Abby Harrison

Morocco Long Weekend – October 2025

Why did you join VoluntEars?

To gain further experiences of the deaf community and to increase my own confidence with my own sign language skills.

Why did you choose the Morocco trip?

I chose the Morocco trip as it fit in with my occupation and my holidays at work, but also because it was a short enough but long enough trip to get a feel for how everything was organised, what the accommodation was like, time to get to know everyone better but also not too long away from home.

What were you looking forward to?

Meeting other people, getting to know their stories and their experiences and volunteering in the school (also quadbiking) 🙈

Were you worried about anything before the trip?

The only thing I was worried about before the trip was my own anxiety ruining/spoiling things for me. However, both Richard [VoluntEars Director] and Lauren [Communicator] were so supportive and understanding on the days that I did need a listening ear or just some extra support.

What words would you use to describe your experience in Morocco?

A once in a lifetime experience.

What was your funniest or most memorable experience?

My funniest experience was trying to get onto the camel and clinging on for dear life, whilst the camel stood up as I only had one leg over and everyone was too stunned to speak 😂

My most memorable experiences were: volunteering in the deaf school and getting to know the children and interacting with them, quad-biking in the desert, and then the final dinner with everyone whilst watching the fire show.

What did you enjoy the most on the trip?

Quad-biking and seeing all the different sights/nightlife in Morocco.

How do you think you benefitted from the experience?

I think I’ve benefitted from the experience as it has increased my confidence, it has encouraged me to explore different avenues of my line of work and to see how I can become more involved with BSL experiences in the future.

What did you like about the VoluntEars trip?

I loved the whole trip, but what I liked the most was how quickly everyone on the trip got to know each other and how supportive everyone was with each other. For me personally, it really eased my anxiety as I found everyone so easy to open up to and talk to about everything.