Hi, my name is Olivia, I am from the UK and have been living in Rabat, Morocco, for 4 years now.

In my neighbourhood, I met Hope, who is from South Sudan. I got to know Hope and would sit and talk with her every week, and we soon became friends. This is how I learned that she has lived through things nobody should. Hope and her 3 young children have been on a long journey to restart their lives in Morocco, but daily tasks that many take for granted are a monumental obstacle for them, such as enrolling in school, accessing health care, finding work, getting administrative tasks done, opening a bank account, and so many more.

In the process of trying to help Hope, I noticed so many systemic and social barriers that stood in the way, not just for her but for the entire community. These barriers have only become more severe due to funding cuts in the humanitarian sector.

This is why we are launching Hope Community Centre with a small team of people who will run the centre guided by their lived experiences as refugees; this way, we can create a space for people who truly understand how to serve their community.

This space will be an opportunity for refugees and asylum seekers in Morocco to find work opportunities, build language and literacy learning skills, meet like-minded people, run their own workshops, mentor each other, and create a cycle of empowerment and support. This space will allow people to be autonomous in becoming their own solution while helping others.

I hope you will join us on this journey. We ask that to reach our goal in creating this space, you donate or fundraise to help us crowdfund our startup costs so that those running the centre can have the power to apply the funding in the way they see fit, and provide the support they wish they had upon rebuilding their lives in Morocco.

You can also follow, like, and share our content on Instagram at @hopecommunitycentre

Thank you :)