Blogs
Join the High Atlas Foundation for spring happy hours in DC (May 29th) and NYC (June 4th). Hear the latest updates from the field, get a sneak peak at HAF's newest initiatives - including grassroots fundraising and youth outreach programs, and enjoy complimentary Moroccan appetizers with new and old friends.
Please RSVP to kate@highatlasfoundation.org to let us know if you will be joining us in DC or NYC.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Washington, DC
Friday, May 29th, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Casablanca Restaurant
1504 King Street, Old Town, Alexandria
Two blocks from King Street Metro & free parking available
**Drink Specials** $5 beer & wine - $6.50 cocktails
New York City
Thursday, June 4th, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Zerza Mediterrano
308 East 6th Street (note new address...just a few doors down from original location)
Subway: 6 to Astor Place, N and R to 8th Street, or F to Houston & 1st Ave.
HAF's NYC team is hard at work putting together a series of networking, fundraising, and outreach events for the coming months. Their goal is to connect HAF fans and supporters to Morocco related cultural and artistic events already happening in NYC, as well as create our own inspirational gatherings to inform you of HAF's latest projects and how you can get involved. We will keep you updated as plans unfold, and in the meantime thought to share with you this film being shown this weekend in NYC.
Ordinary Boys, directed by Daniel Hernandez, is part of the New Directors New Films series and gives a snapshot of the contemporary struggles facing Morocco's youth.
In the small Moroccan village that was home to many of those responsible for Spain's 2004 terrorist attacks, two young men and a young woman struggle to make ends meet. Although Rabia studied law, her only work option is as a seamstress, a job which she hopes to parlay into owning her own shop. Khader is an aspiring actor who pals around with Youseff, a small-time crook with a bum leg and a missing brother. While they try to figure out ways to get some cash, Youseff searches for clues to his brother's whereabouts. Documentary filmmaker Daniel Hernandez's slice-of-life drama paints a portrait of regular people with simple desires and examines how the specter of infamy casts a pall over simple dreams and aspirations.
Screenings at:
Film Society of Lincoln Center: Saturday, April 4th at 6:30 p.m.
Museum of Modern Art: Sunday, April 5th at 1:30 p.m.
We hope you'll have time to see the film, and please leave a comment to let us know what you thought of it!
Making its debut just in time for Earth Day on April 22nd and Arbor Day on April 24th, HAF's Teacher Toolkit is an innovative way to introduce Moroccan geography and culture, volunteerism, and environmental awareness to children in grades one through six.
The program includes interactive lessons, a tree planting activity, and grassroots fundraising to plant "sister" trees in Morocco.
Today is World Water Day. One billion people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water. Nearly 1.8 million children die every year from waterborne illnesses. But you can help change this.
Download a free copy of "World Water Run: The Race to Provide Safe Drinking Water to the World" to learn more about the world water crisis. This beautifully photographed 122 page coffee table book highlights some of the innovative solutions being pursued to solve the crisis and in so doing offers hope and inspiration.
Water is life. As we share this Blue Planet, we must promise each other that no person will ever again have to live - or die - without clean, fresh water. Fulfilling that promise is within the reach of each of us.
-Excerpt from book's foreword by Robert Redford
You can also make a donation to HAF's project to provide clean drinking water to five Moroccan villages. Just $15 provides clean drinking water for one person...every drop counts!
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Between February 19th and 23rd nearly 20,000 cherry and apple trees were distributed to 250 households, including twenty-eight villages, in the Tifnoute Valley as part of the Kate Jeans-Gail Tree Nursery Memorial. Trees were also distributed to local schools in the valley, allowing children of all ages to participate in this community-wide project. More trees will be distributed later this planting season, and currently community members are receiving technical training in fruit tree agriculture best practices from local experts. The community will continue to care for the nursery, plant more saplings, and propagate new trees through grafting techniques. In this way, the nursery will remain a permanent part of the community, supplying local varities of fruit trees for many generations to come. Please check back soon to download the full project report.
This nursery was created two years ago to remember the spirited life of Kate Jeans-Gail. Thank you to Kate's family and friends who gave so generously to allow this project to grow and flourish.
