Rabat: A city more beautiful than we can see

Rabat – As I stood upon a rooftop terrace that overlooked the city of Rabat, I gazed over the walls surrounding the Medina that enclose the clusters of architecturally stunning homes, shops, and narrow alleys, suddenly realizing that this would be my home for the next four weeks. The towering mosques, bustling taxis, and the sparkling ocean give this vibrant place a sort of energy that I’ve never encountered before in any other city.

From above, this city is near perfection; no one can deny its beauty. Walking along the shoreline of the ocean, with the soft, pleasant sound of the crashing waves following me with each step, I observed a different view. While this new perspective remained unique and stunning, I was distracted by the plastic bottles, bags and wrappers scattered across the sand and pathways.

Groups of families and friends sat in groups, enjoying each other’s company, the breeze and the salty smell of the ocean, and surrounding them, pieces of trash marked the places where other people once were.

I watched as a young girl finished drinking her plastic bottle of water and tossed it over her shoulder, landing on the ground behind her. Instinctively, I quickly held out my hand in an effort to catch it, but stopped myself after I looked around, feeling as if my action would barely make a difference. I wonder if she had thought about the impact her small action, and the combination of such actions, would have years from now.

I can’t help but wonder where these remnants of our visits to the beach will end up; into the depths of the ocean among the sea life, tucked into the lively Moroccan trees and brush, or in our own living spaces where we walk and visit each day. They do not disappear.

While the wind may catch our disposables and carry them somewhere out of our sight, I believe it is still our own responsibility as humans to maintain our environment to be as beautiful as it has the potential to be. I’ve noticed that in some areas here in Rabat, if someone wants to put something in a garbage can, they have to walk inconveniently long distances to find the closest one. Something like this shows that this city is not making it easy for us to keep our environment clean. I come from Chicago, a large city where I can be confident that I’ll pass a garbage or recycling can on the way to any destination; a noticeable contrast from areas I’ve visited here.

Rabat deserves to shine in the brightest of lights. Not only can littering distract from the beauty this city has to offer, it results in an unsustainable tainting of our environment; a result that is hard to reverse and will harm the Earth on which our future generations must live and thrive. Rabat is a place that we share with other species, our children and ourselves, and I think we should think twice before we toss a brighter, more beautiful future over our shoulder, and instead catch it, before it’s too late.