Emergency fundraising for Ouirgane, Morocco

Following the devastating 7-magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco on the night of September 8th 2023, a multitude of villages in the High Atlas Mountains have been heavily affected. One of the hardest-hit areas, the Ouirgane Valley, was located only 12 km in away from the earthquake epicenter when it broke out, which left villages devastated.

People’s homes are in ruins, livelihoods destroyed, and the community's spirit deeply wounded after a heavy death toll keeps rising with people trapped under the rubble. Those who have survived have lost their homes and everything they’ve ever owned.

The initial images we receive depict houses and entire neighbourhoods levelled by the earthquake. Friends and loved ones are mourning the loss of family members, including parents and children. The human toll is heartbreaking, and the material damage is extensive.

My family is currently on the ground supporting the village of Ouirgane and giving back to our community who has given us so much for generations. People who have become like family are left without the ability to rebuild and we are doing everything we can to help. Indeed, my grandfather fell in love with this beautiful region in the late 60's - so much so that he chose it as a location for our family hotel which he founded, Domaine De La Roseraie. Over 3 generations of villagers from Ouirgane and its surroundings have been employed by La Roseraie since 1969, as talent was sourced locally to support the development of this remote region. Most have dedicated their lives to our establishment, and today it is their sons, daughters, or even grand children, which have been perpetuating the tradition and work for La Roseraie. We consider them as family and it has been heartbreaking seeing them all lose their loved ones, and their homes, which they have worked so hard to build over the years. I have spoken to as many of them as I could and listening to their horrific accounts of this tragic event has been heartbreaking - I believe that actively mobilising my network and all those who wish to support the earthquake victims is the least I can do to give back to the community that has raised me and demonstrated a moving generosity towards me my whole life.

We are organizing solidarity efforts to support them and their families, as well as the most vulnerable (women and children), Your donations, whatever the amount, are guaranteed to help the grieving population cope with such a tragic event.

Distribution of donations:

All donations collected will be dedicated to supporting the population of the Ouirgane Valley to rebuild the homes they have lost as well as a decent livelihood after lost everything they had in the devastating earthquake. The earthquake victims form part of the community I grew up in and I wish to be able to make a positive difference in their lives after losing everything in this tragic event. I will be traveling to Ouirgane on 26 September to provide donations directly to the population by working closely with the Tamounte organisation for women and children, based in the village of Ouirgane, and founded by my aunt, Kenza Fenjiro.

The two of us have been evaluating the specific needs of everyone affected, as everyone in the village has lost their home and or a loved one. Fund will be distributed to all of those affected and their families, and will specifically funds will aid in the reconstruction of their homes as we help them rebuild. With the rainy season and winter approaching, we need to ensure that villagers have a home to spend the cold months in, as well as blankets, warm clothes, food, and all appliances they need.

As this campaign has been shared on social media, we have been providing photos of progress achieved with all the donations received on the ground by my aunt, as well as listing the items that are needed by the victims. We will be documenting all the progress that these generous donations enable us to achieve, posting photos and regular updates on my profile (@inesfenji) as well as on Tamounte's public instagram page - follow here to keep track : https://www.instagram.com/association_tamounte_ouirgane/?hl=en

Thank you all for your support and donations.