This effort is in loving memory of Kate Jeans-Gail, a former Peace Corps Volunteer.  This initiative is a model for Morocco because most the saplings for these nurseries come from fruit trees from earlier HAF tree distributions, which means that local people can replenish their own orchards without any additional purchases.  Our next goal is to

A picture-perfect Sunday morning welcomed HAF’s March Eat-Drink-Share, set in Washington, D.C. at Georgetown’s Puro Cafe.  A delicious brunch united ten Americans and their shared passion for Morocco.  Several returned Peace Corps Volunteers working in D.C., and one person en route to live and work in Morocco expressed interest to get involved in helping HAF

In recognition of the Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary and the founders of the High Atlas Foundation being predominantly former volunteers of the environment sector of Peace Corps Morocco, here is a wonderful piece from Dawn Hamil that captures the essence our love for Morocco and for our desire to remain in service to the people of this

April E-Newsletter – Trees, Training, Events, and Investing in Moroccan Sustainable Development

Read about HAF’s most succeful tree planting season (English PDF and French PDF). since 2006, HAF has planted 320,000 fruit trees benefiting approximately 30,000 people. HAF can potentially achieve its One Million Tree goal during the 2012 planting season. We need your partnership to make it happen. HAF’s Community Almond Tree Nursery, Ouanzourt Village, Toubkal Commune.

On June 17th, I had the great pleasure of meeting the 5th grade class of George Washington Academy in Casablanca. The amazing students held a bake sale for the High Atlas Foundation and raised 3,500 Moroccan dirhams for fruit tree planting in rural disadvantaged communities, as part of HAF’s 1 Million Tree Campaign. I enjoyed very much speaking with the students

(Ouafa Elbargui is the High Atlas Foundation’s new Project Coordinator at its Tahanaout Center). My job is to coordinate between the HAF’s project and training Center and partnering organizations and agencies.  This is the first time I have ever worked at such a job.  One of the insights that struck me the most was the

By Yossef Ben-Meir, President of HAF On behalf of the High Atlas Foundation, it is with such great pleasure to announce that Mr. Peter Jupp is the new Chair of HAF’s Board of Directors. Peter’s election to this vital leadership position is true milestone for the organization and occurs at a time filled with special

HAF’s Moroccan Film Festival is fast approaching and we hope that you will buy tickets today.  Why?  Because this special event is so worthwhile: Here is a chance to greatly enjoy Moroccan film, food and wine with wonderful people, while supporting projects in fruit tree nurseries that create transformational benefits for rural Moroccan communities. Thank you to the Festival

Please read about HAF’s new partnership with the Organization of the Moroccan Community in the United States to bring sustainable development projects to Zaouia-Cheikh, in the Ben-Mellal region of Morocco.  It is an important upcoming community-driven initiative. • ENGLISH – Announcing A New Participatory Development Initiative In Zaouia-cheikh, Morocco, 26 October 2011, Press Release • FRENCH – Zaouiate cheikh:

Thank you again to everyone for making the Moroccan Film Festival a very special occasion, especially for the Moroccan rural communities HAF seeks to benefit.  About $5,000 was raised for the 1 Million Tree Campaign – which will plant about 10,000 fruit saplings (non-pesticide requiring) in a community-managed tree nursery.  This will create major economic and environmental

On January 5th at the Al Kairaouane School in Tahanaout, Al Haouz Province, HAF’s staff accompanied the El Kouhen family for the inauguration of the wonderful project Trees for Kids: Sami’s Project, inspired by loving memories of their 3-year-old son Sami who, before losing his battle with cancer 5 years ago, had already shown his

As part of the 1 Million Tree Campaign , HAF is currently raising funds for 7 fruit tree nurseries planted in 6 provinces, totaling 600,000 fruit saplings and costing $300,000. These trees will benefit approximately 45,000 people, and by 2018 they will have (on average) doubled household incomes. Why tree nurseries vs. trees? Tree nurseries create jobs while raising

The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) concluded an extraordinary training in the Rural Commune of Toubkal (Taroudant Province) that truly epitomizes bottom-up development – and that we believe creates a vitally important model for Morocco. Communes (the most local administrative level in Morocco) are required by their national charter to create Community Development Plans for their

On March 14, beginning just after midnight at 12:01 AM (EST ‐ New York), online donations made to High Atlas Foundation (and all) projects on Global Giving will be matched at 30% (up to $1,000 per donor) until the designated $50,000 in matching funds runs out. Organizations that receive the most donations and those receiving the largest number of gifts

They say that sometimes you just have to create a moment, and people will respond. Well, Global Giving is a wonderful organization that has created a website for non-profits like HAF to post their projects so that like-minded people can choose a project they’d like to help sponsor. They not only make it very easy

As part of HAF’s partnership with the Organization of the Moroccan Community in the United States (OMC-US), the High Atlas Foundation is facilitating participatory planning meetings in Zaouiat Cheikh and the Ait Oum Elbeikht communes, in the region of Ben-Mellal. Initial meetings since January 2012 were held at the social municipality club, and in recent

Happy 42nd Earth Day on April 22! Here at HAF, every day is Earth Day. Trees for Kids: Sami’s Project inspires a new generation to be proactive stewards of the earth. Most of our work is in remote rural areas, in the mountains where people’s lives are at the mercy of nature. When it rains

Malika is a HAF field facilitator of participatory planning activities with local communities.  Her role is to organize local community meetings, ensure broad participation, and act as a bridge between the people and outside institutions, all while maintaining a productive and informative experience for each individual. Hello, In my first weeks as field facilitator for

“Past Training Sessions at HAF’s Center at Hassan II University” This semester, HAF’s Mouhssine Tadlaoui-Cherki is teaching Project Design and Management to Masters Degree students at the Center for Community Consensus-Building and Sustainable Development – created in 2008 by HAF and Hassan II University in Mohammedia. We asked Mouhssine a few questions (Q), and here

In April-May 2012, Sami’s Project completed this year’s planting season with activities in 4 schools in Ouirgane rural commune, Al Haouz Province. HAF’s project team, students, teachers and managers of the schools, accompanied by some members of students’ parents’ association and some villagers participated together in planting the trees. In each school, HAF’s staff explained

On Saturday, May 26, 2012, Ouafa Elbargui and Malika Kassi of the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) traveled from Marrakech to the Peace Corps Office in Rabat to participate in the panel discussions at the Peace Corps Morocco 50th Anniversary Celebration. Here, Ouafa reports on their experience: May 26, 2012 During the 4 hour program, there

Since 2000, creating synergistic partnerships that drive sustainable, community-initiated development in Morocco * * * P R E S S R E L E A S E * * * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: June 18, 2012, Tahanaout, Morocco Contact: Ouafa Elbargui, High Atlas Foundation – Tel. U.S. (001) 646-688-2946 | Morocco (212) (0) 524-48-48-24

Shonali Banerjee and Aliza Appelbaum are In-The-Field Representatives for GlobalGiving.  They are visiting projects in Morocco, Spain and France.  Here is their most recent “postcard” from Morocco: On June 27, 2012, Aliza and I had the pleasure of visiting two of the several High Atlas Foundation (HAF) sites.  HAF is one of GlobalGiving’s most active

by Ouafa Elbargui the HAF’s Center Coordinator From June 19th to  June 22nd 2012, the World Bank Civil Society Fund (CSF) held a Social Accountability Regional Workshop in Istanbul, Turkey. The workshop was designed for CSF grant winners and runner-ups from Middle East and North Africa working to promote and enhance social accountability in their

by Malika Kassi, a HAF Community Facilitator On the 24th of June, Chelsea, Hans and I attended an event in Ifrane where a group of Olmsted Scholars were running a marathon to raise money for High Atlas Foundation.  The Olmsted Scholars run in the Marathon International des Cèdres — a 90 km (56 mile), four-day

— Field update from Project Coordinator Ouafa Elbarqui Report about visiting schools Thursday June 19th, 2012 Alkairaouane school Deepening the holes for the trees seems to have helped; I found out that they are looking better. The school staff and the students are very enthusiastic of keeping the trees at school as Mrs Khadija Kandi,

Announcing a New Partnership JULY 2012 Following its successful, ongoing partnership with the High Commission of Waters and Forests, who lend land to HAF for community tree nurseries, HAF and the (Moroccan) Jewish Community of Marrakech* have signed a similar agreement to launch a pilot Tree Nursery project . [*In Morocco, a “Jewish Community” is

HAF’S “HARVEST EXPEDITION” TO SECURE ORGANIC CERTIFICATION AND EXPORT ALMONDS AND WALNUTS FROM THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS OF MOROCCO September 7th – 14th, 2012 From September 7th-14th 2012, the High Atlas Foundation’s project staff, nut specialists and entrepreneurs Mike Mellace and Tony Bagato, photographer Terry Munson, and a technician from Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture embarked

Thanks to funding received from MEPI (Middle East Partnership Initiative), HAF has been teaching female elected officials some participatory planning techniques that help them voice their views and be heard, thereby empowering them to strengthen their roles and become more active and effective leaders in building the capacities of their communities. This training is “learning