mothers of People with Special Needs, Jamila oversaw accounting, event-planning. capacity-building to help mothers promote dignity for their children. With the Moroccan League for Human Rights and Citizenship, Jamila served as the President for the Monitoring of Women’s Rights in Taroudant. There, she helped women and marginalized communities advocate for their rights to collective land through data collection and public relations. As a volunteer with the Red Crescent in Taroudant, Jamila  established partnerships with local associations, and coordinated a community-wide football tournament. Jamila discovered her love of entrepreneurship as General Secretary for the ENACTUS club at her university. There, she fundraised for and spearheaded large-scale events including a four-day conference for International Women’s Day and a weeklong training where students developed their soft skills, visited rural villages to assess assets and needs, and created solutions for entrance in to the ENACTUS regional competition. Recently, Jamila served as the co-facilitator for Taroudant’s first Project Soar in a Box workshop, where she led workshops on self-confidence, leadership, and life skills to 12 motivated girl students. As a Peace Corps counterpart Jamila also facilitated a Girls Leading Our World Camp and a general education summer benefitting over 140 students in the Taroudant area. Through these experiences Jamila has grown into a leader and changemaker—and as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer she is eager to inspire others to do the same. 

Youssef Hamdaoui is from El Menzel, a small town in the province of Sefrou. He studied Law at the University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah in Fez and holds a technical diploma in appliance repair. Youssef has actively and regularly engaged in the educational, recreational, and cultural development of youth in his hometown over the last ten years. He is the vice president of the Amal Association for Sports & Culture, a local scout leader, and the founder of El Menzel News, an online group for sharing local, national, and international news. He was a soccer player with the North Central Moroccan Sports League for five years and has co-organized soccer tournaments for youth in El Menzel semi-annually for the last four years. Youssef has worked with Peace Corps Volunteers in various capacities for more than five years as a volunteer counterpart. In 2018, he co-planned and managed Creating Leaders in the Mountains & Beyond (CLIMB) program, an outdoor leadership program which culminated in a three-day trek to the summit of Mount Toubkal and benefited 30 Moroccan youth from two cities.

Redwane Hamma is originally from Tata. He holds a Bachelor in English studies, with a concentration in linguistics, from Ibn Zohr University. He has volunteered with Moroccan Scouts for two years, where he led and organized workshops such as the Scout Leadership camp. He has also organized a camp with Peace Corps Volunteers in Leadership and Life Skills. Through these experiences, Redwane has developed skills in project management, organization, and teamwork. He has been involved in volunteer work since high school, where he organized activities such as football tournaments and review sessions. He has facilitated extracurricular education for children from his community, overseeing their registration and helping them to coordinate tutoring times with teachers. His love for volunteering and youth empowerment led him to apply to CorpsAfrica. As a Volunteer, he hopes to hone his project design and management skills and learn more about human development for the betterment of his own community and rural areas across Morocco. Redwane loves meeting new people and travelling. He speaks English and Arabic. 

Bouchra Zine is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English and Linguistics. Bouchra is especially motivated to install leadership and mentorship skills in youth to inspire Moroccan youth to recognize their potential and pursue their passion. She has been an active member of the Association of Special Needs, and is passionate about disability rights and inclusion especially among youth. She has organized several summer camps, most recently as a Peace Corps Counterpart she led two Girls Leading Our World Camps, empowering over 100 girls in the Beni Mellal region and 50 girls in the Azilal region to finish their studies and pursue leadership positions. Bouchra also co-facilitated the Project Soar in a Box curriculum, where she taught empowerment workshops on self-confidence and leadership to 30 girl students of varying ages. She has also facilitated many summer camps with the Ministry of Youth and Sports in cities such as Asilah, Saidia, and Azrou. Her extensive experience in youth development motivates her to contribute to more underserved regions of Morocco as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer. She hopes to become a teacher in continued pursuit of this effort.