Dar Si Hmad for Development, Education and Culture is an independent nonprofit organization founded in 2010 promoting local culture and sustainable initiatives through education and the integration of scientific ingenuity in Southwest Morocco. We operate North Africa's largest fog harvesting project, providing villages with access to potable water. Our Water School and Girls' E-Learning Programs build capacity in the Anti-Atlas Mountains. Through our Ethnographic Field School, researchers and students engage with local communities in Agadir, Sidi Ifni, and the rural Aït Baamrane region for meaningful cross-cultural exchange.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Discovering the Environment through Water Education

This summer, Dar Si Hmad is planning a water-education program for rural children in the poor region of Ait Baamrane, Southwest Morocco, in collaboration with the delegation of the Ministry of Education in Sidi Ifni. 50 children ages 7-13, on vacation, with no opportunities to continue learning, will participate in this thematic based-curriculum. These children live in remote, landlocked rural areas with very limited access to and knowledge of the outside world. This program will raise youth curiosity surrounding cycles of water, educate them on sustainability, conservation and ecological issues. Through scientific lenses, the children will build awareness and discover connections between themselves, their environment and the world beyond.
Despite noteworthy State efforts, rural children in Southwest Morocco continue to suffer from poor education, ranging from inadequate facilities, lack of water and toilets, language of instruction being Arabic in a predominantly Berber world, to teachers’ absenteeism.  Children of all ages and levels study in one room with one teacher, being passive listeners instead of active participants in their own learning. Curriculum is barely covered and rarely understood by the students.

By providing the children with a pedagogy that is fun, interactive, participatory and encourages experiential learning, we stimulate intellectual growth, and help all children, especially the girls, join high-school.

Children will be encouraged to influence how the environment is shaped, to become initiators of steps to secure the future in their homeland. They will discover and grasp wider dimensions of water, sustainability, and the equation of water-health. The school will nurture their curiosity, equip them with basics to succeed and continue their studies. 

Dar Si Hmad plans on making the water-school a yearly-program, plus partnering with other associations to implement the curriculum in adjacent regions.
To support this program, please make a change by donating to our project on GlobalGiving. Thank you and keep checking back for updates on this project!

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