Blogs

When the Academy becomes a family: My transformative stay in Morocco with Climares

Summary

This blog recounts the experience of a researcher whose stay in Morocco with the Climares project was much more than an academic experience. From the moment he arrived, solidarity and kindness laid the foundations for a close-knit community. Challenges, such as the language barrier and the demands of the courses, were overcome through mutual aid, patience and support. Shared moments of discussion, communal meals and simple rituals strengthened cohesion and a sense of belonging. Even beyond physical presence, the bonds endured, illustrating that Climares not only trained minds, but also wove hearts together, creating a multidisciplinary family based on trust, solidarity and listening.

1. A warm welcome and the first challenges: the foundations of genuine solidarity

It all began well before classes started, well before the fieldwork. It began at the airport, with a smile. As soon as we arrived in Casablanca, we started communicating with Filip M. to take the train together to the city of Rabat. In a moment of warmth, we met, Lucie B. with I, Filip with Halazi, and with smiles on our faces we got to know each other and took the train together to Rabat. We were welcomed by Maroua at the AGDAL station, and the following Monday by Sofiane at the l’Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire, all members of the Moroccan team, whose warmth immediately set the tone for a friendly stay. People often come to an academy to learn; I understood from the moment I arrived that I was also going to belong to something.

The following Monday, classes began online, in English. For some of us, this was already a mountain to climb. This linguistic transition was one of the first obstacles, and at times it was discouraging. However, no one let anyone else down. The group spontaneously created spaces for adaptation, notably through patience, encouragement and simplification.

What's more, multidisciplinary was not only an academic asset, but also a human one. Everyone contributed a skill, a translation, an explanation, a way to help others stay on track. The simplest gesture became an act of solidarity.

I remember one day during a session with Sonja, a colleague, Anta B, very courageously shared her introverted nature. The entire audience encouraged her, almost like a family reassuring one of their own. No one laughed, no one judged, but everyone pushed her to believe that she could overcome this challenge. These small gestures, when added up, were already laying the foundations for a close-knit community.

2. Learning Together: Cohesion as a cornerstone of my experience with Climares

As the days went by, something subtle but powerful took shape: we had ceased to be mere colleagues and had become companions on the same journey.

I have fond memories of my long discussions with Halaze M. On several occasions, I doubted that she really understood me because of the language barrier. And yet, a few minutes later, she would perfectly rephrase our exchanges. That moment was a real turning point for me. I felt my confidence grow and my fears fade away. I said to myself: “If she understands me, then I can do this.”

At other times, it was the teachers who played this role, often informally. In the restaurant, between bites, they offered us additional advice, methodological guidance and encouragement to move forward with our doctoral projects. We learned as much during meals as we did in class.

And then there was Judith A, always online. She was physically far away, but never distant from the group. When an exercise required participation, someone always remembered to say, “Judith might have something to add.” Sometimes she would even remind us humorously, “I'm here, don't forget me.” We had come to see her physical absence as a mere detail, nothing more.

The shared moments did not stop at the classrooms or screens. We experienced wonderful moments in the village of Zaire, where we ate couscous from the same plate. This shared plate contained much more than food. It symbolized sharing and unity, almost a silent pact.

And how could we forget the famous coffee table in the classroom? Always full, always stocked with new things. No one really knew who brought what. But everyone knew why it was important to make this space comfortable for those who needed it. It was a form of collective generosity, discreet and natural. In this atmosphere of learning and rituals, everyone found their place, their role and their importance.

3. Climares: A family that never leaves each other

The sense of belonging was not limited to the time we spent together in Morocco. It extended beyond that, into our absences and returns.

When Filipe M. had to return to Mozambique, he left a void in our days. We missed his touch of humour so much that, despite the distance, he was chosen as a symbolic representative of the group. This is a sign of a strong bond; even when he was absent, he remained present in our conversations, our laughter and our dynamic. It was by observing all these attitudes of constant support, shared trust, discreet efforts and spontaneous encouragement that I finally understood something fundamental: “We didn't just come to attend an academy. We built a family.”

A family where multidisciplinarity is not just an academic term, but a bridge between us. A family where everyone can count on each other to go further.

A family where we push each other, help each other, and pick each other up.

Climares was much more than an academy programme.