Have you ever heard about MLP?

[letstalk]

If you haven't heard about MLP, you are not the only one. MLP is the abbreviation for Morocco Library Project. At first it began as one location and quickly became dozens servicing mainly southern and southeastern Morocco communities. The focus of MLP is teaching English classes and coordinating English writing clubs.

--https://www.moroccolibraries.org/where-we-work--



If you have been thinking to write a Moroccan story or tale in English, MLP Short Story Competition is calling you. Hurry! Hurry! The deadline for entries is April 25th and this year's theme is "Family Resilience" for more details, hit the following link: https://www.moroccolibraries.org/



One thing I liked about MLP is that you can download stories written by students pdf format, have a cup of coffee, and start reading them.

https://www.moroccolibraries.org/_files/ugd/e40ca1_1704e3753abf41678332d5ec9fe117e7.pdf

Another thing I liked is Ferdawss Ben Malk's writing. It is very good. By the way Ferdawss Ben Malk is an avid reader and was a high school student in Taroudant and the coordinator of her school's new English club.

Enjoy her creative writing.

Ferdawss & the Magic of Books​

"Since my childhood, books were my distraction and my second world. I can live, travel, cry, and even die and I’m still in my place. Books gave me the chance to be the character that I want, and live the life that I want, just between papers.

I used to read Arabic and French books, but they weren’t my interest. Last year, my first year in high school, was a transmission station in my life. I become a member and then the coordinator of an English club in my school.

This chance opened in my face a lot of doors that I entered through to meet MLP. The project that brings me what I wanted years ago: English books that I never imagined I would read until years later and sometimes the bestsellers that I saw just on YouTube or internet, and dream to have them between my hands.

I once read that it is not books that have changed the world, but readers. And that is exactly what MLP did. It changed the Moroccan students’ minds. It inspired them and let them inspire the others. There is something magical in books or maybe there is a miracle, as Mrs. Barb likes to call it. Because as George R.R Martin said: a reader lived a thousand lives before he died.

Just in one year I was able to read more than 50 books. I cried with the characters as I rejoiced to their joy.

MLP is the best meaning of small ideas having a big effect. I am really happy to be part of this amazing project that gave me the opportunity to motivate the people in my community.

Books and reading are the power of human mind, so let’s feed this mind to get in tune with a world free of ignorance and spread peace by our ideas and make the world a better place."

--https://www.moroccolibraries.org/ferdawss--

 

[Sheriffoot]

I've know about MVP but not for MLP

Is it the next gen ?

 

[Abban]

Wesh c'est une annonce commerciale. Sinon c'est vrai que ce n'est pas forcément les livres qui changent le monde, mais leurs lecteurs.

 

[letstalk]

If I had to write a story, I would write:

Kadidja's Mother's Wishes

Kadidja is turning 15 this year, but she still does not want to celebrate her birthday like all kids of her school do. She is still sad. Her mother, Aminata, died on the day she gave birth of her. Kadidja felt responsible and guilty of what had happened to her mother and could not have peace with herself since she was told. In her eyes, her father, Mouktar, is the most wonderful man in the whole world once she wrote in one of her diaries. He did never marry another woman instead he dedicated his life to taking care of her. When Kadidja needs new clothes and new books, her father just sell one of his sheep no matter what is the price and buy her all she needs, Kadidja wrote in another diary of her.

Her father once said
"Your mother dreamed all the time you become an honest lawyer and defend the whole village."
and he added
'' Your mother wants you to be married, too, have a family with three children."


Kadidja knew that soon she will be a woman and many men of the village will ask her for marriage but also wanted to continue her study and make her mother wishes become true. But first she must get out of her sadness and then set a realistic plan toward that.



Kadidja once read in an English book that white and black colors help the mind to heal fast and focus more. As she was good at drawing, she started drawing some happy animals from her imagination and hung them on the wall near where she sleeps that way she will see them more often. She also read that the red color has a negative effect on the mind. It stops the imagination that she needs to have for her plan. So, she was very careful about what her eye sees each day. When it comes to writing her diary, she covers the red line that was printed at the side of her notebook by using white paint made of white flour and water and let it dry before using it.




Several years passed by since Kadidja began her plan. The outcome is now very good. Kadidja is more organized than before. She even created a book registry for her father's little farm to write down the number of sheep he has and the cost of everything that involves the sheep herd. She got married to the teacher from her village. Although she could not become a lawyer because it was very expensive and far from reaching, but she works at a law firm as a secretary and her knowledge about the Morocco law is very deep. She had two children, a boy and a girl. She named her girl as her mother's name, Aminata. And her boy as her grandfather's name, Mansour.



Life continues no matter what, and resilience is the key to success!