By Kerstin Opfer Operations Manager North Africa is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change and characterised by severe environmental degradation. This compromises already scarce natural resources and thereby the countries’ economic performance, which is heavily dependent on natural capital such as agriculture, phosphates, mineral resources and fisheries. This in turn also

By Yaniv Teitel HAF Intern Last Friday, I had the privilege and honor to conduct a workshop for the High Atlas Foundations staff members which I tentatively titled “Feminism & Masculinity”. The workshop was a pilot for a larger program that will hopefully start soon – an empowerment workshop for men from rural areas in

HAF Intern In recent years in Morocco, the succession of droughts, floods, unusual temperatures, negative changes of ecosystems and productive sectors, and fragile economic conditions are unlike previous decades. This necessitates redoubling development efforts involving economic, political, and civil society actors to counter these adverse effects of climate. This is why the Moroccan government has

HAF intern Last Friday, we had the chance to try out some of the methods we use in our empowerment workshops ourselves. My internship colleague Yaniv conducted a half day workshop entitled “Masculinity and Feminism” for the whole staff in the office. So, as the title of one of my last blog posts included “Women

HAF intern Last week I got the chance to take part in some of the program of the Alumni Seminar. From the 6th to the 10th of the November, 55 youth from all over Morocco who participated in the different U.S. Embassy exchange programs met at the Hotel Dar Atlas in Marrakech to share their

by Hajiba Boumasmar HAF Intern On September 28, 2019, we visited both the Argan Majji Cooperative and the Agricultural Cooperative Argan Mogador for Argan Oil Extraction with HAF Project Manager Errachid Montassir, HAF Project Assistant Hassan Ait Ouatouch, and USAID Farmer to Farmer Officer Stephanie Frankenza. Argan Majji Cooperative Visit The Argan Majji cooperative was

By Nora Martetschläger, HAF intern In my second field trip last Thursday, the 24th of October, I got a sense of the dynamics in a local community and got to know some outstanding powerful women, above all my HAF colleague Amina. Together with her and the external consultant Najwa we went to Tassa Ouirgane, a

HAJIBA BOUMASMAR HAF Intern At the heart of the Atlas Galle, at an altitude ranging between 1800 and 2000 meters above sea level, there is the touristic village Ait Boughamez, or the so-called Happy Plateau. The population depends on tourism, livestock, beekeeping, and cultivation activities like barley, apple and walnut. The region of Ait Boukmaz

HAF Volunteer Close your eyes, and picture this. A bustling city. Heat permeating everything you do. Heat from the sun warming your skin as you step outside. Heat from the crowds swarming around you, seemingly with purpose and little time to pause. Heat from the steam rising from a cup of green tea, just ordered

Georgina Kenchington HAF Volunteer No matter where you are in the world, it’s (nearly) guaranteed, unless something has gone horribly wrong with the solar system, that every evening the sun will set and colors will dance across the sky before dusk, and eventually darkness, take hold. It’s a perfect time for reflection and to simply

By Natalia Rutkowska HAF Intern It has been already a week in Morocco. However, just today I experienced cultural shock. Wednesday, at 8:54am, we came to the Hight Atlas Foundation office all prepared for today’s workshop. At the doors, a young intern named Layla welcomed us and she started to describe the main assumption of

Hajiba Boumasmar HAF intern The exclusion of illiterate women from the community was the motive for fighting against illiteracy. Today – accompanied by Amina, HAF’s Director of Projects, Ilyas – HAF’s photographer, and Hassan the driver and assistant – we supervised a ceremony for a group of women of the Aboughlou cooperative who benefited from

حجيبة بومسمار متدربة بمؤسسة الاطلس الكبير خريجة كلية العلوم و التقنيات – مراكش نسوة كافحن و جاهدن أكتر من إتنا عشرة شهرا في سبيل تعلم حرف واحد أبجدي ٫واليوم تم تتويجهم في حفل يحمل كلا من  الفرحة و البهجة لا زمان ولا مكان للتعلم يمكنك أن تتعلم في أي وقت٫ فقط آلإارادة هي المحرك٠ أن

Hajiba Boumasmar HAF Intern I was fortunate to participate in the four-day Imagine empowerment workshop from the 5th to the 8th of August with HAF trainer Ibtisam and her colleague Rachida. The workshop targeted the women of Ghammat in their process of forming the Cooperative of Chaabat Ghamat for Bees. The workshop was aimed to

Carol Ma Yau Ka HAF intern, CUHK student On 27th July, I had the opportunity to visit one of HAF’s “Imagine” workshops, organized in the valley of Ourika. The workshops aim at empowering women both financially and personally, providing a space for learning, discussion and inspiration. It was the first time that Rachida, apprentice trainer

Camelia Harkousse HAF Intern On Monday July 1st, a group of students who are on a conflict resolution and peace-building class at George Mason University (GMU) and their professor, accompanied by HAF President Dr. Yossef and HAF Director of Project Ms. Amina, visited the Aboghlo women’s cooperative in T’nine Ourika. This cooperative could be stated

HAF Intern, UVA student She stands out in my memory as the most beautiful girl in the room. Her eyes bright with desire and friendship. She wore bold jewelry–a big ring and matching necklace. She was silly and wanted to talk and take pictures. She ran down to the creek first and asked me to

HAF Intern, UVA Student This week was spent with young Moroccan women at Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech in the Imagine Women’s Empowerment workshop. The attendees were mainly University of Virginia students, me, and 5-7 Marrakech University students, and it was very powerful to witness the evolution of the confidence and comfort level among the

This week we took part in the four day IMAGINE workshop at Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, with a small group of Moroccan students. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the sessions at the beginning, since there were so many different experiences in the room. Having led and participated in women’s empowerment workshops at

I didn’t think I would need to learn how to imagine at the Imagine workshops this week, but a rerouting and adjustment of my own mind became necessary. I am a pro at these workshops; engagement, listening, asking questions, empowerment. I mean I lead these activities for girls through my sorority, class service, and even

HAF Intern This week was all about women empowerment, we had a women’s workshop for four days and it was my first time to experience it. I did not know what to expect and how it will turn out… The workshop was led by HAF empowerment trainers – Amina El Hajjami, Fatima Zahra Laaribi and

HAF Intern, UVA student SCATTERED. For the past week, I’ve been trying to put into words, or just one word, what the four-day women’s empowerment workshop meant to me and I feel scattered just trying. All at once, the workshop was challenging, easy, meditative, analytical, goal-oriented, present-focused, relaxing, irritating, draining, and energizing. I’ve written down

– The Hidden Gems of Morocco, The Daily Angle, By Sarita Mehta (HAF Intern), 19 July 2019. • Arabic: Al-Watan Voice, 11 July 2019. How cooperatives may be a key factor in social and economic empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa To many people, this coming July 6 marks the passing of another Saturday. But to over 1

SANAE BENAADIM HAF VOLUNTEER On the 15th of June, the team left HAF office in Marrakech in the morning toward Anamer village in Seti Fadma commune which is about 55 km out of the Red city. The team included Said El Bennani, HAF’s Project Manager, and Hassan Ait Ouatouch, HAF’s Project Assistant, Ilyas Dkhrissi (social

By Touda Bazaz HAF Volunteer On the 15th of June 2019, a group of volunteers and I left the High Atlas Foundation office in Marrakech at 09:00 am to Setti Fatma commune direction in order to participate in some of the activities that the foundation does. Along for the ride was a group of American

HAF Intern On a hot sunny day of May 30, 2019, the group accompanied by Errachid Montassir and Amina El Hajjami, left HAF Office in Marrakech by 9 o’clock in the morning, towards the Amazigh village of Akrich. The drive took about 30 min to get to the village. The first site visited was the

– The Next Step for Cooperatives Is Certification, The McGill International Review, by Amy Zhang (Undergraduate student and HAF Intern), 12 July 2018. • Arabic: Al-Watan Voice, 13 July 2018. By Amy Zhang Marrakech This week we celebrate the United Nations International Day of Cooperatives, commemorated every year on the first Saturday of July. Cooperatives’ success in sustainable development,