October 28, 2011
The story of Little Hassan...
This week we were privileged to assist in obtaining medical treatment for a very special boy in Morocco. Little Hassan (pictured) fell and injured his thumb near his home in early August. We first met him during our September school aid distribution project at the local school that he attends. He was one of more than 100 students we worked with that day, but his joyful spirit and infectious smile immediately caught our eye. However, we noticed that his entire thumb was purple, seemingly out of joint and hanging completely limp. We spoke with his family, who had taken the boy to a doctor for xrays, though they had not been successful in getting him treatment.
Little Hassan receiving his school supplies during our September aid distribution trip in Morocco
Hassan's family raises livestock and he lives with his mother, father, sister and elders in a traditional Berber home in a remote area between Essaouira and Marrakech. His family was incredibly welcoming to us and offered their home as a teaching site for us to give soapmaking classes. They cooked a delicious Moroccan meal composed of several courses which was obviously meant to honor the presence of visitors. We spent the afternoon breaking bread together, visiting cows, sheep and donkeys and socializing with the local women. Though we inquired about the problem with Hassan's finger, they offered their hospitality without us making any mention of potentially assisting with his medical treatment.
When the sun set and we climbed into our car and began to pull away, I asked Hassane (our local staff member in Morocco) if he would oversee the boy's care. Hassane told me he was already planning to assist as he was able and we developed a plan to get Little Hassan the treatment he needed. The following week, Hassane took the boy back to the small hospital in Essaouira for a consultation. The doctors advised that he be treated at the larger hospital in Marrakech. Hassane returned Little Hassane's family home and agreed to take them shortly to Marrakech. Unfortunately, those doctors said it would be several months before they could operate. Though Little Hassan was in no pain as he doesn't have any feeling in his thumb, he was at risk for gangrene, which can cause serious, life-threatening septic infections.
Volunteer and travel mate Stephanie playing with Hassan and friends at his home
Hassane opted to return the boy to Essaouira once more and pleaded for help. He eventually called with good news: surgery was scheduled for October 24th. As that day approached, Hassane welcomed the boy's family into his home (which is near to the hospital) and we were all eager for resolution. On the day of the procedure, the surgeon asked Hassane to please return the boy to Marrakech once more as he didn't feel as though he could adequately perform the operation. Hassane called and proposed that we consider the private hospital in Marrakech- which would be considerably more expensive, but much, much faster.
Some of the sheep Hassan's family raises to provide for their family
The very next day, doctors at the private hospital in Marrakech saw Little Hassan and, confident that they could save his finger, scheduled surgery for 6:30pm the same day. I am thrilled to say that Hassan's finger is intact, he is in good spirits and resting comfortably at home with his family. He spent just one night in the hospital, with his father by his side and Hassane nearby. The doctors cleared him the very next day after a positive radiology exam and Hassane took the lot of them home to celebrate with the boy's waiting mother. The prognosis is very good: in another ten days, Hassane will return the boy to Marrakech for a followup visit. For now, Little Hassan can attend school though it will be quite some time before he may be able to write again.
Hassan's little sister Khadija playing with a lamb
This endeavor is all the more amazing to me when I consider the distances traveled and the dedication displayed. Neither our staff member Hassane nor Little Hassan's family own cars. The distance between Essaouira and Marrakech is three hours by car, and the boy's family is a good 30 minute journey over rock-ridden, treacherous and unpaved roads once you exit the highway that connects those two major cities. So getting this boy the treatment he needed involved lots of early mornings and late nights and long walks to main roads and bumpy bus rides. And yet...they persevered. And it worked! And now Little Hassan is safe and in the process of healing. I love a happy ending... don't you?
The sale of our products is what funds these important projects, so I extend my appreciation to those of you reading as well. It's a fantastic feeling to know that we've positively impacted a life and filled a tangible need. I hope you'll continue to support our endeavors by making purchases if you are able and inclined and spreading the word about the work that we do. We'll keep you posted on Little Hassan!
The oven where Hassan's mother bakes bread each morning
Posted by Lela at 11:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 23, 2011
School Aid Distribution: phase one is complete!
Once we were given the blessings of local authorities, we headed toward the school to begin our aid distribution. Hafida, the local teacher, was traveling with us and she received word that the only other teacher had forgotten her key and thus returned home for the day. That left almost 150 children to stand outside the gates of the school for hours waiting on us. By the time we arrived, there were just five sweets souls who had been sitting in the hot sun for 4+ hours awaiting our arrival. Hassane and Hafida coaxed them with chocolate to run to their friends' homes and spread the word that we had finally arrived. Within five or ten minutes, we'd doubled our numbers... the children continued trickle in until finally we could see a pack of them in the distance, running towards the school. All told, we had about 125 children who returned to school- a remarkable number by any measure, especially given that most walk a few miles to school and they'd already made the roundtrip journey that day. The air was thick with their anticipation.
We immediately gifted 100 books to Hafida to seed a school lending library. There are 300 more books sitting in our SC warehouse awaiting approval from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information and we look forward to sending those over as soon as the paperwork clears. We then began work on a fun craft project that involved each child being photographed with an instant camera and then making a frame for their photo. Most of these kids are rarely if ever photographed and the "instant film" was certainly a novel aspect. The children lined up proudly, standing a little taller, straightening their collars, adjusting their headscarves, and smiled for us. They would excitedly wave their photos back and forth in the air waiting on them to develop and then gather in groups to giggle at each other's images. Stephanie, Mokhtar, Melissa, Hassane and I had spent the evening a few days earlier at a broad table covered in popsicle sticks, cardstock and glue as we created the bases. The kids now delighted in affixing foam shapes and sparkly sequins to their frames.
We also outfitted each child with a new backpack. Tucked inside were pens, pencils, writing tablets, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and crayons. It was a joy to watch the kids collect stickers as they were photographed, made their frames and picked up their bags. We ended the stream of activity with high five's and chocolates for each child. The kids eagerly opened their backpacks and pulled out the items, eliciting waves of ooh's and ahh's. We posed for a group picture on the school steps and created celebratory rhythms by clapping with our hands before chanting "shou-kran Haf-i-da" (thank you Hafida), as their teacher showed incredible bravery and dedication to her students in helping us work through the long process to make this day possible.
Hassane, Stephanie, Hafida and I stood in the doorway to the school and shared a few hugs and a few tears as we watched the kids run home, new backpacks strapped to their backs and large smiles adorning their faces. We then tidied up the school and piled nine people in a 5 seater Kia, driving through a series of bumpy country roads to the home of two of Hafida's students. This humble Berber family had slaughtered two chickens and a lamb for us and we sat on the ground together, eating from a large communal plate and trying to communicate via smiles and hand gestures. We toured their farm and saw donkeys, cows, chickens, turkeys, pigeons, rabbits and sheep before settling in for a soap lesson directed by Stephanie.
Stephanie taught the women how to make cold process soap to use within their homes and potentially to sell to their neighbors as well. A half dozen Berber women gathered with us while Stephanie walked through a recipe that needed no heat and was measured in empty yogurt cups. Yes, yogurt cups. She had patiently spent the previous few days exploring what oils were available locally, identifying a universal measure since scales are not an option (hence, the yogurt cups) and testing various recipes. The mood itself was buoyant but the teaching was quite a challenge, as the interpreter we brought along was male and this particular family insisted that men and women be separated, even if the women were properly covered. That left us with just one woman who spoke a touch of English, but Stephanie patiently pressed on and fielded good questions at the end. We're optimistic that at least a few of the women will give it a try themselves.
We left the house at sunset as navigating unpaved roads in the Moroccan countryside is best done whilst there is still a touch of daylight. We drove an hour back to Essaouira, loaded our luggage into the car and then drove 3 hours east to Marrakech, arriving at midnight and capping off eighteen frenzied hours of work. We toasted changing the world in ways large and small before putting ourselves to bed.
I am immensely pleased with the success of our efforts. I am encouraged that we now have the blessings of the local government, though we did experience two separate police inspections while at the school- more discussion, more collection of passports, more information called into embassies, ad nauseum. However, I cannot help but believe that this success will make the next distribution trip a touch easier. We're learning the ropes, building relationships and pushing through and I am confident that will yield positive results. In the last sixteen months, we've provided more than 150 children with backpacks and school supplies while growing the school library from 11 books to 400 books. We've provided dozens of balls, jumpropes, parachutes and ribbon wands for the kids to enjoy a bit of respite from their industrious lifestyle. I know what we're doing is valuable, even if it consumes more energy than it should to achieve. I'm coming home re-energized and with a host of new ideas about how we can best serve the rural community.
I have numerous people I need to thank for their invaluable assistance in these efforts:
Hafida, the local teacher, who has gone to the mat with the government in order to get these children the supplies they need. Who has encouraged me and been a tremendous resource to our efforts. Who takes a taxi 45 minutes each day from her home to the country road, where she is dropped off and walks 2 miles on dusty, rock-ridden paths to reach her children each day, only to do it all again in reverse each night. She is an inspiration.
Stephanie Craig of Honey Bee Soaps, my dear friend and traveling companion, who left her children to travel to the other side of the world and help children she'd never met. Who tested soap recipes and made craft frames and kept me (relatively) calm when the government threw up a solid week of roadblocks that threatened to shut us down. Who walked the souks with me in Marrakech and helped restock the Moroccan goods we sell who make this all possible. Who can pack a box of fragile items like a champion.
Melissa Flick of The Nourish Collective, who took time out of her busy schedule to travel to Morocco and dream big with me. Who kept the mood light and made lots of craft frames as well. Who designed the original soap recipes and composed a comprehensive manual we had translated into local languages to assist. Who donated 200 bars of colorful blue soap for the school kids. Who wants to save the entire world- superhero style. Who can argue with that?
Brooke Stant, of Villainess fame, a dear friend who asked me some time ago how she could help with our efforts. As shipping heavy items into Morocco is expensive, I played around with a few ideas before coming up with the instant camera project. She didn't hesitate to buy 250 exposures of rather expensive film to bring some joy to my Berber babies. Her gracious spirit and dedication to helping people she doesn't know personally is incredibly admirable and the film project was the highlight of our distribution day.
Heather Shuler and the team at Ballentine Dentistry who graciously arranged for a donation of 200 toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste to be given to my Moroccan kids. Thanks, too, to Colgate for the generous donation. The kids were tremendously excited about these items.
To the man in Vermont that Stephanie only knows casually, but heard she was coming to Africa to help children and offered her $50 from his pocket, on the spot. I think he'd be happy to know that he bought 200 kids he'll never meet writing tablets, pencils, and chocolates. He said he'd never really done anything to help others... well, now you have. I hope it plants a seed to continue effecting positive change in the world in small, tangible ways.
To Hassane, who rides 11-hour buses to the north of Morocco (during Ramadan, no less) to work with our network of craftsmen. Who sleeps too little and works too hard negotiating the purchase of our handicrafts and packing them up. Who sits in government offices alongside me. Who drives my team around Morocco, often in the middle of the night, as we cram our schedules far too full while we're incountry. Who translates for me in all of our dealings, whether they be in Arabic, French or Berber. Who tears up at the sight of a hundred kids walking away with From Morocco, With Love backpacks slung across their backs. Thank you for your dedication. If we did not have such a devoted incountry ally, none of this would be possible.
And finally, to anyone who has ever made a purchase from our nonprofit. Those are your dollars at work. Without your support, we couldn't generate those smiles. We couldn't help little girls believe in themselves. We couldn't stare corruption and bureaucracy in the face and press past it. We couldn't empower kids to dream bigger than what they see before them every day. From the bottom of my heart: thank you. This is only the beginning...
Posted by Lela at 6:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 25, 2011
MASSIVE sale...launching soon!
So far, everything is on track for a return to Morocco in September. Hamdullah! As the fall semester begins September 7th,we are eager to get on the ground to distribute backpacks and school supplies and dental kits, among other aid programs we have planned. While there, we'll also be restocking poufs, jewelry, handira blankets and lots of other goodies.
We need to raise as much money in advance of that trip as possible. And we need to clear our shelves of existing inventory to make room for all the shiny new things we're bring in. We're looking to kill two birds with one stone: which means a MASSIVE sale is waiting in the wings. If you've been craving something pretty on our website, please stay tuned. August 1st will bring the lowest prices we've ever offered on a wide selection of our favorite Moroccan luxuries. And your purchase means we can put that money to almost immediate use helping the indigenous Berber people of Morocco.
Please help us spread the word and stay tuned for details
Posted by Lela at 12:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 12, 2011
250 dental kits are heading to Morocco!
Heather Shuler and the awesome team at Ballentine Family Dentistry graciously arranged for Colgate Professional to donate 250 dental kits for the children as well. Now my foyer at home runneth over with dental supplies! Dental health is not a priority in Morocco for several reasons and missing and broken teeth are commonplace, as are serious infections that originate from poor dental care. On our next trip to Morocco, we'll be delivering these kits to the children of the local school we've adopted. Many thanks to Heather and Colgate Professional!
Posted by Lela at 8:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 26, 2010
A Very Un-Merry Roadblock
It seems we've hit an unfortunate roadblock in Morocco that will delay our planned January trip to distribute the funds we've collected. I'm terribly saddened by this turn of events, but I remain steadfast in my commitment. At this juncture, we're taking a step back to reassess the best way to push forward. But please know that we will most certainly be pushing forward...
The core of the issue revolves around how nonprofits operate within Morocco. From Morocco, With Love is a registered nonprofit on record with the Secretary of State in South Carolina. However, only Moroccans can form "associations" incountry within Morocco. Foreign nonprofits generally partner with incountry associations for their distribution. We have not formed an association within Morocco due to my concerns about corruption. There's been a long and storied history of how associations are formed and administered in Morocco and I really would prefer to avoid that entire scene. At the genesis of this journey, I swore that I would direct every penny to the people in Morocco who need it most and that I'd work diligently to avoid it greasing the hands of local officials. It may be difficult for Americans to envision how aid so often goes awry, but this is Africa after all and the government holds a particularly tight grip on day-to-day life.
So I'd been told that the government may frown upon my sneaking about, giving livestock to families and schoolbooks to children. Indulging my rebellious streak, I explained to Hassane (my Moroccan partner in this venture) that I'd risk whatever consequences we might meet and we'd do this on my terms. Well, that was good in theory, yes?
Once Hassane began working in the countryside last week to identify families in need, local officials approached the village with a barrage of questions about who we were. A man from the village then contacted Hassane, who is in the precarious position of risking arrest and harassment if we proceed with the distribution of nonprofit funds "unlicensed." Essentially, I need government approval to give kids school supplies and goats to struggling families. And everyone along the way needs their cut. It all makes me a bit dizzy. And a lot angry.
We attempted to approach an existing "association" within Morocco to see if we could piggyback onto their distribution.They encouraged us to leave everything with them and they'll distribute it accordingly. I don't think so... And to add to our woes, the director of the school we've adopted has now alerted us that our donation is so large that it will need approval from the Minister of Education. Oy.
As much as I adore Morocco, my workload and my wallet don't permit me a leisurely holiday right now. Therefore, I'm postponing this trip until we are certain that we can distribute funds according to our plans. Hassane has worn himself ragged this week attempting to find a "work around" and we have a few ideas that we'll soon attempt to put in motion. Until then, we'll be offering our gorgeous selection of handmade Moroccan luxuries, collecting funds and making grand plans. I hope to have news soon and have tentatively reserved some calendar time in March for the journey. Thanks for your support and your patience...and my hat is off to Hassane for putting in days of unpaid work to help steer this ship locally. Shokran. Shokran bezaf Hassane.
In moments such as these, chutzpah and passion are the two qualities that line the path to success. Luckily, we have both, IN SPADES. ;)
Posted by Lela at 11:17 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 18, 2010
The anatomy of giving away money...
I freely admit my naivete: when I started this nonprofit, I honestly believed that the hardest part of the entire venture would be raising the funds. Or perhaps the import paperwork. But it appears that I sorely underestimated the complexities of giving money away in a foreign country when you're oh, say, 8000 miles away. Nevertheless, we're actively planning our first trip to distribute these nonprofit funds in January 2011. I am ridiculously excited to see this project come full-circle and I am simultaneously ridiculously buried under a small mountain work to bring this altogether. Here's a peek inside our plans:
Just last week, we ordered 175 custom backpacks and anticipate delivery into our South Carolina facility on December 30th. My Bella Lucce staff is taking a day during the first work week in January to stuff these backpacks with crayons and custom coloring books we're printing and binding ourselves (you have NO IDEA how hard it is to find Arabic language, secular coloring books at any sort of decent price...go ahead, Google it!). Hassane, my Moroccan business partner, is procuring pencils and writing tablets in bulk locally in Morocco and we'll finish stuffing the bags upon my arrival into the country. We'll then distribute them to the local village school we've adopted outside Essaouira during the second week of January.
Heather Shuler and the team at Ballentine Family Dentistry graciously arranged for Colgate Professional to donate 250 dental kits for the children as well. Dental health is not a priority in Morocco for several reasons and missing and broken teeth are commonplace, as are serious infections that originate from poor dental care. Hassane is translating a dental care brochure for us that we'll distribute with the kits to help maximize their usage.
Hassane is also leaving to spend some time in the countryside next week to begin taking applications for nonprofit funds distribution. We've carefully crafted an application that helps us identify specific family needs (from livestock to school scholarships to shoes for children) and Hassane will work with the community to identify the best way to satisfy those needs given the funds we have at our disposal. He'll forward those applications back to me for review and we plan to spend every last dirham on paper before my arrival. Once I touch down, we'll be visiting schools to pay fees and renting livestock trucks to deliver the aid in person. Of course, we'll be documenting the journey and posting photos and narratives here at the blog.
There are many more complexities involved in the disbursement than I had originally anticipated, but I'm committed to making the most of these dollars and directing them to service genuine needs that empower the Berber people and help provide a long-term bridge out of poverty. We may need to tweak our methods along the way, but I'm convinced that this is a good place to start. As an aside, 100% of your purchase price goes into three pots: the operational costs of this website (server space, SSL certification, credit card processing fees), the actual cost of the goods we import from Morocco and the freight to send them over, and the return of all excess over and above those costs back to the Moroccan people. Bella Lucce (my "main" venture) donates the packing labor for each order, the equipment your orders are processed on and the warehouse space these items are kept in. I personally cover the costs of my airfare, meals and hotel expenses so that we can streeeeeetch these dollars as far as possible.
Stay tuned for more updates and wish us luck!
Posted by Lela at 11:45 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Syndication:
