FAQ and Trip Info for Morocco

The Morocco program offers group volunteering with a schedule organized by a dedicated local support team who provide a range of experiences in different settings throughout Marrakech. They are there to help you feel relaxed and escort you to projects.

Join everyone at the assigned meeting point, which is usually the volunteer house itself or the bus stop for projects outside of the city centre.

Unlike other programmes, volunteers usually attend different projects each day. Most projects cater for children between the ages of 7 and 15 who have limited access to quality education or interaction with caring adults.

Volunteers fill the gap with simple organized games and informal learning, often through art and crafts which provides one-to-one attention that the children so desperately need. Some children will also have learning difficulties or be behind their peers due to problems at home.

You will also be scheduled to do a day workshop to experience and learn different Moroccan cultural activities and two days to travel around and explore Morocco.

Volunteers have the opportunity to visit a baby orphanage where there aren’t enough staff to be able to provide essential physical contact that babies require in the first few months of life. Enjoy cuddling and playing with the babies and young children who desperately need human contact at this vital stage before it’s too late.

Painting is great fun and helps brighten up the children’s learning environments. There’s often an opportunity to get involved with painting and decorating, from simple cleanups to large colourful murals for the children to enjoy. You might like to bring a brush and a design to copy.

Some projects offer lots of space for volunteers to organise active games such as football to rounders, but even the smallest location has a space large enough for skipping or practising football skills, although this may not always be a safe or convenient space such as a hallway, patio or you may need to use the indoor space.

In the summer there are sometimes also opportunities to take the children swimming both for fun and to practise if they’ve never learned to swim before – the perfect activity for a hot day!

This is a truly satisfying Feed the Homeless programme which is usually available once a week so that volunteers can buy and prepare a meal to give out on the street. Allow £3 – £7.

Some projects offer activities for children living in orphanages and care homes. Not all of these children have lost parents, they simply have no blood relatives in a position to care for them.

Some have been abandoned entirely to fend for themselves and others have been handed over into the state’s care. Unlike the babies at the baby home, most of whom will be adopted by loving families, it’s harder for older children to find a new family.

Children without stable carers struggle at school and will often underperform. Following regular one-to-one attention and praise from our volunteers, children’s confidence and life chances are greatly improved.

It’s difficult to impress on volunteers how important and precious their personal input is – for the children with no families, time spent in the company of friendly adults who pose no threat is invaluable in helping them adjust to the adult world.

It’s always possible to organise an activity of your choice – your co-ordinator will help organise the children for you so they know what you’re planning and what they need to do.

Previous volunteers have taught dance, chess, bingo and organised fun tournaments.

No – in fact, most volunteering is play/activity based rather than formal teaching. Most of our volunteers have little or no experience so they share the activity sessions usually sitting in pairs with another volunteer at tables with 3-5 children.

Your coordinator may have some ideas and equipment but often supplies run out so try to bring some things from home – face paints are 100% the top fun activity for the younger children!

Group visits to the Berber villages in the Atlas mountains are always popular. In the summer these are often on the schedule every week. Most trips last a full day including travelling time. Some are far enough to require an overnight stop.

The bus fare is about £4 return and takes 2 hours with a comfort break halfway. The second half is an exciting hair-raising ride into the mountains, followed by a riverside trek through traditional villages where at the final and largest village volunteers organise a two-hour fun-filled activity session.

At the end of the session, toys, games and resources are usually donated. Before the return journey, a traditional Moroccan tajine is enjoyed by the whole group at an outdoor restaurant.

Once you arrive at Marrakech airport, our regular driver will be waiting to pick you up and take you to the volunteer house. They always have a sign so you won’t miss them. They will also wait if your flight is delayed. They will also take a photo of your arrival as a memento. Transfer time to the volunteer house is approximately 15 minutes but the last few yards is often on foot through the pedestrianised alleyways. If you are arriving in the morning you may have time to get to your first project in the afternoon!

The weekly schedule is organised by your local support team who liaise with the local projects. They organise a varied schedule each week with a variety of different placements.

We will be happy to discuss the programme in more detail and help answer any questions you may have.

You can opt in or take a day off as preferred although it’s definitely more fun to have a go at everything. In the summer optional placements further afield may also be available.

Activities are usually led by the volunteers which is the aim of the programme in Marrakech. It is easy to underestimate the range and quality of ideas you may have simply coming from what was probably by comparison, a privileged education in the West even if you thought at the time your teachers could have done better!

Very occasionally there may be something already planned between the project staff and your escorting volunteer coordinator, but please do not rely on them as this is what you guys are here for!

The sessions normally last 2/3 hours. It is a good idea to plan a table-based activity which can last for 35 – 45 minutes with for 3-4 children followed by free play, physical games or one-to-one interaction to end the session. Sometimes sessions can last longer if the children are motivated to continue, the project staff would like you to carry on or the project does not receive frequent volunteer visits.

It is not necessary to plan a week’s worth of activities as the schedule changes regularly and other volunteers may have ideas and materials they have planned to use. As a rough guide if coming between September and May, arrive with 3 to 4 activities per week of your stay for 3-4 children. If coming between June and August with the volume of volunteers you may find 2-3 activities sufficient. There are stationery shops in the modern part of Marrakech if you run out and need paper, colours etc.

Unless you are instructed otherwise, simply find a table and lay out your resources on the table. If a small group does not gather round, simply beckon some children over. Sometimes you may have to wait for the children to wander between tables checking out what is available or trying to find a seat somewhere. There can also be some late arrivals so don’t panic if no one comes over to your paper folding activity straightaway – start making yourself and give it a few minutes, they will come over!

Think outside of the box to generate interest which in turn will be more fun for you. For example, try to avoid the default volunteer activity of colouring in as your main activity. We are sure you can think of something more fun than that, not least watching children colour in on a hot afternoon may send you to sleep!

Back-up resources you should have ready: Having said that, it is a good idea to have one colouring book and felt tips for back up in your bag for when a child finishes early or if you think a child in your group may benefit from therapeutic colouring in. Let the child choose a picture and tear it out so they can take it home after.

Try to leave the idea at home that education and learning can only happen in a classroom setting with one qualified and experienced adult at the front of 20 children and that one-to-one work is not beneficial. You may like to consider home tutors in your own country who work one-to-one with their students, pitching the level and speed of learning to the child, often with dramatic results.

Play and creative self-expression can also be undervalued in traditional education, especially in Morocco, where copying from the board is the preferred methodology.

Bringing children and volunteers together informally gives troubled children a chance to get personalised attention from positive role models and explore themselves and the world around them without judgement. Imagine a child has had no eye-contact from adults for many weeks or has not been able to express themselves in any safe way. This can have a profound effect on development and self-esteem.

Project costs still apply until the day you leave the programme. Due to the popularity of the programme and limited bed availability in the volunteer houses in Marrakech, it is not possible to provide refunds for odd nights spent away on tours.,

Due to the limited number of beds, we recommend booking the longest time that you might stay. If you leave the programme earlier, a refund of your unused nights is available. Simply email us with your leaving date. This helps keeps things flexible if you want to travel further afield.,

Your project costs are calculated on a nightly basis. For example, if you are staying 9 nights, you will pay for 9 nights only from the day you arrive. There are no fixed dates, you can arrive on any day of the week, although Monday to Wednesday is ideal to settle in and make friends before the weekend when many volunteers explore or take a tour together,

Accommodation is included in the weekly project costs. This covers the support of your local team who liaise with the projects, organise the weekly schedule and are on hand to provide you with any assistance you may need during your stay.,

A dedicated English-speaking support team organises the week’s schedule, escorts the volunteer group to each placement and is on hand for all related advice and support during your stay from volunteering to arranging a doctor’s appointment.

The permanent support team have been looking after volunteers for many years including large school and college groups and if they do not know something, it is not worth knowing!

In and around Marrakech it could not be easier. The volunteer coordinator escorts the volunteer group to each project on foot, by taxi or by bus. The meeting place is either the volunteer house, the bus station or a taxi rank close by.

Most sessions last about 1 to 2 hours, excluding travelling time and one of the volunteer coordinators will be on hand at each session.

A dedicated English-speaking support team organises the week’s schedule, escorts the volunteer group to each placement and is on hand for all related advice and support during your stay from volunteering to arranging a doctors appointment.

The permanent support team have been looking after volunteers for many years including large school and college groups and if they do not know something, it is not worth knowing!

No visa is required if you hold a British /USA passport and will be staying less than 12 weeks. If you hold a different passport and require a visa, we’ll send you the supporting letters of introduction you need to assist your visa application..

Unlike much of Africa, anti-malarials are not needed in Marrakech which is great news, although you may get a delicate stomach from the food and water but this is quite normal. Stick to bottled water and soft drinks.

The most common health annoyances in the summer months are generally not drinking enough water or sun exposure. Make sure you drink plenty and always carry an extra bottle or two with you when away from the volunteer house.

Breakfast is normally eaten out or a crepe brought back to the volunteer house to combine with a tea or coffee. At lunchtime and in the evening the group usually eat together as a group in a cafe in the main square. If you prefer to prepare your own meals, there are modern supermarkets within easy walking and a kitchen in the volunteer houses.

Let us know at the time of booking if you are travelling with others so we can make sure that on arrival you are all transferred to the same volunteer house (there are 4 volunteer houses in the summer). Because every one staying at the same volunteer house volunteers together in one big group each day, you’ll be together when volunteering too!

Worn-in flip flops or sandals and trainers are practical. Many travellers bring new footwear which can cause painful blisters. If you have no time to wear them in, bring a back up pair of shoes you have worn a lot at home just in case.

Avoid jeans or any tight trousers if the temperature will be 35 Celsius or more when you arrive, Indian style loose palazzo pants can be bought cheaply in Marrakech or buy before travel from markets/ethnic shops at home. Make sure you take plenty of water each day in your bag, at least 2 litres for Marrakech projects. Many volunteers put their bottles in the freezer at the volunteer house the night before so they stay cool for at least a half day, even cold water freshly bought from a shop can get warm within 10 minutes.

A light shawl to cover your head or wide rimmed sun hat will help enormously. With these measures you should not have problems even on the hottest day, and if you have frozen your water, you can place that on your neck to cool down or pour over your head, a refreshing treat!

At the moment Open Hands can only receive groups of volunteers (10 members and plus). 30% of the cost must be paid for registration in advance and it is not refundable.

The airport pick-up and the return airport drop-off is £10 per person.

Most volunteers get a new SIM on arrival. Do remember to check with your provider and unlock your phone long enough before travel. Most of the volunteer houses have wifi.

Your in-country support team will help organise this for you with their regular driver.

Some days your co-ordinator will have an activity or two planned in advance with the materials to hand out, but they should not be relied on. The programme works at its best when volunteers bring with them great activities for the children to learn and enjoy something new.

The best way to approach this is plan for 2 or 3 creative/artistic activities you can do with 4 to 5 children sitting around a table with you. Creative activities are great because they keep the children focused for longer than say, playing dominoes which although fun, may only last 5 minutes.

Most craft activities will usually occupy even the most impatient children for between 30 and 40 minutes if there are enough stages in the process to be completed, for example, drawing round a template, colouring or painting, cutting and finishing off followed by creating a wall display.

When preparing, imagine 4 or 5 children with you at a table – what could you do? What would you need to make something? Paper? Scissors? Glue sticks? Colours? Cotton thread? There may be some equipment at the volunteer house but we would recommend taking one or two basic essentials just in case like a gluestick, cellotape and pair of scissors, the children can always take turns to use them.

In addition, throw in a piece of simple fun sports equipment, a bat and ball, skipping rope, packet of balloons or loom bands for the days when activities have been prepared, you finish early and the children want to run around. Try to think outside the box if you can, nobody to our knowledge has taken a hula hoop before, probably because it might be awkward getting it over there on a flight.

Sometimes one more expensive item might last many sessions, for example a big box of sticklebricks, two space hoppers for a race (bring repair kit!) or a general set of Meccano or similar for a few children to use at the same time, rather than a one model set.

Take one of your activity ideas or equipment set to every session so it’s ready to use in case no-one else has something planned. And even when project work has been organised for the group, there are often some children who finish early or may have learning difficulties who you might want to work with using your activity or sports equipment.

Between June and August take a single duvet cover to sleep inside or a summer weight sleeping bag. From October to April it is a good idea to take a sleeping bag and and a jumper as the weather can vary from hot to chilly.

It is a good idea all year round to also pack trainers or lightweight walking shoes as some projects and trips involve walking on rough or rocky terrain. Flip flops are impractical for rocky footpaths although they are light enough to put in your bag if you change later.

If you want to take any opportunity to travel out of Marrakech to projects further afield which often requires camping or sleeping on the floor, you may want to take a cheap sleeping mat just in case and pillow to be more comfortable. Although there is no obligation to move out of Marrakech, these are just optional add-on experiences to try volunteering elsewhere.

A daypack is essential at all times to carry equipment and a drink to projects. A money belt is practical to keep money and passport safe. In the summer months between April and October you will need at least 2 bottles of water a day (70p – £1.50) so make sure there’s space and your day bag is strong enough! If the weather forecast for your trip will be over 37 Celcius then it is worth packing either a very wide rimmed sun hat, a summer parasol or white/light umbrella as a sun shade when waiting for taxis and buses. 

Volunteer schedules are organised for 5 days out of 7 on a part time basis so there is plenty of time to explore and take time out. But if there is a tour which requires an extra day off, that is absolutely fine. See the example schedule on this page for an idea of a typical week and scroll down this page to the free time section for popular trips and prices.

A great idea when you first arrive is to take the sight-seeing bus, which is open-topped and takes you right the way around the outskirts of the city. They are exactly the same as the city sightseeing buses in the UK. There is a commentary available that comes in many different languages.

On hot days volunteers can visit one of the luxurious hotel pools and pay for a day’s use.

Further afield, a desert camel trek is a must and almost all volunteers will spend one weekend on a desert trip.