Rural Development in Morocco: The High Atlas Foundation

 
 Charles Dahan, Annalisa Assaadi, Hassan Samrhouni at WMC 20 Gala  -

THE PARTICIPANTS ON YOUR PANELS OR PROGRAM

 H.E. Aziz Mekouar, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States

Talal Belrhiti - He is Director at the Washington DC think tank, Maghreb Center, where he is also the editor of the Center's publication, Maghreb Dialogue. In addition, he works with the Discovery Channel's Global Education Partnership to improve the quality of primary education in North Africa.

 Sir Charles Dahan - Born in Meknes, Morocco, Charles has served as a good-will Ambassador for the Moroccan Jewish community and the Arab World.  In 1990 he received the 1000 Points of Light award from President George Bush, and in 2000 he was the recipient of the Chevalier Du Wissam Al Moukaffa At Watania (Knight of the Order of National Merit) presented by H.M. King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

 THE GOALS OF THE PARTICULAR EVENT

 The goal of the event was to bring attention to the work that the High Atlas Foundation is doing in Morocco and to highlight the synergy between the Foundation's work and the objectives of Morocco's development and decentralization's plans.

 ISSUES COVERED BY THE EVENT

 Fruit tree planting: Rural Moroccan families consistently identify fruit trees as one of their highest priorities for community development.  The reason why fruit trees are so important is because the traditional staple crops of barley and corn no longer satisfy subsistence needs. The low market-value of these staples has compelled family farms to plant cash-crops, such as fruit trees, that generate significantly greater income than traditional crops. In June 2006 HAF launched an ambitious campaign to plant one million fruit trees and saplings throughout Morocco. Since 2003 nearly 200,000 fruit trees, benefiting over 25,000 people, in four provinces of Morocco, have been planted.

 Clean drinking water: Morocco has one of the lowest rural water supplies in North Africa, with approximately 40 percent of its rural inhabitants lacking access to clean drinking water.  High infant mortality rates - as high as 20 percent in some of the most remote areas of Morocco - are directly linked to unsafe drinking water. In addition, women and girls spend many hours procuring water from non-potable sources causing them to have less time to attend school or participate in other activities. Gravity flow water systems deliver safe drinking water directly from springs to reservoirs above villages, and then to homes. Our partners teach important skills in public health to help communities understand additional measures they should take to avoid water-borne illnesses, and transfer skills in water-system maintenance and repair. To date, the High Atlas Foundation has provided clean drinking water to 2,000 people.

Irrigation: Water is the most precious natural resource in rural Morocco.  Currently most water canals built for irrigation are made of earth. Water evaporates easily and seeps out, wasting as much as one-third of the water supply. Cement canals, water pipes, and basins conserve precious water, and irrigate previously dry land, dramatically increasing agricultural productivity.  They also open up the region and provide the opportunity to build service centers, such as schools, health clinics, and women's cooperatives. A one-kilometer canal costs $20,000 to construct and will increase agricultural yields by up to one-third, significantly benefitting 500 people in one of Morocco's most remote regions. 

 Women's cooperatives: Women in rural Morocco have historically had only a small role in community decision-making. However, women are integral to the sustainable development of any community. In every community where HAF works, we organize meetings with women and listen to their voices. We help them better understand the development needs of their families, and create projects to meet those needs - most often in the form of women's cooperatives. Cooperatives give rural women the opportunity to earn money for their families. There are many examples of successful women's cooperatives throughout Morocco that include everything from raising goats, to producing cheese, to making carpets. HAF is proud to have supported  the construction of three cooperatives in partnership with Peace Corps Volunteers: Ain Bechar (Taza), Taferdoust (Marrakech), and Ouanskra (Marrakech). HAF is currently raising financial support to build a women's cooperative in the Tifnoute Valley, in the Province of Taroudant, to serve ten villages. Through participatory planning meetings the women determine the income generation projects they undertake, and HAF works with its partners to provide the training needed to bring the cooperative from vision to reality.

 HAF's Training Center at Hassan II University in participatory development: The mission of the Center is to: 1) Promote local community participation in the planning and implementation of socio-economic and environmental projects; and 2) Build knowledge of sustainable development practices through applied activities (including community workshops and training sessions) and through scholarly research both within Morocco and internationally. The Center is dedicated to train students, faculty, staff, and NGO and government leaders, school teachers, and citizens in facilitating local community planning meetings that create carefully designed development projects based on community priorities.  To date, the Center has trained 50 university students and local politicians with grants from the National Endowment for Democracy and the Netherlands Embassy.

SPECIFY WHETHER THERE WAS NEWS COVERAGE OF THE EVENT AND IF SO, ATTACH COPIES OF ALL STORIES TO YOUR WRITE-UP AND ANY PHOTOGRAPHS.

 Moroccan 2M Television covered the event

 STATE WHY THIS EVENT WAS IMPORTANT TO YOU AND THE MOROCCAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY

 This event was very important in bringing together the Moroccan community, former Peace Corps volunteers, and representatives of the NGO community. Each of these groups has a unique role to play in the development of the country and to help the HAF in its mission to alleviate poverty and build a green, prosperous, and sustainable future in the remote, rural communities in Morocco.

The event was thus meant to highlight the need but also the opportunities which each member of these groups can seize upon to empower the local communities while building friendships and relationships between the peoples of Morocco and the Unites States.

Empowering Moroccans, One Fruit Tree at a Time

Part report by Fatiha Occhialini

The High Atlas Foundation's (HAF) One Million Tree Campaign (www.highatlasfoundation.org) was spotlighted at a March 2010 reception in conjunction with the 20^th Anniversary events (20/20) of the Washington Moroccan American Club (www.WMC20.org). Held at the University Club in Washington, D.C., the reception featured the debut of a documentary produced by Philadelphia-based media consultant, Fatiha Occhialini.   In attendance at the reception were, among others, HAF Board members Sir Charles Dahan,  Barbara Balaj, Talal Belrhiti, and Charlie Kellett.  Moroccan Ambassador Aziz Mekouar and his staff made remarks commending HAF's work.

The documentary featured footage of the rural Atlas Mountain villages near Tifnout and Amssouzight where the One Million Tree Campaign has literally taken root to improve their livelihoods and economic independence. The film demonstrates the success of the tree planting initiative while making the case for better roads and water supplies in and out of the rural communities.

Ms. Occhialini and her film crew, a group of volunteers including students and young professionals, traveled to the remote villages in south-central Morocco and faced rains and other harsh conditions to film the villagers at work tending to their trees and conducting interviews. They walked for miles with heavy camera equipment and supplies from the nearest road to document the tree farms in an effort to publicize the success of the Trees Campaign and garner support from donors and foundations.

The mission of the One Million Trees campaign is not only to provide sustainable economic development but also to strengthen communities through improving access to education, providing better nutrition, repurposing farmland, facilitating innovative farming practices, and otherwise bettering the current conditions and future for all people in these remote areas, including women and youth.

Ms. Occhialini adds, "When parents can support themselves and their children, they earn not only income, but also confidence, dignity, and respect. And when rural inhabitants no longer need to leave the land to survive, they can protect and provide for the health and success of their communities. Over 200 villages through HAF are being provided with fruit tree planting and technical assistance." A donation of $1 enables one fruit tree sapling to be planted.