Improve Rural Moroccan Schools: Sami's Project

Planting has always been an interest not only for adults but also for younger kids, and this is what our visit to Dar Tifl Marrakech showed.

HAF’s Farmer to Farmer (F2F) team, alongside the U.S. Volunteer Mrs. Stenstrom, paid a first visit to the Dar Tifl Orphanage in Marrakech. The purpose of this visit was to meet with the kids and the staff there and get a better understanding of the activities being undertaken at this orphanage.

The place is spacious enough to shelter up to 400 kids, and it consists of residential units for boys and girls, dining rooms classified by ages, study rooms, a sports room, an arts and crafts area, an environment club, a pedagogical farm, bathhouses, and a mosque. Therefore, the kids have a variety of daily activities they can pursue in addition to their studies.

The F2F team and the staff at Dar Tifl had previously discussed the possibility of conducting a planting workshop with the kids, which had indeed been implemented the next time the team and the volunteers visited the orphanage.

U.S. Volunteer Afra Stenstrom started her workshop by asking the kids some planting-related questions, and to our surprise, the kids seemed to already posses a great knowledge about planting trees. This contributed greatly to everyone’s enthusiasm during the workshop. After a brief tutorial by Afra, we soon began planting the trees, which were provided by the High Atlas Foundation for the benefit of the orphanage.

The second section of the workshop consisted of teaching the kids how to germinate the seeds using tissues and plastic bags. Germinating the seeds using a damp paper towel speeds up the sprouting process of the seedlings; it starts by wetting the tissue well and then spreading the seeds inside. The third step consists of wrapping the tissue twice before sealing it up in a plastic bag, which should then be put in a place that is accessible to light. These steps were clearly understood by the children who were fully engaged and concentrated on Afra during her explanation.

The outcome of this germination experiment can be seen shortly, and then when the seeds sprout, they can be moved to small pots first and then bigger ones as they continue to grow. These fun activities allow the kids to discover the process of germination and planting trees, and opens the door for young, new gardeners to grow. 

March 26, 2022—As part of the activities carried out by the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) in partnership with the BeGreen program, the HAF team revived tree planting with some schools in Casablanca province. There, over 1,300 male and female students at Al-Farabi Prep and Ibn Battouta High School had the opportunity to replace their pens with shovels and planted 100 trees of various types for the improvement of the climate and environmental conditions. The HAF team took the initiative to introduce the institution and its programs, as well as a practical explanation of the correct way to plant trees and ways to take care of them. 

It is clear that the city of Casablanca is the economic capital of Morocco, and as such it is more vulnerable to pollution than others. Such activities give it some life and some hope. One can see the joy of the glimmer in children's eyes as they touch the dirt and plant for the first time. This in itself is something to be proud of. It is essential. There should be a green space and environmental activities in every school in particular to maintain clean air for these children and provide a healthy, comfortable and positive school environment.

All students, teachers, and directors showed appreciation, enthusiasm and gratitude for this wonderful opportunity, expressing their urgent need for such activities as well as their desire for more trees. The day ended with hope and enthusiasm for the future, and agreements were concluded for more of these effective activities. The HAF team looks forward to continuing to work with these schools to make a difference in the lives of these communities, and of course to see the flourishing of these trees, which were small seedlings that signified hope.