Webster Hill HAF-UVa Intern The terrain of Morocco provides the opportunity to achieve tremendous agricultural and environmental results. The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) plants fruit trees across the country with rural communities. In 2021, HAF-community collaboration has planted 700,000 trees of nine fruit varieties, with 6,000 farming families in 39 provinces. In addition, 1.6 million

Carlie Daniel HAF-UVA Intern Farmer-to-Farmer Local Volunteer Hicham Amarouch during his second visit to Aguerzrane village in the High Atlas Mountains. As time progresses, we see more people glued to technology and staying indoors for hours on end. Many people don’t even go outside to take a walk or experience the green spaces in their

People’s Participation Decides the World’s Environment, Al Bawaba. • Arabic: Al-bayader, 05 June 2021. By Yossef Ben-Meir Marrakech Recognizing this week’s World Environment Day reminds us of the evolution of the concept of sustainable development since the phrase was coined in a 1987 United Nations’ report. At that time, sustainable development concentrated on the idea of natural resource

Tahi Wiggins Student, University of Virginia For all the attention given to service-learning, the concept is extremely broad and can include an enormous diversity of experiences. I am passionate about the essentiality of service learning and have sought out several such experiences. In this article, I will compare three of my own service-learning experiences, analyzing

By HAF staff The consequences of environmental degradation extend far past a loss of natural resources or fragile ecosystems. The livelihoods, well-being, and health of people across the world is also at stake – particularly in regions that are already highly vulnerable to climate change and suffer from rural poverty, such as Morocco. A unique

Sanae Benaadim HAF’s Office Manager & Volunteer Coordinator Students from the University of Pennsylvania’s International Impact visiting with the fruit tree nursery of the Takhrkhourt Women’s Cooperative in Asni municipality of the Al Haouz province. On May 18th, I travelled from Marrakech with the HAF President, Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir, Project Assistants Lahcen Ait Ouatouch and

“People still deny that there is an organization to provide legal assistance–and free of charge–apart from the traditional organizations we know. For me, if I had the opportunity to communicate with people and introduce them to the legal clinic, I would tell them that the Clinique Juridique has a staff that is professional and motivated

Nicole Luz HAF-UVa Intern When people speak of the protection and upliftment of children, those in juvenile detention are often forgotten. In Morocco, children between the ages of 12 and 18 who have committed a transgression of the law are often housed in Child Protection Centers (CPCs). Children who were abandoned, had to be removed

– Making the Farmer King: The Need to Shift Our Approach to Agriculture, Morocco World News. • Arabic: sotal Iraq, 8 May 2021. By Olufunmilayo Aiyegbusi The Hague, Netherlands Looking through my grandfather’s diary 25 years after his death, I got some insights into the life of a farmer. Although he had three farms which would have

– هويتي، منبع انطلاقتي, Al-Bayader. Zineb Laadam HAF F2F Field Officer Nothing stops the pen from reaching its goal, for the book is written entirely in their hearts. Nothing stands between it and them; they put their hearts into it and fill in what they feel, dictating simply and clearly. It is a book of

بقلم: حــنــا الزاوي تشبتا بمبادئھا التنمویة، ولزرع قیم الثقافة البیئیة والتنمیة المستدامة، أشرفت إدارة مؤسسة الأطلس الكبیر بمعیة شركائھا الأوفیاء، شركة سیمانس كامیزا للطاقات المتجددة ،بتوزیع وغرس شتلات الأشجار المثمرة بإقلیم بوجدور نزولا عند رغبات الساكنة، مع مراعاة مبدأ المقاربة التشخیصیة التشاركیة، وتفعیلا لشراكة مؤسسة الأطلس الكبیر وشركة سیمانس كامیزا للطاقات المتجددة، انتقل طاقم المؤسسة

By HAF Team Approximately 100,000 almond, walnut, and cherry saplings grow in the Tadmamt nursery on land lent in-kind by the Department of Water and Forests – Marrakech-Safi. HAF has ambitions to enhance the monitoring of its trees, measure carbon sequestration at a scientifically and socially responsible standard, and promote reinvestment back into the sustainable

Arabic version Written by Youssef Taheri, HAF Volunteer Translated from Arabic by Kaoutar Ait Lahaj, HAF Program Coordinator A photo exemplifying the effect of climate change What is meant by climate change? The concept of climate change is generally defined as the changes that occur at the level of the climate with a rise in

By Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir President, HAF On April 9, the High Atlas Foundation and the University Sidi Mohamed ben Abdellah (USMBA) in Fes shared together a wonderfully memorable afternoon with the United States Chargé d’Affaires, David Greene, and his colleagues from the U.S. Embassy and USAID. The purpose of our gathering was to discuss the

By Safae Ben Karroum HAF Program Coordinator Members of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy met with the HAF to plant trees as part of their initiative “The Social Solidarity Project to Reduce the Negative Effects of the Covid-19 Virus.” Since its establishment in 2000, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) has witnessed continuous growth and success in

Sanae Benaadim HAF Office Manager & Volunteer Coordinator Dr.Yossef Ben-Meir and President Moulay Lahcen Hbid signed the partnership agreement at Wilaya of Marrakech. On Friday, March 27, I was honored to accompany my colleagues, the President of the High Atlas Foundation (HAF), Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir,  and HAF Program Assistant, Lahcen Ait Ouatouch, to the regional

Par : Nabil Bouagba – Coordinateur de programmes L’Université de Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah Fès (USMBA) et la Fondation du Haut Atlas (HAF) ont eu l’honneur, vendredi 9 avril, d’accueillir M. David Green, Chargé d’Affaires des Etats-Unis d’Amérique à Rabat et membres du corps diplomatique américain, accompagné du président de l’université et du doyen de

Why Morocco Must Address Climate Change’s Threats to Water Resources, Morocco World News, By Megan Williams and Megan Sprotte HAF-UVA Interns. Megan Sprotte and Megan Williams HAF-UVA Interns Climate change is impacting water resources in Morocco, creating aggravated conditions as a result of both the environmental characteristics and social vulnerability that are present in the

By Zainab Hachoumi HAF Volunteer A meeting of the MSP steering committee members with the citizens of Youssoufia, March 2021. Youssoufia is one of the rapidly growing provinces in the region of Marrakech-Safi. It is known for its phosphate production, crafts, and traditional textiles. The area where it is located allows it to have a

By Zainab Hachoumi, HAF Intern Kaoutar Ait Lahaj, HAF Program Coordinator The general assembly of the Moroccan Platform for the Decentralization of Renewable Energies visiting Akrich. The High Atlas Foundation together with GermanWatch and the steering committee of the Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Project (MSP) have been carrying out their work on the decentralization of renewable energies

Bezawit Mesfin Bogale HAF-UVA Intern  Trees play a vital role in preserving the environment for generations. The environment is key for survival in terms of not only health but also association with one another in our community. It is known that trees give off oxygen, reduce the amount of stormwater, provide natural habitat, and contribute

Shivani Lakshman HAF-UVA Intern The Moroccan government recently laid out a new forestry strategy intended to meet five major goals: sustain natural resources in forests and National Parks, engage local users in forest management, promote rural development, strengthen forests’ productive potential, and preserve biodiversity (Ministre de l’Agriculture). By 2030, Morocco aims to restore 133,000 hectares

Kaoutar Ait Lahaj Social Media Program Coordinator On Sunday, February 20, 2021, the High Atlas Foundation inaugurated the solar water pumping system at our Akrich nursery. We are grateful to our partner FENELEC for donating the system and for their commitment  to promoting renewable energy solutions in Morocco.  On February 28, 2021, the High Atlas

Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir, Katie Bercegeay, and Sofia Ashooh A mother language is the language of the heart. This Mother Language Day the High Atlas Foundation celebrates the people of Morocco and recognizes the importance of human connection and understanding to achieve sustainable development. We are able to express ourselves in our mother language unlike any

Earthday’s Climate Literacy webinar  announcement During the last week of September, the Earth Day organization held a webinar entitled “Igniting Climate Literacy: Creating a Citizenry Ready and Willing to Act Now and Build a Sustainable Economic Future” to celebrate the 50th annual Earth Day. Organizers of the event gathered notable panelists from around the world

Cool News in a Warming World: Why Invest in Future Forests, Daily News, By Finn Grundmann. HAF Volunteer, Plant Enthusiast, and Scientific Assistant in Ecosystem Restoration Projects Forests capture more than carbon. While through the mechanism of photosynthesis, plants are experts at retrieving carbon dioxide from the air, they have also perfected strategies to retain

Arabic version A photo taken by Ilyas Dkhissi during a participatory approach meeting with men and women farmers in Fquih Ben Salah province – Beni Mellal region, on Sep, 4th 2019 For decades, climate change has been left to scientists – and they, to their credit, have given us the strong indication we need that

HAF Volunteer On January 15, my journey with Nora to Toubkal Mountains began with much enthusiasm and excitement. On the first day, we headed to the first village, “Missour,” where we felt very welcomed. We tried to create a comfortable environment for families, make the communication as smooth as possible, and establish a good atmosphere

– Let’s make it green on January 20th: High Atlas Foundation will Plant Thousands of Trees, The Policy Times, 18 January 2020. MARRAKECH, Morocco – Jan. 10, 2020 – As the new year begins, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) would like to invite Moroccan communities to aid in the planting of thousands of trees on Monday,

By Professor Ellen Hernandez HAF Volunteer The High Atlas Foundation’s office in Marrakech is a beehive of activity. I am a new volunteer who arrived in Morocco yesterday and already met with office staff. Today, I have been invited to return to meet Dr. Yossef Ben-Meir, the HAF president, and I have just entered during