Irrigation Systems for Fruit Trees in Africa

A cooperative is a business or organization managed jointly by voluntary members. When ran successfully, a cooperative will lead its members to meet their common goals as well as economic needs—of which any profit is shared among them. In Morocco in particular, being a part of a cooperative can be extremely rewarding, especially for marginalized populations and communities, providing opportunities for much needed development work in addition to economic advancement for women and people living in rural poverty.

However, establishing a cooperative and receiving project support can be a confusing and tedious process. In Morocco, one must write a proposal for their project idea and submit it to the corresponding national ministry. For example, farming-related projects must submit a proposal to the Ministry of Agriculture, sewing and carpentry projects to the Ministry of Crafts, Social Solidarity and Economy, etc. Once the proposal is approved, a contract can be signed. Notably, members financially invest in their projects, but cannot begin implementation until they have received authorization from their local government—despite having signed a contract with a ministry. External circumstances such as this, as well as, in some cases, waiting to receive approved funds, are just a couple challenges cooperatives may face. The High Atlas Foundation (HAF) aims to support members through any obstacles and to help them achieve progress in several ways.

HAF’s commitment, enabled through our partnership with the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), is to assist cooperatives in advancing along their own individual and partnership building paths, which has been particularly successful in the Oujda Region. For example, we work with provincial authorities to help cooperatives secure land in order for them to build schools, health centers, and places for them to work. In Taourirt province, specifically, advocacy with provincial and regional authorities is of paramount importance so that they can build upon the truly commendable achievements many cooperatives have had in the region. Further, HAF focuses on establishing fruit tree nurseries involving different varieties most suitable for land, such as in Jerada Province. We also assist cooperatives secure certification from the National Office of Sanitary Security of Food Products, which allows them to verifiably produce their food in healthy conditions and thereby have wider access to markets. Lastly, HAF guides cooperatives in how to effectively market their unique products and share the stories behind their creation.

It has been a great learning experience for the HAF team to learn about and spend quality time with so many cooperatives in the provinces of the Oujda Region. Their missions and areas of productivity vary from agricultural cultivation to craft making, food processing, making beautiful clothes, artisanal masonry, and more. We are glad we had the chance to hear about not only their successes but also their challenges, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to advocate for their specific needs with provincial and regional authorities as well as relevant public agencies.

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On Monday June 4, 2018, we took the snaking roads through the High Atlas Mountains to the Tassa Ouirgane community nestled between two towering mountains in the Toubkal National Park. The purpose of the day’s visit was to have the community participate in a training workshop on how to manage rivers. The water expert, Ali Blali, would discuss potential options for this community that has been ravaged by flash floods (most notably in 1995) and has struggled with agriculture due to soil absorption.

HAF has been working in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to provide the Tassa Ouirgane community with a water well. Already, HAF has built an olive nursery which we stopped by on our way to the community meeting. The baby sprouts were thriving under the steamy plastic covering that maintained a toasty 42 degree atmosphere. Spending only a few sweaty seconds in this plant haven, we soon made our way farther up the mountain to community center.   

A group of about a dozen men shuffled into a brightly painted classroom surrounded by breathtaking green landscape. The projector blinked through different informational pages and pictures of a variety of embankments, gabions, water gates, and other channeling methods utilizing diverse materials—stone, masonry, vegetation—that have been implemented around Morocco. The overall optimistic emphasis was that managing a river is an achievable goal; many other local farmers have innovated solutions to problems similar to those that Tassa Ouirgane faces.

At the end of the presentation, the men turned to discussing what would best work for them. Several concerns came up including the fact that controlling a river must be done broadly, not just locally. Work at the top of a river can affect it farther down, but access to these upstream locations is limited. In addition, apprehensions about planting vegetation for it to be potentially washed away eliminated that option. One man said families live near the river and he was concerned about their safety in the event of floods. The community is also remote and has limited funds, which ruled out options like masonry.

Eventually, community members reached the conclusion that they would make an embankment of “filets” which are large mesh nets of stones that can be put in a river in order to block seepage into the soil, thereby increasing the overall water supply that can be used for agriculture. The banks made of filets will help control the water flow as well. HAF’s provincial association president, Haj Ahmed Amazzal, and Mr. Blali settled with the plan to start the construction in water training once Ramadan ends. Moving large mesh nets of stones will certainly not be easy, especially in a community where they do not have access to large machinery. However, the men had listened intently to the presentation and clearly absorbed the information, concluding the meeting optimistically with the hope that their plan would help the community, Incha Allah.

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