5000$ for ADF to transform the neighborhood of plastic into a neighborhood of dreams

AM 466 UTCq, 2013
Posted by ADF

“Don’t tell me one single woman can’t change the world. If I had thought so, nothing would, indeed, have changed.” Faiza Hajji, Founder of ADF

Those are the words of Faiza Hajji, the driving force behind the Association du Docteur Fatiha (ADF). Faiza launched ADF in 2008 to bring sustainable development to her region while fostering women’s empowerment.

Today, more than 60 rural women receive a regular income thanks to ADF’s programs, more than 1.000 children have met ADF teams and were sensitized about environmental protection. This enabled ADF to collect and reuse more than 25.000 plastic bags, since its creation.

For Faiza, this is just the beginning. What’s next for ADF has never been done before in Morocco: Transform the impoverished community of “Douar el Mika–” the “neighborhood of plastic bags–” into the site of an innovative mega-center dedicated to spurring a local green economy. The project is called “Dar al Amal,” which means House of Hope in Arabic and is slated to be a beacon of hope in any area where many people feel their options are limited.

“Douar el Mika is one of the poorest areas in Berkane. Full of young people feeling angry about being born in a place that left them so little choice about their future. They have this special energy that makes for great change-makers. We simply need to give them a chance.”

[See the plans of Dar al Amal here]

Dar al Amal will:

Create jobs in a region where the unemployment rate may reach 19,6%
Host and train young Moroccan entrepreneurs dedicated to sustainable development and social change through its young entrepreneur incubator program
Lead research efforts to develop innovative income-generating activities for impoverished rural women and generate fresh ideas to address ecological issues of the region
Provide impoverished populations with a free access to cultural events and learning opportunities organized in a new community center and library
Offer a safe and healthy environment for local population to live and work
Foster women’s empowerment through professional trainings and literacy courses
Develop and pilot new income-generating activities, based on waste reuse
Be a self-sustaining model of a smart, green, eco-friendly, traditional, and inexpensive architecture

Why we need $5,000?

Thanks to our generous institutional backer, Legallais Foundation, ADF has been able to launch the feasibility study with the award-winning Moroccan-Canadian architect Aziza Chaouni, who specializes in green and sustainable architecture.

ADF is now ready to move into the materials research phase of this project. Our goal is to not only build Morocco’s first center for the environment and green jobs, but to also build a center that models environmental responsibility in the use of its building materials. Our goal is to build Dar al Amal completely from local and/or recycled materials that showcases traditional Moroccan architecture. This is fundamental as we want the center to be built with local and/or recycled materials. With your help, we can complete our research phase of materials that will ensure that Dar al Amal is built with the most effective, efficient, and energetically passive materials.

One woman has changed her community. Imagine what a crowd could do?

ADF dedicates this project and works tirelessly for all of the dynamic young people who can’t find a job and who want to build a better future for themselves; for all of the impoverished young people who have ambition but no means to envision a different future from their parents’. For every man and woman willing to contribute to the improvement of their life and their environment, or willing to act for their community, we stand united and ready to create change with you.

We thank you for joining us to put in place the foundation stone to a center, The House of Hope, that will give young people the opportunity to explore their dreams and potential, interrupt the intergenerational cycle of poverty, and set the standard for a green economy in Morocco. With you standing by us in support, we know that we can transform the neighborhood of plastic into a neighborhood of dreams.

GIVE NOW ON GIRLTANK.ORG

Dar al Amal, urban center for young people and sustainable development in Berkane

AM 535 UTCq, 2013
Posted by ADF

The Association du Docteur Fatiha started its activities back in 2008. After only 5 years implementing its programs, ADF scales up. The project: build an urban center, dedicated to a green and social economy.

Legallais Foundation decided to support our project and will fund the very 1st part of it: the case study and the drawings realization. With this first backer, the project can be launched!

Named “Dar al Amal”, which means House of Hope in Arabic, the center will actively create green jobs and spread an ecological culture.

Context

Morocco and the Eastern region, have to deal with a major employment issue. Young people have troubles finding jobs, even when graduated. However, so many things can be put in place here. The environmental situation is alarming.

Our solution

Every single young person should be part of the improvement of his city or community. In Berkane, they lack a personal support for them to create and manage their project. ADF wishes to build the capacities of young people willing to act, especially those from impoverished background.

The green center will create direct jobs (from the construction, center staff) and indirect ones (young project initiators, women benefiting from revenue-generating activities).

The construction

Dar al Amal will be built on a former landfill, set in the heart of an impoverished area, “Douar ell Mika” (the “neighborhood of plastic bags”).

This building will be a model of green architecture, in its construction but also in its management: energy savings, renewable energies, water management…

The architecture and materials from Berkane will be associated to sustainable and innovative construction methods, to international standards in eco-design. Recycled materials will be used as much as possible in the building, the design and interior furniture.

Using resources that can be considered as “waste” will pave the way to new building techniques, greener and more adapted to a sustainable development.

ADF wants to involve young people and local craftsmen in the center construction, for them to master new know-hows and to be able to transpose them.

The center’s ingredients

The building will be divided into several sectors, dedicated to specific activities:

•the meetings between involved populations;

•the support to young project initiators;

•cultural events on environmental issues;

•the research for good environmental-friendly practices;

•trainings to revenue-generating activities based on recycling processes;

•ecological leisure…

1. Offices and incubator

to host young Moroccan entrepreneurs, acting for sustainable development and social and solidarity economy

2. Community Center, lab for green ideas

It will provide the populations with work spaces, a library, free internet access. ADF will lead research to develop revenue-generating activities (for impoverished rural women) and bring alternatives to ecological issues of the region, as plastic bags pollution. ADF will also organize plenty of events to raise-awareness among young generations to environmental issues (workshops, debates, movies castings, etc.).

3. Organic café

which will also serve as a sales area for our handicraft products

4. Bed and Breakfasts

to promote eco-tourism the region and host regular projects visitors (designers), or artists

5. Public child-care center

6. Park and educational vegetable garden

7. Administration

8. Housing for staff

Dar Al Amal will quickly become an unavoidable place for community service and for social and green economy in Berkane and in the whole region.

It will also be a place where an alternative vision of leisure and environmental protection can be born.

To put in place the foundation stone, we need you!

To help ADF fund Dar al Amal construction, we need every single one of you. To give young Berkanis a chance to commit themselves to their city and their community. To support women’s work and empowerment. To bring a global response to the environmental issues of the region, especially the proliferation of polluting waste. To give the will to build differently, more efficiently, more environment-friendly. To bring hope to a city that is falling asleep on its misery.

To give 25$ or 1.000, connect to Girltank http://girltank.org/crowdfunding/campaigns/an-awesome-way-to-re-take-a-polluted-city-in-morocco/

You can’t? Support our project differently, in sharing the information.

In the name of all those young people and women from Eastern Morocco, who need an open door, THANKS!

Check out our new project !

PM 706 UTCq, 2013
Posted by ADF

Faiza Hajji and the Association du Docteur Fatiha launched a their new project to spread their outreach in Eastern Morocco.

How would you react, if we told you that it’s possible to combine organic cultivation, social and green entrepreneurship, eco-tourism and awaireness-raising campaigns to environmental issues? For sure, you’d support us !

Let’s have a look at our brand-new video, to check out this project !

The Association du Docteur Fatiha

Use the environment as a driver for the local economy

Tag Archives: économie verte