It has been 31 years since I was a Peace Corps Volunteer, living in the High Atlas Mountains in the Toubkal municipality. I, like many in Morocco who came to sojourn for a couple of years and try to be of service, found an everlasting purpose here among the people. Morocco at all levels wants inclusive development, determined and carried by the communities who benefit from the sustainable initiatives. This principle embodies the mission of the High Atlas Foundation (HAF).

When the earthquake struck on 8 September 2023, the mountain communities from where HAF emerged faced unprecedented shock, pain, and loss. We learned that our relationships decide our ability to assist recovery–our partnerships with the people and their local organizations, with government and its agencies, and with personal and institutional contributors at home and abroad. We learned that who we are at HAF, our teams, unity and systems, enabled the extent of our service. We are determined as ever to become even better. 

We remain today in the throes of rebuilding and delivering psychosocial support for families. Stay with us, join us anew, remain steadfast, tell others, continue the journey - and we will see in every High Atlas Mountain direction the bounty of the people’s full recovery and true prosperity - their dreams realized.  

We hope this Newsletter is inspiring, conveying mending after terrible loss, community project visions coming to pass following overwhelming heartbreak. We must continue and move forward together.     

Yours faithfully,

Yossef Ben-Meir

President of the High Atlas Foundation