[caption id="attachment_131" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://morocco.chickenfactory.ch/wp-content/uploads/articles/alcs_team1_692.jpg"><img class="wp-image-131" src="http://morocco.chickenfactory.ch/wp-content/uploads/articles/alcs_team1_692-300x225.jpg" alt="Team 1 (left to right: Nidal, Ram, Gerry, Cathy, Patrick, Karima)" width="300" height="225" /></a> (Click to enlarge)[/caption]

Ok, enough being tourists for the next few days! We started business with a formal meeting (we all transformed into business clothes suddenly) with IBM Morocco management and <a title="Digital Opportunity Trust" href="http://www.dotrust.org/" target="_blank">DOT</a> – and representative from the NGOs; finally met them face-to-face. After the meeting, each team visited their specific client’s locations and started with their work.

We were pleased to meet Nidal and Karima from <a title="ALCS" href="http://alcs.ma/" target="_blank">ALCS</a> (Association de lutte contre le sida) and were even more excited about their presentation of their amazing organization and the work they perform:
<ul>
	<li>Prevent HIV infection</li>
	<li>Provide care and psychological support for HIV-affected individuals</li>
	<li>Deliver advocacy and human rights activities for the support of HIV-affected individuals</li>
</ul>
A terrific experience was the training session for sex professionals about condom usage and tips about what to do if a customer refuses to use a condom. But it took me actually some time to understand what these women were working – they looked like any other ordinary woman… and indeed they are, right?!?

<a href="http://morocco.chickenfactory.ch/wp-content/uploads/articles/alcs_condom_training_1000.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-129 size-full" src="http://morocco.chickenfactory.ch/wp-content/uploads/articles/alcs_condom_training_1000.jpg" alt="Aids prevention with condoms" width="1000" height="599" /></a>

Next we could talk with medical volunteer who performs the HIV tests. They are able to provide the result after a few minutes; records are kept anonymously and the volunteers are trained to break bad news to the people.

[caption id="attachment_130" align="alignleft" width="200"]<a href="http://morocco.chickenfactory.ch/wp-content/uploads/articles/alcs_hiv_tester_600.jpg"><img class="wp-image-130" src="http://morocco.chickenfactory.ch/wp-content/uploads/articles/alcs_hiv_tester_600-300x287.jpg" alt="HIV Testing" width="200" height="192" /></a> (Click to enlarge)[/caption]

I am aware that these terms and pictures are not very "comfortable" topics, but the ALCS organization is fighting against exactly these kind of taboos – so why not supporting them to spread their message?

On the way back to our hotel we walked through the big park and visited the cathedral, which is used as a museum nowadays. We could walk up onto the tower (minding birds nest and eggs) and enjoyed the great view over Casablanca. Strange thing was that we paid 30 Dh (about $3) each – just read in <a title="Sue's Morocco Blog" href="http://cscmorocco5.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sue’s blog</a> that they were charged 20 Dh ($2) only! ;)

[caption id="attachment_133" align="alignnone" width="512"]<a href="http://morocco.chickenfactory.ch/wp-content/uploads/casa_from_cathedral01_1024.jpg"><img class="wp-image-133" src="http://morocco.chickenfactory.ch/wp-content/uploads/casa_from_cathedral01_1024.jpg" alt="View over Casablanca from cathedral's tower" width="512" height="384" /></a> (Click to enlarge)[/caption]
<p style="text-align: right; font-size: x-small; color: #808080;">#ibmcsc morocco</p>