Last month marked two major milestones for People for People:
1. Our team successfully arrived in Morocco with education relief for communities in Al Haouz region, epicenter of the 2023 earthquake.
2. We resumed our Rolling Aid Events with a very special two-day trip for boys dealing with a very critical moment.
In addition, we shared some special moments of meaningful action with our partners.
Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to:
People for People in Morocco to deliver education relief
Since the beginning of the year, we’ve been working non-stop toward this moment: training, sourcing, loading, shipping and intensively networking—and now it’s here. We’re back in Morocco’s Al Haouz region to deliver on our promise: setting up temporary classrooms for children whose schools were damaged in the 2023 earthquakes.
By Wednesday, children and educators around the epicenter — in Ighil, Tafarghoust, Tazalte and Wawgmout — will step into safe, fully equipped learning spaces. An essential step toward restoring normalcy and opportunity.
But we’re not doing this alone. This is another collective action in a heartbeat:
- SOS Children’s Villages, our Morocco-based partner, has been essential—connecting us with local communities, solving complex logistics, and now joining us on the ground to set up the units.
- Local leaders and volunteers from Al Haouz have been vital in shaping context-specific solutions and are working alongside us in implementation.
- Better Shelter, the housing supplier, trained our team to ensure proper assembly and use of the units. Now we’re passing this to the local community!
- Partner companies like Bird and Ricoh have stepped in with digital tools—laptops, printers, and other critical supplies to support educators.
This is more than a short-term fix. After this phase, we’ll hand over additional units to SOS, who—together with trained community representatives—will scale this initiative further by installing more classrooms in more locations.
This effort is also a live learning lab for us as humanitarian entrepreneurs. We’re turning this mission into a boot camp for emergency response through:
- Piloting a post-crisis model while strengthening our rapid-response capabilities for future missions.
- Testing scalable solutions: from local sourcing to shelter models and more.
What’s happening now in Al Haouz is the beginning of a long-term shift in how we approach emergency response, relief, and long-term impact.
A trip for unaccompanied migrant boys amid heated political debate
As we prepared for our next Rolling Aid Event, a planned trip to the Efteling Park for boys from the AZC in Sint Annaparochie was cancelled. The trip, organized by COA, faced political pushback. We knew it was time to jump in: In partnership with COA, we organized an alternative weekend within days. 61 boys took part in football, kickboxing, graffiti art, and photography workshops—activities designed to foster joy, connection, and resilience. Barbecues, games, and shared laughter created moments of belonging often denied to these youths.
This wasn’t just a fun weekend—it was a vital intervention. We’re now developing a national psychosocial support program to ensure unaccompanied migrant children across the Netherlands receive the care they need.
Nurtured partnerships through shared activities
By joining forces—across companies, nonprofits, and communities—we can multiply our impact and reach more people, more effectively.
- To mark their Global Month of Volunteering, Amazon partnered with People for People and Clean the World for a powerful initiative. Together, their volunteers assembled 2,000 hygiene kits to support our disaster relief efforts. These essential kits provide critical personal care items to individuals and families facing crisis situations—offering dignity, comfort, and a sense of normalcy in times of upheaval.
- Bol.com supported our preparations for the off-site weekend with the boys of Sint Annaparochie AZC. They came to our warehouse and helped us sort and pack sport kits for the participants.Thanks to all partners who jumped in!
A closing remark: Gaza is in our hearts
On May 18, in the heart of The Hague, a cry for justice echoed through the streets as tens of thousands gathered to protest the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
Dressed in red to draw a symbolic red line, demonstrators called for action against the continued violations of international humanitarian law. Reportedly, more than 100,000 people joined the march—making it the largest demonstration in the Netherlands in the past two decades.
Many organisations joined in, including People for People.
We join the global call to lift blockade on relief efforts, and refrain from weaponizing food and humanitarian aid. For months, our shipment of 20,000 relief items has been waiting at the border. Now, as hunger among families in Gaza strip reaches disastrous levels, People for People is ready to deliver much needed food into the strip once unhindered humanitarian access is restored. This must happen NOW.
