Day 11 and 12: Many Interviews and Rahul's Birthday

It's Monday and Tuesday of week two of our four week assignment and our days are quickly consumed with very long - but rewarding - work days.    Wiith the exception of our nightly team dinners, our days are solely focused on our assignments.... we have so much to deliver in a very short amount of time.

Our team for the Ministry of Agriculture price dissemination project is focusing on numerous interviews this week.   We have a full week of interviews scheduled and are trying to get as many perspectives as possible on how the current pricing website is being used, what future business requirements are, who uses and needs this information, how they would like to receive this information in the future, what SMS technologies are supported in Rabat, what the costs are for potential strategies, etc.

The last two days, we have focused on internal meetings with the technology staff at the Ministry of Agriculture.   We have had several detailed discussions the last two days to understand their current data, how they currently capture daily pricing data, how this information is stored and analyzed, what tools they use currently, what is working well with their current system, what could be improved, what are the potential future business benefits are, etc.    The staff has been very giving of their time and ideas and Andrew, Rahul, and I have been most appreciative.

In addition to meeting with the technology staff at the Ministry of Agriculture, we have also met twice with representatives of the Morocco Economic Competitiveness Program (MEC) who originally helped to fund and implement their current pricing website.   MEC was formed about three years ago by USAid and they have been very active in this project to date.   They are working on a related effort to get irrigation related information to farmers so that they can benefit from information on the needed amount of water for particular crops in particular regions.  They have also had a small pilot around the technical options for SMS messaging to many of the smaller farmers.

We will spend the next two days 'out in the field' with farmers, buyers, sellers, wholesalers, enumerators (Ministry of Agriculture employees who get pricing information daily) to better understand each of their perspectives and needs.   We will traveling to Casablanca on Wednesday which is the largest wholesale region in Morocco.   On Thursday, we will be visiting the Rabat wholesale markets.

I think that what is most rewarding to me about this project is that it has the potential to make such a difference in farmer's everyday lives here in Morocco.   The more people we talk to, the more we realize the challenges not only with capturing daily price information that can be provided to farmers, wholesalers, researchers, banks, etc. but with getting this information to farmers - especially small ones - in a format that they can both read, understand, and afford.     Having this information helps them tremendously to know what crops are the most profitable, where they can get the highest price for their crops, etc.  It directly impacts their income and their ability to support their families and broader community.

Sorry for the long note but you can probably tell that I'm pretty passionate about this project.

On the picture side, I have not been taking pictures at the interview sessions in professional respect to those who have been kind enough to give us their time.   I did take some pictures after we got off work when our team traveled to a second Riad (older home) in the Medina section of town.   It was close enough to walk to from our hotel, and I was once again amazed at how 'hidden' these Riads are (pretty dark, scary alleys to walk through to get there) but how beautiful they are once you enter.   Tonight was also Rahul's birthday so we had a special celebration for him.   I hope you enjoy the pictures below.

Rahul leading the way to the Dar Rbatia Riad which is hidden in the narrow, residential streets of the Medina.   Rahul originally found out about this restaurant online and you definitely had to know how to get their because it was not well signed or advertised.  If you look closely on the wall, you can see the only sign that points in the general direction of the restaurant.  

This is the only sign providiing direction to the restaurant.   There was no light on the sign.

Are you sure we are heading in the right direction?  Yet another turn in the small residential alleyways.

Door leading into the Dar Rbatia Riad and restaurant.  There was no sign on or over the door. 

Wow.  This is the room that you enter once coming through the entryway.

Overhead view of the main room.  This was once a house and you could see the upstair rooms (bedrooms) leading off of the upstair balcony.

We were the first to arrive in the restaurant.

It was a set menu and they first served us six small salads which were all very good.

Courses of meat and chicken tangines came after the salads.

Our dessert of fresh oranges with cinnamon and dates.

Another great team dinner.