During the month of March, the Washington Moroccan Club (WMC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary with 20 events that highlight the diversity and spirit of Morocco. HAF is proud to partner with WMC on this special occasion to present the program Rural Development in Morocco.

On Friday, March 12th from 5 :30pm-7 :30pm, please join the High Atlas Foundation at The University Club of Washington DC (1135 Sixteenth Street, NW) for a conversation about rural development in Morocco. Learn more about the socio-economic and environmental projects that HAF is undertaking to change the lives of thousands of Moroccan families, and ways you can get involved.  There will also be plenty of time for networking, and complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served.

Feel free to forward this invitation to others, and please let us know if you will be attending this free event by clicking on the button below to register.

We look forward to seeing you!

Learn more about the event

See a complete listing of Washington Moroccan Club’s 20th anniversary events.

The students of Ibn Khaldoun Academy, located in Alexandria, Virginia, kicked off a year of service with a tree planting event held on school grounds on October 31, 2009.  The Moroccan owned academy offers instruction in Arabic, French, and Islamic studies to students from elementary school to adults. 

Students, teachers, and parents came together on Halloween to give back to their own community and plant a symbolic “sister tree” for the ones that are planted in HAF’s nurseries in Morocco.  HAF Board Member, Sir Charles Dahan, was present to help the students understand the dramatic impact a tree can have on the lives of families living in rural Morocco whose household incomes will at least double when they sell fruit from their new trees at the local markets.  Other programs from the foundation benefitting these villages include clean drinking water and women’s cooperatives.

Approximately 50 students and their families raised $200 through a small change fundraiser throughout the month of October and secured a $400 matching grant from a corporate sponsor, to plant 600 fruit tree saplings in a High Atlas Foundation tree nursery.   Twelve families will receive trees as a result of this one event.  Following in the tradition of HAF’s pilot program of the newly launched Teacher Toolkit a “Penny Can Truly Make a Difference” in the lives of others.

We are incredibly proud of the success of this second youth oriented program, and hope it inspires other educators to use HAF’s Teacher Toolkit in their classrooms.  We look forward to accomplishing even more with youth in 2010.  Stay tuned in the coming months for highlights of events in Dallas, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

Thank you to all the children, families and teachers of the Ibn Khaldoun Academy, particularly to its Founder and President, Mr. Boubker Abisourour.

To kick off 2010, HAF is launching a networking and idea sharing initiative in New York City, aptly called Eat.Drink.Share. We’ll be meeting every few months to discuss a different development topic, provide updates on HAF’s projects, network, and share ideas (and share good Moroccan food!). 

Please join us on Sunday, January 10th for the inaugural gathering at L’Orange Bleue (430 Broome Street, NYC) from 11:00am – 1:00pm.

Come hungry for brunch or drop in for a cup of coffee. And please come ready to share your ideas!

Make HAF your new year's resolution:
• Brainstorm and help develop fundraising and outreach events (anything from a community picnic, a 5K race, to an academic conference)
• Share contacts, networks, and information about the Moroccan-American community in NYC
• Connect with old friends and make new – we all share a love and passion for Morocco
• Learn about HAF's Resource Council, meet current members, and find out how you can get involved
• Sign-up to help HAF with media outreach, event planning, grassroots fundraising, and much more!

Upcoming 2010 Eat.Drink.Share Events
April: Women and Development
August: Ramadan Iftar
December: Youth Outreach
Event details and registration link will be sent out month before. 

All questions, comments, and ideas can be directed to one of the Event and Outreach Co-Chairs:
Nora Marrakchi: nora@highatlasfoundation.org
Kate McLetchie: kate@highatlasfoundation.org

From all of us at HAF, may your new year be full of much joy, good health, and many connections to Morocco!

Looking for a meaningful way to give this holiday season? HAF’s Made in Morocco partners might just have the thing you are looking for! Our partners are committed to using local materials and talent to produce high quality products that respect both the environment and the people who create them. They partner with us on events, contribute in-kind services and products, and donate a percentage of their sales to HAF.

When you purchase a gift from one of our partners, you will not only give something beautiful, but you’ll be bringing clean drinking water to rural villages, planting fruit trees so families can increase household incomes, and helping women form cooperatives to provide for themselves and their children.

Green Sahara Gifts: Unique, Handcrafted, and Sustainable

A wide assortment of beautiful gifts – from candle holders to cutting boards to tea trays – handcrafted from reclaimed and sustainably harvested Moroccan olive, walnut, cedar, and juniper woods. We were thrilled that Green Sahara Gifts donated their elegant three-hole candle holders for guests at HAF’s fifth annual NYC event to take home. Green Sahara Gifts' parent company, Green Sahara Furniture, was featured in the fall issue of Royal Air Maroc’s in-flight magazine (and mentions our partnership to replant trees in Morocco!).

Moroccan Prestige: Custom Designs from Morocco to Your Home

With so many beautiful things to choose from, where do you start? Our favorites include these bright blue glass perfume bottles, made from recycled materials and finished with authentic delicate Moroccan metal work. They were recently featured in Lucky magazine.

We also love these French vintage Latoile leather poufs.  Fun and colorful, they can be used outdoors or indoors. This design is exclusive to Moroccan Prestige, and they were recently featured in Interior Design magazine.

Jeanne Beatrice: Handmade Market Baskets

One woman’s quest to replace paper and plastic bags in US households led to the birth of Jeanne Beatrice. With so many styles to choose from, there is sure to be something for everyone on your list. Perfect for a trip to the grocery store, a day at the beach, or a picnic in the park. We are huge fans of La Vie, featured in the November 2009 issue of Romantic Homes Magazine. (P.S. free shipping on orders over $100!)

The Butter Man: A Children’s Story set in the High Atlas Mountains

Recipient of nine notable awards, most recently a Children’s Africana Honor Book, The Butter Man is the perfect gift for Morocco lovers – both young and old. Shortly after its release, in the spring of 2008, HAF teamed up with the book’s authors, Ali Alalou and Elizabeth Letts Alalou (RPCV Morocco 1983-1986), and illustrator, Julie Klear Essakalli, to share their Moroccan tale of “patience, perseverance, and hope” with HAF friends and supporters.

You can purchase the book here  or receive a complimentary copy signed by the authors when you join HAF’s Founders’ Circle by making a gift of $250 to support community-based projects in rural Morocco.

And what do you get those people who already have everything? You can make a donation in their honor to help bring clean drinking water to rural Moroccan communities through supporting HAF’s GlobalGiving project. You can even select a GlobalGiving e-card or print-at-home card to notify that special someone of your gift! Learn more and donate.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR. Photos by Simon Russell.

Over 125 guests, including Moroccan expatriates, former Peace Corps Volunteers and staff, business leaders, and academicians, participated in HAF’s Fifth Annual New York City reception held on the evening of November 6th at the American Institute of Architects New York.  Guests enjoyed Moroccan hors d’oeuvres, a traditional tea pouring ceremony, henna art, and music.

The event raised nearly $15,000 to support fruit tree planting with rural Moroccan communities, including 20,000 walnut and cherry saplings that will be planted as part of the Kate Jeans-Gail Tree Nursery Memorial, transforming the lives of 250 families in southern Morocco. We look forward to updating you on this project in the coming months.

Read about the event in Maghreb Arabe Presse.

Thank you to the event’s honorary chairs, generous sponsors, community partners, volunteers, and guests for making the evening so special!