Irrigation Systems for Fruit Trees in Africa

Over the other side of the mountains from Tifnoute, the High Atlas Foundation is investing in irrigation infrastructure for two new nurseries this summer and fall. In partnership with the commune of Tnin Ourika and Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, the High Atlas Foundation is developing two nurseries on plots of land identified and donated by the community. The long-term objective of this project is to increase women's empowerment and economic self-sufficiency through the creation of a green economy, and will be implemented by monetizing the organic agriculture value chain and participatory training to women in the community.

In addition to planting 60,000 seeds, HAF will also train a minimum of 60 women from the community in cooperative creation and management, the participatory approach, organic agriculture, nursery management and maintenance, etc. These trainings, relying on experiential learning, will help women generate more income for their households, giving greater impact to the project objectives. The use of organic farming techniques helps generate value-added products that are green economy drivers for Morocco. As part of the training, HAF will guide women to identify their villages' top priority development projects, which will further promote women's empowerment.

The work will include plot development, terracing, stone removal, manure addition and installing barbed wire fences. To ensure proper management of natural water resources, nurseries will be equipped with a drip irrigation system connected to a well. Thereafter, the seeds (saffron, fruit trees, ricinus communis, aromatic and medicinal plants—determined by the community) will be sown.

The High Atlas Foundation is grateful for your generosity that allows us to pursue this and other participatory development projects like it throughout Morocco. It makes a tangible difference in communities we work in. Irrigation and the broader establishment of nurseries allow rural communities to empower themselves economically and learn about how they can participate in the new democratic framework of Morocco.

Friends,

From the High Atlas Foundation Team, we wish a Happy New Year and best wishes for health and all good things.

Morocco’s model for human development creates enormous possibility for our participatory approach and organic agricultural value-chain, and for the entire region.

The High Atlas Foundation most humbly invites you to one or more symbolic tree planting ceremonies proposed for this planting season starting in January. Agriculturally, we assist communities currently in eight provinces of Morocco as they plant nurseries, secure organic certification, build cooperatives, benefit from training and create partnerships enabling processing and delivery of product to the global market.

We are engaged in all aspects of the value-chain – and we can report that it works with great results. Starting from next month, we are scheduled to export to the United States 14 tons of organic certified walnuts from the High Atlas Mountains. In January 2014, HAF planted its one millionth seed in Morocco. With our full value chain in place, we may - Insha’Allah - achieve much greater scale.

In 2015, HAF and communities propose that together we plant a total of four million seeds and saplings of 12 types of fruit trees and more than 20 aromatic plant varieties - all of which may receive internationally recognized organic certification.

This can be achieved at a total cost of $2.5 million, with a resulting direct impact on 200,000 rural inhabitants and an indirect one benefiting a further 40,000. We hope with all our heart that we may receive your support to plant this season. Every dollar enabled HAF to plant its first million trees.

We thank you and wish you a wonderful day!

Sincerely, 

Jacqueline

Links:

• Read A letter from HAF's President, Dr Yossef Ben-Meir