The relief campaign for the victims of the earthquake that struck the Hoz region of the Kingdom of Morocco on September 8, 2023 has been completed. The Foundation supported the implementation of 79 small projects for women affected by the earthquake, in cooperation with the National Human Rights Council of Morocco, which played a crucial role in the preparation and monitoring of the project. The project, named 'Solidarity,' aimed to support widows or economically challenged women in earthquake-affected areas and was implemented in five phases:
- First step: On November 25, 2023, a meeting was held with the families affected by the earthquake in the Asni region of the Hoz area, the area most affected by the earthquake. The meeting included 103 women, including the CEO of the National Human Rights Council and the head of the rural municipality of Asni, Mr. Jamal Amrhan.
- Second step: A special committee was formed to select 79 women facing difficult circumstances to implement small, feasible projects that would enable them to support their families. The main criteria for selection included level of poverty, widowhood, divorce or economic orphanhood, and the likelihood of success of the proposed project.
- Third step: A dedicated training session was organized for the selected women to improve their skills in planning, financial management, marketing, accounting and communication. The training was held from November 26 to 28, 2023 for three days.
- Fourth step: Several meetings were held with Mr. Jamal Amrhan, the head of the Asni Municipality, Mr. Nabil Ghaza, the CEO of the National Human Rights Council, Mr. Abdelmajid Ajyar, the president of the Tifawin Association for Social Development in Asni Al-Qadim, and Mrs. Naaima El-Marhouli, the women's coordinator. On November 30, 2023, the meeting approved the list of the names of the 79 women who benefited from the training session. The distribution mechanism of support and contributions to the projects was also approved.
- Fifth step: From December 6 to 9, 2023, the distribution of grants took place, including sewing and knitting machines, ovens and mixers, carts for fast food, equipment for barber shops, livestock, poultry and financial amounts to provide initial materials for the projects. The aim was to improve the economic and social conditions of families affected by the earthquake.
It is worth mentioning that many emergency relief projects were proposed for implementation during the first days of the earthquake. However, due to the quick response of the Kingdom of Morocco to assist the affected individuals and provide all the necessary assistance, it was proposed to build temporary houses for the affected families. In the end, the project was replaced based on the proposal of partners in Morocco, which led to the adoption of the 'Solidarity' project to support widows or those in difficult situations in earthquake-affected areas.