Hicham Tora
Hicham is a 25-year-old tour guide for the beautiful country of Morocco. As a tour guide, Hicham has had the privilege of interacting with people from all over the world. His travel throughout the country and exposure to many different people has allowed him to develop a better understanding of Morocco and the world respectively. The perspective he now has didn’t always exist for him. Growing up, Hicham did not even know that there was a country called America. He lived a very different life as a kid and had limited knowledge of life beyond the mountain in which he resided. As he grew older, his life drastically changed several times and each change introduced new aspects of the world to him.
World 1-Berber Village and Nomadic Life
Growing up, Hicham’s idea of the world was limited to one mountain range. Being part of a nomadic family, he spent half of every year with his parents as they followed their sheep through the Atlas Mountains. During their trek, the family would live in tents and caves and carry all their belongings on their backs. Though many of us would find this lifestyle incredibly hard, Hicham grew up dreaming to one day become a nomadic Sheppard just like his father.
The other half of each year consisted of village life in a Berber community. Hicham and his family had a home in the Ait Imi village and would live there when it was not Sheppard season. Berbers, or the more proper term Imazhighan, were some of the first people to settle in North Africa (around 10,000 Bc). Today over 35 million Berbers still exist and are mostly situated in Northern Africa. Berbers, for their entire history, have always been at one with their land. Their homes are usually made from the natural earthly material and villages are normally formed in secluded mountainous regions. This was the case for Hicham and his family as well. They lived in the most basic of mud homes and had the most basic of items.
During his time in the village, Hicham had more opportunities for recreation. The one passion he truly developed in his village was playing Football (Soccer) with his friends. He would eagerly await to receive his yearly pair of new clothes so that he could stitch up old ones to make a ball. The game was the only entertainment and luxury he had in an otherwise simplistic and limited lifestyle.
World 2-Introduction to a City
At the age of 12, Hicham was told by his community mentor that the world was much bigger than he always thought. He encouraged Hicham to head to a small city nearby to get a proper education instead of becoming a Sheppard. The decision was tough for Hicham as his only dream was to follow in his father’s footsteps. He couldn’t fathom the idea that other jobs even existed out there for him. The choice was a hard one to make and involved many risks. Leaving his village and family was not something Hicham was sure he could do.
After many days of thinking and debating, Hicham had decided; He was going to take the advice he was given and pursue further education in the city. Within a few months, his decision became a reality as Hicham found himself moving out of his Berber Home and made into a city. When he finally arrived at his new destination, he felt as if he had entered an alternate universe.
I tell you, the first time I went into the city and saw red houses it was magical. I didn't know such beauty could exist. I was amazed at the buses and the people on the street. Everything was incredible.
Keep in mind that by many of our standards, the city Hicham was going to was still very small and isolated. For Hicham however, just seeing life outside of the mountains was magical. He had never imagined seeing buildings, colors, and people like this. It was a special memory that he will always remember.
This magical image of his very quickly turned sour as he began to settle into his new life. Hicham didn’t know how to act, behave, or speak (Arabic) in this new world. He was bullied constantly in school and struggled to make ends meet for living expenses. He desperately tried to find some way to fit in with everyone else.
His only commonality to other students was his love for Football and so he took a risk and decided to play after-school. This turned out to be a life-changing decision for Hicham. Having played under rough mountain terrain as a kid made him much stronger and faster than his peers. The more he played the more respect he gained from other classmates. Before long he had found his social standing and was winning money from Football tournaments in the city.
Life turned around greatly for Hicham after this. Socializing was a big part of his days and schooling was easier now that he had more support. The next big obstacle for him was to plan his future. When it came time to pick what subject he would specialize in, Hicham followed the pressure of his close friends and picked literature instead of his favorite subject science. It didn’t take too long after his choice for Hicham to start seeing his grades drop. School became more frustrating and he was more focused on social life and Football. The distractions of a new life were beginning to blind Hicham from his overall goals and dreams.
World 3-Exposure to the World
After graduating at age 18, Hicham began to look for his first job. He struggled to find work with his mediocre grades and wondered if leaving the Berber world was worth it. The real world was starting to hit him hard and he didn’t know where to go next.
One day he bumped into his friend in the city and saw him with a stack of papers. When he asked what they were for, his friend said explained how it was an application to become a tour guide. Desperate for a job, Hicham decided to pursue the opportunity as well. A few weeks later his phone rang and he was told that he was selected to move on to the next round of tests.
In order to become a certified guide, Hicham now had to pass a written exam and finish in the top 10% in a marathon race. He trained and studied thoroughly as he did not want to let this opportunity slip by. After endless hours of studying and running, his hard work finally paid off. Hicham passed his written test and finished in the top 10 of his race. He was now certified and knew he had a golden opportunity to succeed.
The next step for Hicham involved improving his credentials. Without hesitation, he packed his stuff, borrowed money and moved to a much larger city, Marrakesh. He planned to take Geography and English lessons here to improve his credentials as a potential guide. As with his first move, life changed drastically again. The craziness of the small city he had come from was no match for the bustling city of Marrakesh. He had no idea this many cars could be on the roads, or that this many people could crowd a sidewalk. He was seeing people from all sorts of backgrounds and ethnicities. Once again he felt lost.
Life was fast, faster than anything he had ever experienced before. Living on his own, away from family and friends was overwhelming and difficult. He became a man lost in a sea of people. In his school at least Football got him noticed. Now, he had to find his place among tens of thousands of people from all over the country and world.
Despite the many obstacles that Marrakesh presented, Hicham stayed more focused. He passed his schooling in two years and landed his first tour guide job with G Tours in 2016. For the next 2 years, he completed over 40 tours and traveled all over the country of Morocco. Through this new job, he has become extremely knowledgeable in other cultures and languages and has had the chance to see many different cities in his own country. He has grown to love the tourism industry and can’t imagine life without it.
Hicham is now settled into his new world. No longer does he feel the world is too big and no longer is he unaware of the world around him. A boy who once didn’t know America even existed is now meeting people from all over the world, every single day.
The Lesson From Hicham's Life
The life of Hicham shows us why people can be so different from us. Not everyone has the opportunity to enter different worlds as Hicham did but the key thing to note is different worlds do exist. As a boy, Hicham and his family didn’t even know the country of America existed. When he first told me this I wondered how this could even be possible. However, when I ended up seeing how a nomadic family lived during my trip, it all made much more sense.
As a traveler, it is important to understand and learn about the way people live. Not everyone grows up in the same place with the same exposure to people. What we are exposed to defines who we are. Just looking at Hicham, we can see his dreams went from becoming a Sheppard and living in caves to becoming a tour guide and meeting people from all over the world.
The next time you meet someone different from you, dont write them off. Instead, try and see why it is they are different and what their world is all about. When you discover this, it is much easier to accept and understand the many different ways of life that exist around the globe.
No one world is correct, and no one life is better than another. Accepting our differences starts with understanding the world in which they came from.
Fascinating story. Berbers are unique. They follow their own religion and traditions. The name Hicham ( Hisham ) is a very Indian sounding name.. Could be that they had travelled from India Centuries ago! They do love Hindi songs and Indians!
Nice story with a happy ending and also reminder that we all are different and come from different places and experiences and no one way is right/wrong.
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