Help Build House in Morocco

Hello! I am an American who traveled to Morocco in May 2017 and had an unforgettable experience staying with my friend Rachid Tassaounte in Asfalou, a small village next to Ait Ben Haddou , during my first Ramadan. He and his family generously shared their native Berber culture, and amazing homecooked food even during the difficult first week of Ramadan. The beauty and kindness of this place is something I hope many others will get to experience.





However, behind the beauty is a lot of struggle, poverty and corruption towards the common man, and gradual disintegration of these indigenous communities and cultures. Tourism is essential for these communities to survive economically today, and hosting guests is an immediate benefit to both hosts and guests. Local hosts can make a sustainable income to stay in and provide for their community, and be exposed to people and cultures they might never otherwise meet. Guests can connect directly with locals to learn about the "real" Morocco and go deeper into the history and culture. This also helps fight and offset the Islamophobia and racism against Muslims much of the Western world harbors today, as travelers return home more educated and aware of these cultures.

THE PROBLEM: Rachid already has a lifetime of experience being a guide and helping tourists, and has finished building most of his dream guesthouse.  He is in a location with a steady stream of visitors who need places to stay, and his past guests can vouch for the quality experience he provides every time (Check out his Airbnb reviews here ). However, he cannot get a permit legally until it is finished, but he cannot finish it without continued income from hosting guests. And he can no longer host guests before getting the permit, without risk of jail/fines/bribes which would prevent him from ever finishing it.

While he is doing everything he can to make money other ways to finish the house, not being able to host guests makes it much slower and harder to do so in a less economically stable country like Morocco. Funds contributed will go toward finishing the house to obtain the legal permit, finally allowing him to work and host guests without having problems with authorities. His guesthouse will then be an honest, sustainable way to make a living for himself and his family once finished, and an open door for others like myself to authentically experience this incredible place! 



WHAT'S NEEDED TO FINISH:

- $1200 for the construction of showers and toilets in the rooms
- $1000 for constructing the kitchen
- $800 to finish painting the house, interior decorations and furniture

After getting funded, he will need only 3 months to  finally finish the house! Please consider helping a good man finish an honest and beautiful project he has already put so much energy into, and kickstart his simple goal of surviving and sharing what he has with others. Offset Islamophobia and help hosts and guests continue connecting and learning from each other. Any amount is hugely appreciated and goes a very long way in Morocco!