Earthquake relief, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Dear family and friends,

Following the earthquake that struck the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, and in search of a meaningful local project directly supporting the affected communities, I had the pleasure of meeting someone who inspired me greatly with his generosity and concern for others. Omar Louzi, ecological entrepreneur, holistic therapist and writer, knows very well the area, where he spent considerable time, both working and traveling.

He participated in the first-aid in the aftermath of the earthquake and, when he saw the sanitary state of the areas affected by the earthquake, he came up with the great idea of producing dry toilets and delivering them to families in the areas most affected.

Dry toilets contribute to securing appropriate hygiene for households and communities in water-scarce areas and in humanitarian settings. They have many advantages, they are ecologic and economic, they do not require water to operate, they don't produce odors, and provide safe sanitation and sustainable sewage treatment. And if those were not enough good reasons, human waste from dry toilets can also be turned into a natural fertilizer and support local agriculture.

Local craftsmen have volunteered their time to support Omar in the execution of this superb initiative, to enable the production of as many toilets as possible, and help to alleviate the suffering of some of the worst-affected families currently living in precarious temporary conditions.

Each toilet costs 350 dhs (35 USD), and I am now turning to you dear family and friends, hoping you'd be able to contribute as little or as much as you can, hoping that together we could help produce 200 dry toilets and help 200 families.

For those in Morocco, don't hesitate to contact me if you prefer direct fund transfers. I am happy to also connect you directly with Omar. I will be posting pictures and updates regularly.

Thanks a million for all the generosity!