Help for Habibe

Hi, my name is Ian. Over the last twenty years or so I have worked regularly in Southern Morocco teaching people to fly paragliders. We were based in the village of Mirleft on the coast. The people there are very poor by our standards but very helpful and supportive. There is a little shop opposite the hotel we used as our base run by Habibe. He has been there all his adult life and is now in his 70's. He sells all kinds of artifacts mainly from the local Berber and Saharan folk. At the end of our paragliding trips we would pass the hat round to collect some money for the local school or medical centre. I noticed that Habibe would often just open his till to give money to someone who had a crises or was in desperate need. I got to know him well and eventually with the help of another friend, Damien who owns the hotel we stayed in, we organised an informal charity together. Habibe has been the core of all this and we have remained in contact. He has become an old friend and a 'brother'. Earlier this year I became aware that Habibe's health was failing and he had had to go to hospital in Casablanca where his son lives. He is suffering with COPD. Casablanca is hundreds of miles from Mirleft. Not only was Habibe very ill but in danger of losing his shop as his income had stopped. I was on a visit at the time. He was very distressed but we managed to get some rent together so he wouldn't lose everything and his shop was secured for a little while. Since then he has been hospitalised again and cannot afford his medical bills or continued rent on his shop which was also his home. Habibe is an elderly man who has unconditionally helped many people but now is in desperate need of help himself with hardly any recourses. So I have decided to raise some money to help him through this. The target is £800. Any contribution will be valuable no matter how small, even the price of a cup of coffee will get him some medicine. So please help if you can, Habibe deserves it. Thank you in advance for any contribution you can make.

Best Wishes, Ian Brown (Sunsoar Paragliding)