"Around AMIDEAST: The Hanut" by Colleen Daley
Any student who has studied in Morocco has come to know their local hanut and the hanut owner. A hanut is similar to a bodega or convenience store – having a little bit of everything from fruits to disposable razors to hot sauce to diapers. Some hanuts have produce and a counter where they can buy ready-to-eat sandwiches with tuna or canned meat in a fresh piece of bread. Most Moroccans in cities and towns get all their daily needs from the hanut and go to a local market or grocery store for bigger purchases, including cheaper produce and meat once a week or so.
The hanut closest to AMIDEAST is a walk-in hanut, with a nondescript door next to a parking garage entrance. The owner, Brahim, is well-known to AMIDEAST students, both Moroccan and American for being friendly, straight-forward, and speaking a bit of English and a bit of French, in addition to Arabic and Amazigh. Although he declined to be photographed, he did agree to answer a few questions about his experience with AMIDEAST Education Abroad students that he has met over the years.
How long have you worked at this hanut?
I’m actually the owner now, well, me and my father. We used to own a hanut around the corner, and we worked there for many years. We also met the students in that hanut. We moved to this place about 4 years ago, and my father retired soon after.
What do you think in general of the students you have met from AMIDEAST?
We like to have the students here, they’re very nice and respectful. They always say hi to us and they are responsible and even line up and wait their turn, which as you know is not how most Moroccans do it. It makes it easier for us to help them. They always improve in their Arabic during their time here, and we like it when they try in Arabic – even if their Arabic is still basic, they try, and we try a bit in English, and we get it done. And we appreciate how they try to get to know us in the community – not just us at the hanut but also the host families and they say hi to the people in the café.
What do most AMIDEAST students buy from you?
Water, they always buy so much water! Usually they buy a big bottle, put it in their backpack, pop their backpack on their back and off they go to school or home. [laughs] Other than that they buy lots of fruit and also the cheapest phone credit refills – seems like they are afraid their phones will get stolen so they don’t want to put too many minutes or data on their phone. Moroccan students, on the other hand, they usually buy chips, soda, and cookies, also gum.
What else would you like people to know about you or your hanut?
It was really nice when they all came to say goodbye when they got sent home because of corona. We haven’t seen any all year and we miss them. It’s been hard for us with business since this corona started – there aren’t even many Moroccan clients, even after the lockdown ended, and the yellow café next door, they used to employ over 30 people, but now they can only employ 10 or so because there are so many less clients. We hope the students come back, once there’s a vaccine.
Colleen Daley is the Program Manager of AMIDEAST Education Abroad in Morocco.
