We had received the address to the office of of co-op development (ODECO) in Agadir which stated nothing more then the street it was on, a supermarket which it was near and that it was located on the first floor. Unfortunately Google Maps doesn’t work in Morocco quite like it works in America, in that you can’t really locate addresses. Feeling falsely confident in our familiarity with Agadir we set out on foot toward our intended goal. After walking 6 or 7 km, in the direction we presumed our address to be located, covered in sweat and looking more disheveled then a Peace Corps volunteer should, we stopped to ask directions. The man pointed down the street we were headed, but recommend we take a taxi. We traipsed on in the humidity and sweat a bit further until past another roundabout the buildings began to become more sparse and the feeling that we had any idea we knew where we were going was becoming as hazy as the sky. We finally decided the taxi suggestion was a wise calculation.

15 minutes later we were exiting the cab in front of the super market landmark we were given and now trying to figure out which building we needed to enter. Continuing with our assumptions,  we first tried, to no avail, the row of government looking buildings for the ODECO office. In each building we tried we were greeted with warm receptions and gradually escalating support. While the security guard in the last government building was asking several people for further assistance, I stepped outside to call our programming staff to find us a final address. She asked to speak with the security guard who was helping us and when she finally called back with the correct building he pointed back to the supermarket where we first were.

The lessons we learned that day were, one, there is both a Blvd. Hassan I, the one the ODECO office is on and Blvd. Hassan II, the one we were walking down, in Agadir and two, in Morocco, the first floor of a building is not the ground floor but the first floor above the ground level. When we finally arrived at the ODECO office the rest of the meeting was smooth sailing. The man we met with to deliver the letter was very friendly and patient with our Tashlheet. We discussed the women in our site and their interest in starting a cooperative and having someone from his association visit our site and discuss the process of organizing and maintaining a successful co-op.

The following day, knowing for sure where we were going and who we needed to meet with our trepidation was whether or not we would be able to get to see the necessary person and how long the meeting would take. Much to our surprise, the director was indeed available when we arrived and exceedingly excited about our letter and the prospect of working on an experimental argan planting in our site.

So, now all our letters are delivered and our projects have been set in motion. Next we will meet with the women to determine what resources they need for their neddi (women’s club).