EDHEC Alumni contributes to the creation of a secondary school in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains, 3 weeks after the earthquake that struck the region

Three EDHEC alumni, Ahmed & Karine Benabadji (EDHEC Master 1989) and Mohamed Chennaoui (EDHEC Master 1993), came together to set up a project for the construction of a secondary school in the Ourika valley, south-east of Marrakech, to replace schools that were destroyed or are located too far away. The EDHEC Alumni association decided to support the project with a contribution of 4000 euros.

Ahmed & Karine Benabadji, who live in Casablanca, set up an association 8 years ago known as Open Village, which promotes independent and solidarity-based development of rural villages in Morocco with a focus on children, youths and women. Most of the Open Villages are located in the Ourika valley and were affected by the earthquake. 1535 families and 200 dwellings suffered damage and 30 people sadly lost their lives. 

The Open Village association has already put in place a support plan covering a 2-year period for the affected zone, with emergency aid, a programme to see through the winter and a reconstruction operation. The actions undertaken range from food supplies and temporary housing to psychological assistance and support with schooling. The villages reconstructed most quickly will then be in a position to offer help to their neighbours.
This earthquake highlighted the challenging living conditions facing rural communities in the region, many of whom live at an altitude of more than 2000 metres. Beyond the emergency plan, the Open Village association therefore decided to concentrate on education for young people. Many pupils don't go any further than primary school due to the absence of a secondary facility within a reasonable distance or because there are not enough places in boarding school.

Open Village proposes to create modular classrooms on the Timinkar plateau, enabling 200 secondary school pupils to continue their studies while they await the construction of a permanent facility. Teachers can easily be deployed to the isolated region if this project is rolled out.
If you would like to support the reconstruction of Moroccan villages, EDHEC Alumni recommends the following initiatives:

Make a donation to Open Village*
* Eligible for tax deductions

Make a donation to the special fund set up by the Al Maghrib bank