Morocco Earthquake: Help Remote Villages in Need

UPDATE and THANK YOU TO DONORS from We Speak Citizen:

September 24, 2023

We extend our heartfelt thanks for your generous donation to We Speak Citizen. The recent earthquake in Morocco has had a profound impact on our country and we have seen the best of humanity as we come together, as one, to help support those affected. We are inspired more each day by the resolve of those affected and the outpouring of love shown to so many, by so many.

Thanks to your support, We Speak Citizen was able to immediately assist 500 families in the affected areas with essential supplies like food, mattresses, blankets, pillows, and clean drinking water. This initial relief effort has made a significant difference and we greatly appreciate your support.

Looking ahead, we are committed to the long-term process of rebuilding. Our NGO will remain dedicated to this crucial task, focusing not only on physical reconstruction but also on providing support and resources to help devastated rural communities rebuild their lives. This includes trauma support for individuals as well as projects aimed at helping entire villages envision a brighter future.

Your donation has already positively impacted these communities, and we are profoundly grateful for your support. We encourage you to stay connected with us through social media and reach out if you would like to contribute in additional ways. Your generosity means the world to us!

Warm regards,

We Speak Citizen

www.wespeakcitizen.org

*ORIGINAL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN*

September 13, 2023

Why focus support on the most remote and rural communities of Morocco?

On Friday, September 8, 2023, a powerful earthquake (6.8 magnitude) struck central Morocco. The quake happened at 23:11 (11:11pm) local time and measured 6.9 magnitude with an aftershock of 4.9 striking just 19 minutes later. As the time this campaign is launched, the death toll is nearly 3,000 people and over 5,530 people are injured in the country’s deadliest earthquake since 1960.

While initial news reports primarily focussed on the devastation in and around the city of Marrakech, we now know that entire villages in the High Atlas Mountains, and southward, were completely destroyed. Your donation will support them directly and get supplies to some of the hardest to reach places in the country. These underserved communities are in dire need of help.

The remote and rural villages you will help support include Aït Ben Haddou, Amerzgane, Anmiter, Anzal, Asfalou, Assgmou, Lamdint, Telouet, Tighza, Tikirt, and Tilmassine in the Ouarzazate Province and Allous in the Al Haouz Province. All donations are documented, tracked and distributed by We Speak Citizen, an established and effective Moroccan not-for-profit, non-governmental organization.

Why give to this particular campaign?

I have many friends who live in Morocco who are telling the same story … there is little to no government or professional support coming in to the most remote and rural communities. Therefore, local volunteers are doing their best to bring in food, water, blankets, clothing, and basic survival needs … primarily on foot. They report that entire communities, many of which are the hardest to reach, are completely destroyed and that there are some villages where residents have absolutely nothing left.

Even on good days, most of these mountainous villages are hard to reach. Now, many of the roads leading to them are impassable as large boulders and pieces of fallen earth block roadways. While the Amazigh (aka “Berber”) and Arab people that live in the southern region of Morocco are very resilient and self-sufficient … this devastation is far beyond what anyone can endure on their own. They need help.

All of the funds raised here will go directly to the Moroccan based NGO We Speak Citizen. They have been working directly with rural and remote communities, developing and implementing strategies, raising and allocating money, and distributing information and supplies since the quake rattled the earth.

Their ongoing reputation with local villagers is one of trust, respect, and collaboration so the ground work is already laid in that regard. Now they need money, supplies, and resources to answer to the growing and urgent needs of the people whom they are committed to supporting.

Because it is difficult and costly to send US funds directly (SWIFT and/or IBAN codes, international fees, etc.) and GoFundMe does not support Moroccan fundraisers, I am acting on behalf of We Speak Citizen (as a volunteer member and supporter of their tremendous work) to help raise money and awareness in the US and abroad.

No matter where you are in the world, I hope you will help We Speak Citizen’s efforts by making a donation today and by sharing this message far and wide. Let’s show the people of Morocco what love looks like.

What needs will be prioritized with your donation?

The needs are immense and We Speak Citizen is starting with the basics of food, water, clothing, blankets, temporary shelter, and supplies to secure what remains of infrastructure. As time progresses, the needs will change as rebuilding begins to happen.

For now, the best we can all do is support those in trauma, loss, grief, fear, and pain by showing them love, kindness and generosity of spirit through the recovery process, the clean-up, and numerous collaborative efforts to promote healing.

So, I am asking you to donate as much money as you can, as often as you can, to help those who desperately need it. This recovery and rebuild process will take a while and there is no amount of money that can replace what has been taken from these folks. However, we can help to stabilize their environments and take care of some basic human needs until they can be more self-sustainable.

Who is We Speak Citizen?

We Speak Citizen is a Moroccan based NGO whose work encourages a blend of ancestral know-how, local people and products, and modern techniques to protect, restore, and amplify the Amazigh culture. By bringing the vision and aspirations of rural people into dialogue with solutions, the collaborative work of We Speak Citizen allows the past and the future to find their place in the present.

Having made a significant investment in several regions of Morocco over the years, this volunteer based organization is poised to be a major player in the recovery process. They are trusted by the Amazigh people and have a track record of numerous successful projects primarily focussed on empowering women, entrepreneurs, nomadic tribes, and the cultural arts community in natural and sustainable ways.

Why have I created this campaign?

My name is Jennifer Foster and I am a writer/producer/director from Orlando, Florida who has been traveling the world for the past three years. I recently lived in Morocco (December 2022 - February 2023) after a life-threatening camel accident left me unable to travel back to the United States for several months.

While recovering, I spent several weeks in the village of Aït Ben Haddou, one of the most famous ksar’s in the southern region. It’s primarily known as a UNESCO World Heritage site and has been the backdrop to a long list of very popular feature films and series, including Lawrence of Arabia, The Jewel of the Nile, The Mummy, The Prince of Persia, Gladiator, Babel, and Game of Thrones (Season 3).

Scenes for the Gladiator 2 sequel, currently halted in production by the WGA (Writers Guild of America) and SAG/AFTRA strikes, also filmed there in June (2023) and in the nearby city of Ouarzazate, known as the “Hollywood of Africa.” This is what brought me back to Aït Ben Haddou so quickly. From June through July (2023) I returned to the village with a determination to help tell the story of how indigenous people, and the land they care for, are impacted by cinema.

Together with aspiring local filmmakers and film students, I worked (pro bono) to capture some of the stories of the Amazigh villagers who have been closely affected by cinema, from the 1960’s up until present day. We had hoped that this project would go on to become a documentary alongside the creation of the House of Cinema - a We Speak Citizen project in Aït Ben Haddou that would be dedicated to filmmaking in the region. Those projects will now have to wait as we shift our attention to the recovery and rebuild process.

What I can say, without a doubt, is that it was my love for the Moroccan people, my fascination with many of the ancient villages, and the enjoyment I experienced visiting a wide range of communities across Morocco that drew me back there again. I wanted to help, in whatever way I could, to give back to the people who had been so loving and caring to me when I was injured.

The founders of We Speak Citizen, as well as many of the organizations members, were among the kindest I encountered. As I began to learn of and see the impact of their work, I also realized they are some of the most efficient and effective nonprofit leaders I have ever encountered. The results of their projects and the lives they literally change - primarily through listening then supporting - is what motivates me to also want to help them through this difficult time now.

I will be back in Marrakech, the High Atlas Mountains, and the village of Aït Ben Haddou beginning September 20th for a prescheduled visit. As I work with the volunteers at We Speak Citizen, I'll update you on how locals are fairing and how your donations are helping to get supplies and support to those directly affected.

We appreciate your support!

If you can give money today … thank you very much! As we say in Morocco ... Shukran and Tanmirt!

Please feel free to reach out if you have questions or want to help We Speak Citizen with this relief work in other ways.