Al-Araby

I met Al-Araby sitting in his old wheelchair near the end of the souq in the medina. Al-Araby is 26 years old but appears younger. Although he refers to himself as "handicapped" without specific knowledge of his disability, his muscle movements and speech suggest cerebral palsy. As a child he attended a primary school for the handicapped in the Khamisat area, south of Rabat. The school was founded by a Frenchman and taken over by his daughter and then Moroccans after his death. It was in this period after his death that the school experienced a decline. Previously, the children received niceties like a pair of free shoes every school year. Under the new regime, schoolchildren had to pay to receive shoes. After completing the first grade, Al-Araby was kicked out of school because he "had no one to take care of him at school." His father, who worked, came to the school to demand an answer from the administration. They offered the same answer.

Al-Araby also acknowledges the existence of charity organizations. When he approached an association for help they asked him that he write them a letter, of which he has yet to receive a reply. His old chair, he says, is cumbersome and inhibits his ability to get around the city. He has contacted the disability center in Sale about applying for a new chair but has waited four months so far for a response.