Sahara Roots - Mhamid activities

The first activities in Mhamid, South Morocco of the foundations "Sahara-Roots" and "Zaila" from the 14th to the 18th of March 2008.
To watch a short film about these activities please click on the following link http://www.youtube.com/v/HqxC3y4bPsg

Departure from the Netherlands After a year of preparing the time had finally come. Together with two girlfriends Carine and Carla, we travelled to the south of Morocco to the village of Mhamid where the first actions of the Foundations Sahara-Roots and Zaila were to take place. Sahara-Roots and Zaila work together with the inhabitants of this area with the aim to help preserve the Moroccan Sahara and to help provide for a better future for the inhabitants.

Mhamid, a small village in the Moroccan Sahara. Mhamid is a small village next to the river Draa in the South of Morocco. The road next to the Draa leads from Ouarzazate and is one of the most beautiful routes in Morocco. Here we find imposing Kasba villages and date palm oasis, the pre-Sahara mountain ranges with spectacular views and finally the Sahara.
Because of very little rain fall and a large dam that was built in the northern part of the Draa, there is a tremendous shortage of water also in Mhamid. Desertification is now a major threat to the oasis and village like Mhamid. One of the ways to fight desertification is by planting trees that can adapt to this harsh environment. The tamarisk is an example of such a tree.

Children's booklet "Me and my Sahara" A year ago I came up with the idea to write a children's booklet, after listening to the stories and the worries of my good friends Halim and Ibrahim Sbai of the Zaila Foundation from Mhamid. The first print of the booklet "Me and my Sahara" had been published in four languages and with this booklet I wanted to help children and their parents in this desert environment become aware of the problems that the rubbish is slowly causing in this area.
The story and drawings are based on the lives of the people in this oasis village in the Moroccan Sahara. The storyline is about an old nomad and his favourite camel. The nomad sees his oasis slowly disintegrating but after the "clean-up" of the area done by the camels, life returns to the oasis. With this the nomad learns that together with all the inhabitants of the oasis you must take the responsibility to take care of your own special place.

Meeting the officials Halim Sbai had prepared, together with the inhabitants of the area, the different projects that we would be starting and on the14th of March we arrived in Mhamid with the first 400 booklets. On arrival we heard that 150 trees, tamarisks and acacias, were ready to be planted. After the first cups of lovely sweet Moroccan tea we headed towards the area where the officials were waiting.
The governor of Zagora, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Education as well as school directors and teachers were some of those present. We were not really prepared for this but luckily we adjusted quickly and listened to the serious conversations going back and forth. Our Dutch Moroccan translator was able to help us understand a little of what was being said. Everyone was happy with our arrival but there was a "little snake in the grass". We would not be allowed to present the booklets to the two schools Halim had selected. The reason was that they were worried that jealousy would become a problem, why would some children receive booklets and not children from other schools? Luckily Halim came up with another plan. If not inside the school walls then outside would do just as well.

Visiting the locations Towards the end of the day we drove to the various locations that Halim had selected as tree planting sites. The first one presented a problem as the bulldozer had not yet come to push all the sand away to allow the trees to be planted in the ground. The fertile earth still lay under the sand. The second location was the complete opposite. The villagers came out to greet us as we arrived in their village Oued Mhia. We realised very quickly that everyone really liked Halim. As we were not allowed to drive any further by jeep, we walked through the narrow streets of the kasba village to the edge of the village. Here we found the prepared holes that had been dug for the planting of the trees. Very happy with these preparations and all the other events that had taken place, we headed off towards the desert camp where we would spend the next four nights.

Visiting the nomad school On Saturday the 15th of March we drove over the "piste" through the desert, past little villages and through the "Palmeraie" before arriving in village of Mhamid and finally at the school that we would visit. We first spoke to the director of the school, Mr. El Maslouhi My Larbi of the "Douar Tahtani" nomad school. All the 235 girls and boys walk to this school, some walking from far. These children who were really happy, were between 6-13 years. And were dressed in traditional costumes of the nomads from this area. Representatives from, among others, the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Education were also present to help explain how and where the trees would be planted in their school grounds. In this manner they wanted to help the children in understanding why and how to take care of their own environment. It was wonderful to see how enthusiastic the children were.

Giving the booklets It was a pity but because of protocol we were unable to give booklets to the children of the school however outside the school it was possible and we were able to watch the children reading with a lot of enthusiasm. They could not believe their eyes as they saw the illustrations in the booklet that were based on their own way of life. We couldn't believe that the girls read along as we were reading. Finally the children received their own private copy but Halim Sbai and the two teachers Bashir and Mouha, who had also come with us, wrote the names of the children down as they each received their booklet and asked them to write a summary of the booklet after reading it carefully through a couple of times. On my return to Mhamid, two months later, in the beginning of May, we would then ask questions and see how well the children had done their homework and the best would receive a prize. In this way we hope that they will also learn that after receiving a gift, you must also do something in return.

Music to relax by After dinner there was music in the camp because of course there is no TV, no computer, no radio there. Everyone is involved with the music making, playing drums, clapping their hands and listening to Ibrahim Sbaï and all the guys in the camp singing traditional songs. These songs were sung during the long caravans between Mali, Mauritania and Morocco many years ago. The songs are about the heavy journey the nomads made by foot with their camels, the lovely sand dunes, the beautiful trees growing along the way, the beautiful girls they pass by and their wonderful way of life. It's poetry in music form. They sing the local lyrics and play on authentic instruments such as the castanets, drums and the gumbri ( like a guitar but with 3 strings).

Kasba Sidi al Khalil On the 16th of March we left the camp and walked through the desert towards the small village of Oued Mhia. As we came closer to the kasba "Sidi al Khalil" (in the village), children came running out to meet us. Halim instructed them to clean up the rubbish that was lying around so the area would be clean. They listened immediately to him with respect. Video cameras were new for them and they found it strange to see themselves on film as they watched. In this beautiful environment there are no cars or other motorised vehicles allowed and there is total serenity found here. As we arrived by the kasba Sidi Al Khalil, we saw that the holes in the ground had the little trees next to them, palm leaves for the protection needed and jerry cans filled with water. A "goose bump" moment. These places had been prepared for the 85 new trees that would be planted here, the beginning of the "green wall" against the approaching sand. The first action against "desertification" of the desert.

Planting trees Symbolically the youngest child present planted a tree together with Halim, and tied the small label from our girlfriend Mariette's mother in Holland. Mariette should also have been with us but due her mothers sudden death just before we left, she was not able to be with us. After this little ceremony we started planting the other trees together with the other children and adults in the hot sun while a group of girls played music in the background. Wooden labels with the names of everyone that donated trees were carefully tied to each tree and the names of the children participating were written down in a little booklet. Every child is responsible one tree. Not only the children but also two men from the village were given the responsibility to take care of the trees in such a way that they would survive. They took their job very serious. Halim explained that every tree that died they would have to be replaced. A big thing for someone if you hardly have enough to survive yourself. The summer months were on their way and these freshly planted trees needed a lot of water and attention if they would survive the temperatures of around 45 degrees. It's a lot of work as the water is pulled up by buckets from the wells, then carried by donkey to the trees. But our actions give hope to the people living here and they're going for it. After six months it will be clear if the trees have made it.

Giving the booklets Once we were inside the coolness of the kasba, the teachers Mouha and Bashir started reading the booklet "Me and my Sahara" in Arabic to the children, a very exciting moment. My Arabic teacher Ima Bakal from Bussum had translated my story into classic Arabic but would the children from this area in the Moroccan Sahara understand it? Surprisingly yes, they were able to read the text well. It was magical. They recognised the illustrations. Kasba Sidi Al Khalil in Oeued Mhia was the kasba in my booklet. And of course they laughed out loud when they saw the camels climbing the trees. Questions were asked to see if the children understood the story and they all wanted to answer at the same time. Luckily the teachers kept the 85 children well under control! After an hour we were able to blow bubbles with the children, something they had never seen before, what a party! After shaking hands each child received a booklet, pencils and brightly coloured paper. These children had never had their own booklet. There were many goose bump moment days and this was one of them.

Hospitality After the childrens departure it was time for the adults. Around forty men gathered together to listen to the speech that Halim made. He explained why the foundations Sahara-Roots and Zaila had started these actions but that it was everybody's responsibility to make a success of these actions. The hospitality of the people here was unbelievable. After the speeches, young men came by with traditional washing bowls with water and soap to wash hands before the lunch was served. But where were the women of the village? In the kitchen of course. It's a big thing cooking lunch for around 45 people under simple conditions such as no running water and little electricity. Luckily my girlfriends Carine and Carla from Holland saw the women outside after lunch and together they sang Dutch songs for the children and their mothers.

A feeling of satisfaction Two days later we went to see how the trees were developing. The men were working hard and they were very happy to see us again. They were also so thankful. Together we planted some more trees. It was a great feeling to feel the earth of the desert in my hands. In the village the children were calling my name out loud. What a great feeling of satisfaction. I can't wait to come back with more booklets and trees. If this little action is a success then we hope that bigger activities and projects will follow. This gives so much hope to the people in this area. Too many times you hear that areas such as Mhamid are forgotten areas and that is a shame as they are so beautiful.
I would like to thank all the people that helped to make this action possible and also those who worked so hard to make it a success.

Wanda Hebly, May 2008