I remember in the mid-90s when I had the great fortune to be a Peace Corps Volunteer and live with the village communities of the Toubkal municipality in the High Atlas Mountains.  The people expressed how fruit tree revenue far outweighed what they generated from growing barley and corn using traditional methods.  We also learned

Today, we gathered with schoolchildren from Aarabat primary school, members of the community, and Private University of Marrakech (UPM) students for our second Bureau of Oceans and International Environment and Scientific Affairs (OES) workshop this week.  On this beautiful morning, the community, schoolchildren, teachers, and local association members welcomed us warmly, making us extremely happy and comfortable to start the

by Nisreen Abo-Sido, HAF volunteer, Thomas J. Watson Fellow Over the weekend, part of the HAF team visited a primary school in Rhamna to check in with community leaders, distribute 140 fruit trees, and join in the excitement of playing and planting with energetic children and volunteers.  Activity organizers welcomed us with warm bread and

The beauty of Morocco exists not only in the big cities but also in the charming villages of the countryside. Many villages and residential communities are scattered along the Atlas Mountain range, from the south-west of the country to the far east, and the activities vary from one region to the other. Nevertheless, they share

by Nisreen Abo-Sido, HAF Volunteer, Thomas J. Watson Fellow On my first site visit as the newest member of the HAF team, I joined Errachid—our project manager and volunteer coordinator—on a visit to El Youssoufia to attend a regional OCP Company meeting. Formerly known as Office chérifien des phosphates, OCP holds economic importance in Morocco

HAF Intern- Marrakech  Lund University, Sweden As part of my field visits to HAF’s partners and beneficiaries, I had the opportunity to see and speak to teachers from two schools who are hoping to undertake planting initiatives in January, one in the High Atlas mountain community of Tagelft, the other in the flatter commune of

Manon Burbidge HAF Intern- Marrakech Lund University, Sweden Morocco Launches Climate Finance Expertise Programme at “Africities” Conference The Kingdom of Morocco announced a national strategy aimed at funding projects for climate resilience at the Africities Conference on Wednesday, which is currently being held from 20-24th November in Marrakech. The “Sub-National Climate Finance Expertise Programme” is designed

Case study of the Aboghlou Womens Coopertaive, Ourika It is a sunny Thursday afternoon as Amina El Hajjami, Projects Director at the High Atlas Foundation (HAF), and I drive out of Marrakech towards Ourika in Al Haouz Province, just one hour away. We are visiting the Aboghlou Women’s Cooperative in a small shopfront where 32

– A Model to Implement Sustainable Development in Morocco, SAIS Review of International Affairs, by Yossef Ben-Meir (HAF President) 12 October 2018.  In terms of human development potential, Morocco is a nation of immense promise, where gifted fortunes of nature such as wide-ranging organic agricultural products come together with dynamic social development frameworks. This could launch the

Manon Burbidge HAF Intern- Marrakech Lund University, Sweden January is the traditional tree-planting season in Morocco, meaning that right now, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) is gearing up to take on new tree-planting project ideas that are springing up across the country. Last week, I joined Errachid, HAF’s project manager, on his site visits to

The Fruit Tree Nursery at Abdelaziz Ben Driss, the Center for the Protection of Children in Fes as a Case Study According to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Centers for Protection of Children in Morocco are those spaces that are responsible for the re-education of juvenile delinquents, who are referred by the judicial

This interview was conducted by Hajar Ennamli, a student of the National School of Commerce and Management in Oujda, with Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir, president of the High Atlas Foundation. 29th October 2018 Q: Tell me a little about your negotiation experiences? A: One can make the case that community development is ultimately a negotiation challenge. Can

مشروع مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير وسيمانس كميسة للطاقة المتجددة. أمينة الحجامي (مديرة مشاريع مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير، حانة الزاوي (مديرة مشروع ببوجدور) إندريانتي ليهارديناتا متطوعة مع المؤسسة من جامعة بيبردين. تعمل مؤسسة الأطلس الكبير (HAF) وشركة سيمانس كميسة للطاقة المتجددة (SGRE) على إقامة شراكات منذ يوليوز الماضي وذلك للقيام بحملة بيئية وكذا توفير مياه الشرب النظيفة بالمناطق

The planting season, which starts Morocco in December and concludes in March, is like no other time of year. It offers a window for sowing the best of benefits this world could offer–sustenance, livelihoods, flourishing nature, and justice, for now and for generations. This precious time opens its door in just six weeks, and for

 سعيد بناني  مدير مشروع بمؤسسة الأطلس الكبير مشتل للأشجار المثمرة في مركز عبد العزيز بن ادريس لحماية الطفولة بفاس “نموذجا” حسب وزارة الشباب والرياضة، فمراكز حماية الطفولة هي تلك الفضاءات التابعة لوزارة الشباب والرياضة تتولى مهمة إعادة تربية الاحداث الجانحين المحالين عليها من طرف السلطات القضائية طبقا لمقتضيات قانون المسطرة الجنائية، وتعمل على تقديم خدماتها

By Amina El Hajjami (HAF’s Director of Projects), Hana Ezaoui (HAF’s Project Manager in Boujdour), and Indrianty Lihardinata (HAF Intern from Pepperdine University)   The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) have been partnering since July 2018 to promote an environmental campaign and to provide clean drinking water for nomadic communities

  By Eliana Lisuzzo Program Assistant A typical day’s work for the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) varies greatly depending on the role of a staff member, the region of Morocco in which they work, and projects that are being planned, prepared to be implemented, or that are currently being administered. During any given day, organic

    By Fatima Zahra Laaribi HAF Financial Manager and Women’s Empowerment Trainer The event “Fulfilling Moroccan Development Visions,” held the 9th of October 2018, began with expressions of gratitude to The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) for organizing such an important gathering. Gratitude was extended to all staff members of the Mohammed VI Museum for

– Effective Practices to Sustain Development in Morocco, Scoop World, by Kerstin Opfer (Graduate Student and HAF Volunteer), 11 October 2018. • Arabic: Ach Press, 17 October 2018. Natural landscapes are declining worldwide. Approximately 30 percent of the world’s natural forests are expected to be lost by the end of this century. Further, 25 percent of all land on

– Muslim-Jewish goodwill blossoms in Morocco, Qantara, By Yossef Ben-Meir (HAF President), 19 September 2018. • Arabic: Qantara, 23 September 2018. • German: Qantara, 27 September 2018. The High Atlas Foundationʹs fruit tree nursery project Since 2012, the Moroccan Jewish community has been helping local farmers by donating land around ancient cemeteries for the planting of fruit tree nurseries. The aim:

Dear all, Germanwatch and the High Atlas Foundation have the pleasure to invite you to a webinar on energy access, with a focus on Morocco and Africa more broadly. The webinar will be held on the 18th. September 2018 from 1 pm to 2 pm Central European Summer time on webex (12:00h Morocco time today).

Gal Kramarski From Jerusalem, in Marrakech Several months after finishing my internship with the High Atlas Foundation, I got the chance to go back to Marrakech, this time, only for a visit. Though the purpose of the travel was truly exciting, an interfaith conference in Essaouira, I was more excited about visiting my friends from

  The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) has worked in the Oujda Region for three years. HAF’s Marrakech and Oujda teams came together in August to facilitate women’s empowerment and cooperative development workshops and are touring the region, now joined by our counterparts from The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). Since September 5th, we have met with cooperative members from four provinces, with two

Yahya Rhomari Member, Cooperative of Organic Agriculture in Berkane The development of organic agriculture in Morocco faces various technical, commercial, financial, and organizational constraints. Organizational constraints—primarily poor coordination between local cooperatives and associations—are of particular importance and must be addressed. The lack of effective relationships between such entities can consequently impede upon the interests of

By Eliana Lisuzzo HAF Project Assistant A cooperative is a business or organization managed jointly by voluntary members. When ran successfully, a cooperative will lead its members to meet their common goals as well as economic needs—of which any profit is shared among them. In Morocco in particular, being a part of a cooperative can

By Eliana Lisuzzo HAF Program Assistant In a little under just one week, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) has met with members of 21 cooperatives throughout four provinces of the Oujda Region in Morocco. We have learned the stories behind the development of their cooperatives, about their products, unique manufacturing techniques, the highs and the

Khalid (left) tells HAF about the challenges of starting a new cooperative and the solutions he and fellow Alaymoune members identified as a result of attending HAF’s training. By Eliana Lisuzzo Project Assistant The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) staff has met many driven Moroccan people with big plans to make a difference in their lives

By Eliana Lisuzzo HAF Project Assistant We met Nordine on a sunny Wednesday morning. His tan skin revealed how he spends many hours outside planting as well as tending to the already planted almond trees throughout Irzaine in the Berkane province, Oujda region. He proudly walked us through one of the fields with growing trees

Help us compete for the $1,000 grand prize in the 2018 @GlobalGiving Photo Contest! Vote today, and when you sign up for updates your vote will count 3x! https://www.globalgiving.org/poll/vote/?pollOptionId=1187   We’re participating in @GlobalGiving ’s annual Photo Contest and among hundreds of nonprofits… WE ARE FINALISTS! Now we need your help to win $1,000: follow the

by Tal Carmel In January 2018, FRÉ’s founders and a couple ambassadors had the opportunity to plant Argan trees in Morocco. During the trip, they visited with the women who harvest the Argan seeds at the Izourane co-op in Tidzi, Essaouira. It was from this visit that FRÉ’s founders decided they wanted to do more