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Asni -

On a cold morning this February, young volunteers from the Moroccan Scouts organization arrive in the mountainous village of Imsker El Bor in the Asni region, on the outskirts of Marrakesh, to check on the conditions of those affected by the Al Haouz earthquake.

Boxes of supplies are passed from hand to hand through an extended human chain, while a beautiful smile appears on everyone’s faces mixed with clear determination, and they chant some scout songs to increase enthusiasm during the distribution of the “winter basket” to the residents of the area.

Scout leader Faisal Al-Zalouti (19 years old) takes a breath, adjusting the colorful scout scarf, and says a quick greeting. Then this young university volunteer says to Al-Jazeera Net, “I find great pleasure in providing help to others. What really impressed me was the warmth and generosity with which the village people met us.” “Despite the difficult conditions they live in during a difficult winter under tents.”

Those affected by the earthquake are still living in tents, and the initiative alleviates the harshness of winter for them (Al Jazeera)

Life Fund Initiative

The Moroccan Scouts Association is one of the few organizations that continues to keep pace with the needs of the population, and provides them with a helping hand after the earthquake over the past five months, while most of those affected are still living an exceptional life under the bitter cold and waiting for the hope of returning to safe homes.

The organization's commander-in-chief, Salah al-Din Mabroum, explains to Al Jazeera Net, "We noticed that immediate aid is necessary, but not sufficient, so we started an assistance program in a number of villages in the Al Haouz and Taroudant provinces."

He added, "We launched a specific humanitarian initiative in cooperation with Action for Humanity International under the name of the Life Fund, to provide heating and lighting mechanisms, winter clothes, food support, and social needs throughout the winter for those affected by the Al Haouz earthquake."

Mabroum confirms that the project targets about 4,300 people from affected families, as a continuation of the association’s efforts to contribute to alleviating the suffering of Moroccan families.

The event of distributing relief funds in one of the affected villages (Al Jazeera)

Closeness alleviates distress

Armed with the enthusiasm for volunteering and field experience, young Faisal joins a group of more than 360 volunteers from the leaders of the Moroccan Scouts Association, hailing from various regions of the Kingdom, and finds himself surrounded by “giving back to the people of the mountain, known for their simplicity and kindness,” as he describes them.

Commander Mabroum explains that Faisal and his fellow volunteers are ready to provide more than 3,600 hours of volunteer work during the project period, which lasts for 3 months to achieve the desired impact on the lives of those affected by the earthquake. He explains, “We focused on affected areas, and provided them with the necessary ongoing assistance, instead of dispersing efforts.” In scattered areas intermittently.

Citizen Muhammad Ekrmaun (36 years old) from Imskar al-Bur says, “We have a special relationship with the scouts. Their constant presence among us has become a part of our lives, and this closeness has helped us overcome the ordeal and return to a normal state.”

A medical convoy that accompanied the Winter Basket initiative provided various tests to the population (Al Jazeera)

Comprehensive medical campaign

From inside a medical tent, a forty-year-old woman appears in her simple robes. She advances, holding the hand of her young child. His head is decorated with a red fez, and on his small hands is unmistakable henna, while another young woman carries a plate filled with various types of local fruits, dry and soft, as a token of love and recognition. It is a day. Circumcision affected a number of children, as part of a medical initiative that provides other parallel services.

On the other hand, volunteer doctors are racing against time to conduct medical examinations for the population, followed by providing some medicines or directing them to specialized hospitals.

Commander Mabroum explains, “Our work is not limited to providing the Life Fund that each beneficiary can use in times of extreme need, especially when the village is isolated due to natural factors, but also to provide social and educational services that bring joy to women, children, and men.”

Ahmed Nayt Ahmad, head of a local association, told Al Jazeera Net, “Everyone here is optimistic about the association’s diverse work,” and adds, “They treat us like a big family, and we, in turn, are always looking for those who are most in need of our services, and we put them ahead of the rest.”

While citizen Muhammad commented, “Solidarity is not strange to the residents, as they were allocating a fund for emergency cases even before the earthquake,” adding, “Whenever the scouts visit, we feel that we have not been forgotten, and that we deserve to live in dignity.”

Young Faisal organizes an educational and artistic workshop for village children (Al Jazeera)

Palestine is present

It was noteworthy that the Palestinian flag was present alongside the Moroccan flag during an educational artistic workshop organized by the young man Faisal.

He says, "The appearance of the red color first is evidence of the blood expended by the people of Gaza in the face of the war of extermination waged by the occupation forces, before the rest of the colors appear, so that the flag becomes complete with the colors of earth, love, strength and determination."

The young man explained in a spontaneous conversation that “the dyeing workshop is considered a beautiful entrance, in which children show their attachment to an issue that occupies the minds of the young and the old.”

He added, "This activity is considered supportive of the Palestinian cause, in light of the violations that the Palestinians face from the occupation, and an affirmation of the brotherhood between the two brotherly Moroccan and Palestinian peoples. It is an attempt to raise awareness of the battle and transmit it to the rising generations in all parts of the Kingdom, and even on the highest peaks of the Atlas Mountains."

The volunteers' work continues throughout the day, and at the end of it, young Faisal's body leaks and everyone is very tired.

As for the humid mountain winds that surround his face from time to time, and make him feel the cold of winter in this remote area, they will not diminish his determination and enthusiasm. He is ready to return again, as he expresses it, in the same spirit with which he began his volunteering at the beginning of the morning.

Source: Al Jazeera