The Moroccan Earthquake - Relief & Recovery Options
September 9, 2023
At this point, thankfully, all the artisans that we work with in the south are safe from the recent earthquake. That being said, there is still a lot damage and devastation. The areas that were hardest hit were in small, mountainous Amazigh villages south of Marrakech, in the provinces of Al Haouz and Taroudant.
Many of you have asked what you can do to help. We’ve compiled a list of trusted nonprofits below. Any help that you can give for rebuilding, recovery, and relief will be greatly appreciated.
We recommend donating directly to local organizations, however if you’re sending money from abroad, just be advised that you may need to enter a SWIFT code or RIB number (yes, international transfers are annoyingly complicated 🙄).
If all that is too much, feel free to send us Zelle (hello@kantararugs.com) or Venmo (@moroccanrugs) with "Earthquake" as the subject and we’ll make sure it goes to one of these nonprofits.
Finally, for those of you who would like to send money directly to individuals in Morocco, World Remit announced that it has made all monetary transfers to Morocco fee-free in the wake of the earthquake. According to them, "Many cash pickup locations have been affected by the disaster. Please refrain from choosing cash pickup at this time, and choose bank transfer services instead."
DONATE YOUR MONEY TO LOCAL NONPROFITS
Amis des Ecoles
Their mission is to promote dignity, equality and respect for all, especially for school children and women in the most remote regions of Morocco. Since 2006, Amis Des Ecoles has renovated 380 classrooms, installed 420 toilets, built 152 water fountains, planted 8,736 trees, equipped 30 libraries, distributed 26,000 books. Two of their boarding schools serving 800 kids in rural Morocco have been destroyed.
Thanks to Heather from Mushmina for bringing this nonprofit to our attention.
Moroccan Food Bank - Banque Alimentaire
The main mission of the Food Bank is the collection of food from various donors and their redistribution in favor of needy populations via a network of associations and social protection establishments across the country. The Food Bank ensures regular supplies to more than 200 associations across Morocco.
Please note, on this donation page, they ask for donations in Moroccan dirhams (MAD). The conversion is approximately 10 to 1, so 500 MAD would be the equivalent of $50.
Moroccan-American novelist Laila Lalami provides more information about donating here.
Resilient Communities
We've worked with this nonprofit in the past and can attest to the work they do, especially close to the epicenter of the earthquake. Their vision is to implement sustainable community engagement projects, programs, and technology in small communities that are rapidly growing beyond their means.
Donate hereAmal Women's Training Center and Nonprofit
We've brought many groups to Amal to participate in their cooking classes over the years. This is a wonderful nonprofit that supports women on their journey towards empowerment and financial independence. Many of the women in their training program are from the affected areas. They have started a relief fund to support the victims in the affected areas.
Donate hereConnect on Instagram
HOW TO HELP IF YOU ARE IN MOROCCO
Donate blood
Authorities are only now arriving at some of the hardest hit areas of the country. As we've seen from recent disaster relief in Turkey, relief efforts will be ongoing for the foreseeable future. The current death toll is at least 2000 with many thousands of injuries. This will surely rise in the coming days. Morocco is in desperate need of blood donations. If you live here or are visiting the country soon, consider donating blood at one of the local blood transfusion sites.
In Marrakech, search in google maps for "Centre régional de transfusion sanguine."
