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HELP THIS MOROCCAN FAMILY OF NINE RESTORE THEIR HOUSE
The Meryoma family [name changed at their request] is one of the most generous, caring, and open-hearted families I have ever had the pleasure of meeting… but today Halima, her husband, and her seven kids are living in a house without a roof or bathroom. The walls have been stripped and the ground floor tiles pulled up… in short, this family of nine is living in two small rooms of their house.
Halima lives in the medina of Fes, which is one of the oldest cities in the world. Fes was founded in the 9th century, and Halima’s neighborhood, though more recent, is nonetheless several hundred years old. None of the houses in the neighborhood enjoy heating or air conditioning, and very few have modern bathrooms. Most have only squat toilets and no showers to speak of. Because the architecture is so old and haphazard, houses that are not well-maintained are liable to crumble at any minute – a terrifying possibility that their residents live with every day.
This thin row of bricks, some of them damaged or missing, is all that stands between the family and Fes' cold winters and boiling summers.
Traditional Fassi houses have an open central courtyard, which is usually covered with a sturdy plastic cover; the one on Halima's house is old and torn, letting water directly into their living room.
The ground floor needs to be redone, as evidenced by the pile of dirt where the sofas used to be; in the meantime, the tarps on the side are all that protect the family's two-room living area from rain.Halima’s house has been in need of repairs for years, but the arrival of her youngest son, Ryan, about a year ago, meant that the little they had saved to put towards getting a new roof was quickly spent on diapers, baby formula, and doctors’ visits. Fortunately, she was able to receive a small amount of money from the Moroccan government in order to begin the repairs; however, in order to complete them, she is going to need the help of the people she has selflessly welcomed into her home and their friends. That’s where you come in! But first, meet the family:
THE FAMILY
Halima has seven children between the ages of 19 and 1 year. Her husband, Tawfiq, works as a security guard at the local university.
The two oldest children are Maryam (right) and Sukaina (middle; the one on the left is me!), both currently in their last year of high school. Maryam works at a local language school during the summer; she is hoping to improve her English enough to be accepted into the English literature program at her local university. She loves American music and has an independent streak a mile wide! Sukaina is a year younger and just as sweet. She is a hard worker in school and at home, where she helps her mother with chores and babysitting while her father and sister are at work. Sukaina and Maryam are both so much fun to hang out with… they have wicked senses of humor and an open-mindedness that is rare everywhere in the world.
Umayma is the next in line; her name means “little mother” and this is the perfect description for her. She takes wonderful care of her little brother Ryan, and her sister Kawtar; feeding them when they’re hungry, holding them when their mother is busy, and comforting them when they cry. She even helps her younger brothers Ahmed and Amin with their homework. Umayma is only thirteen but already runs the house like a little mother! In spite of this, she’s also very affectionate and will happily spend hours sitting and chatting with guests while looking after her siblings at the same time.
Ahmed (right) and Amin (left) are nine and seven, respectively, and absolutely adorable! They love playing with marbles and watching “Adventure Time.” Ahmed was given the opportunity to study at a private French school when he was younger, but unfortunately the costs were too high for the family and he had to stop; nonetheless, he is doing the best he can within the framework of the Moroccan educational system, and with the help of his big sister, he will hopefully succeed! Amin is the younger of the pair, and an adorable little kid who can’t seem to help getting in trouble. Although he’s often in time-out, his mischief is never malicious and usually a result of his natural curiosity.
Kawtar is the second-youngest, and she is bold and lively, in spite of a childhood accident that has delayed her development and left her unable to speak. Wherever the family is gathered, Kawtar will be there enjoying the love of her brothers and sisters and playing with her little brother Ryan, who she dotes on. Her temper tantrums are legendary, but they usually pass quickly, and most of the time she is affectionate and energetic.
Ryan is the baby of the family, and everyone’s favorite. This little treasure is always being passed from arm to arm, and being cuddled by his family or his neighbors. Ryan is only about a year old but already extremely curious and very active. He crawls around the house like a real menace, and if he always looks a little bit surprised, it’s because he’s curious about everything – especially when it comes to putting things in his mouth!
That's Umaima holding him up in the background!
HELP OUT THE FAMILY
The Meryoma family are some of the kindest people I have ever met. Maryam worked at the language school where I studied in Fes, which is how I met them; ever since, they have been nothing but kind to me, my friends and family, and their other guests. For instance, one week when they had other American students staying with them, they invited all of us plus my friend James to a family member’s wedding. Not only that, they refused to let us pay for the taxi and made sure that we were well taken-care of during the party!
Another time, when I was visiting Fes with my brothers, I lost my wallet on a bus. I was distraught and it was about 11 PM. Halima came to meet us at the bus stop down the street and brought us home, fed us a giant and delicious dinner, and let us spend the night. She has never asked me or any of my friends for anything, and has never expected anything in return for her kindness.
I hope that you will help me reward them for their extravagant generosity and boundless kindness. Although the total needed for the repairs they are hoping to do is upwards of $10,000, the most important of these repairs is to get the roof fixed, put in a bathroom, and refinish the walls of the room. They estimated that this would take about $5,000, and the rest of the money will be covered by the government grant.
Every little bit that you can give helps more than you know. The minimum wage in Morocco is only $200-250 per month, so a little bit to us goes a really long way over there. Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions you might have… my email is available through this website.
The Meryoma family [name changed at their request] is one of the most generous, caring, and open-hearted families I have ever had the pleasure of meeting… but today Halima, her husband, and her seven kids are living in a house without a roof or bathroom. The walls have been stripped and the ground floor tiles pulled up… in short, this family of nine is living in two small rooms of their house.
Halima lives in the medina of Fes, which is one of the oldest cities in the world. Fes was founded in the 9th century, and Halima’s neighborhood, though more recent, is nonetheless several hundred years old. None of the houses in the neighborhood enjoy heating or air conditioning, and very few have modern bathrooms. Most have only squat toilets and no showers to speak of. Because the architecture is so old and haphazard, houses that are not well-maintained are liable to crumble at any minute – a terrifying possibility that their residents live with every day.
This thin row of bricks, some of them damaged or missing, is all that stands between the family and Fes' cold winters and boiling summers.Traditional Fassi houses have an open central courtyard, which is usually covered with a sturdy plastic cover; the one on Halima's house is old and torn, letting water directly into their living room.
The ground floor needs to be redone, as evidenced by the pile of dirt where the sofas used to be; in the meantime, the tarps on the side are all that protect the family's two-room living area from rain.Halima’s house has been in need of repairs for years, but the arrival of her youngest son, Ryan, about a year ago, meant that the little they had saved to put towards getting a new roof was quickly spent on diapers, baby formula, and doctors’ visits. Fortunately, she was able to receive a small amount of money from the Moroccan government in order to begin the repairs; however, in order to complete them, she is going to need the help of the people she has selflessly welcomed into her home and their friends. That’s where you come in! But first, meet the family:THE FAMILY
Halima has seven children between the ages of 19 and 1 year. Her husband, Tawfiq, works as a security guard at the local university.
The two oldest children are Maryam (right) and Sukaina (middle; the one on the left is me!), both currently in their last year of high school. Maryam works at a local language school during the summer; she is hoping to improve her English enough to be accepted into the English literature program at her local university. She loves American music and has an independent streak a mile wide! Sukaina is a year younger and just as sweet. She is a hard worker in school and at home, where she helps her mother with chores and babysitting while her father and sister are at work. Sukaina and Maryam are both so much fun to hang out with… they have wicked senses of humor and an open-mindedness that is rare everywhere in the world.
Umayma is the next in line; her name means “little mother” and this is the perfect description for her. She takes wonderful care of her little brother Ryan, and her sister Kawtar; feeding them when they’re hungry, holding them when their mother is busy, and comforting them when they cry. She even helps her younger brothers Ahmed and Amin with their homework. Umayma is only thirteen but already runs the house like a little mother! In spite of this, she’s also very affectionate and will happily spend hours sitting and chatting with guests while looking after her siblings at the same time.
Ahmed (right) and Amin (left) are nine and seven, respectively, and absolutely adorable! They love playing with marbles and watching “Adventure Time.” Ahmed was given the opportunity to study at a private French school when he was younger, but unfortunately the costs were too high for the family and he had to stop; nonetheless, he is doing the best he can within the framework of the Moroccan educational system, and with the help of his big sister, he will hopefully succeed! Amin is the younger of the pair, and an adorable little kid who can’t seem to help getting in trouble. Although he’s often in time-out, his mischief is never malicious and usually a result of his natural curiosity.
Kawtar is the second-youngest, and she is bold and lively, in spite of a childhood accident that has delayed her development and left her unable to speak. Wherever the family is gathered, Kawtar will be there enjoying the love of her brothers and sisters and playing with her little brother Ryan, who she dotes on. Her temper tantrums are legendary, but they usually pass quickly, and most of the time she is affectionate and energetic.
Ryan is the baby of the family, and everyone’s favorite. This little treasure is always being passed from arm to arm, and being cuddled by his family or his neighbors. Ryan is only about a year old but already extremely curious and very active. He crawls around the house like a real menace, and if he always looks a little bit surprised, it’s because he’s curious about everything – especially when it comes to putting things in his mouth!
That's Umaima holding him up in the background!HELP OUT THE FAMILY
The Meryoma family are some of the kindest people I have ever met. Maryam worked at the language school where I studied in Fes, which is how I met them; ever since, they have been nothing but kind to me, my friends and family, and their other guests. For instance, one week when they had other American students staying with them, they invited all of us plus my friend James to a family member’s wedding. Not only that, they refused to let us pay for the taxi and made sure that we were well taken-care of during the party!
Another time, when I was visiting Fes with my brothers, I lost my wallet on a bus. I was distraught and it was about 11 PM. Halima came to meet us at the bus stop down the street and brought us home, fed us a giant and delicious dinner, and let us spend the night. She has never asked me or any of my friends for anything, and has never expected anything in return for her kindness.
I hope that you will help me reward them for their extravagant generosity and boundless kindness. Although the total needed for the repairs they are hoping to do is upwards of $10,000, the most important of these repairs is to get the roof fixed, put in a bathroom, and refinish the walls of the room. They estimated that this would take about $5,000, and the rest of the money will be covered by the government grant.
Every little bit that you can give helps more than you know. The minimum wage in Morocco is only $200-250 per month, so a little bit to us goes a really long way over there. Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions you might have… my email is available through this website.