Inspiration
A teacher’s fight for education after disaster
“The sparkle in their eyes makes those moments so precious,” says Hisham, describing the reaction of his village children every time Hisham takes the keys out of his pocket to open the newly installed classroom for them.
“They escort me all the way there. As the key turns in the lock, I can feel their impatience and excitement.”
Hisham is a teacher and the head of ATDS, a grassroots NGO in Ighil – a village now known as the epicentre of the devastating 2023 earthquake in Morocco’s Al Haouz province. Ighil was one of five villages where People for People intervened, installing Better Shelter relief housing units to serve as temporary classrooms and community centres. A project that is providing vital support for communities striving to rebuild their lives.
A flashback to the earthquake night
“When the quake hit, I was dining with my parents and siblings. My first reaction was instinctive: to survive, exit the building, and help my family out. But the shaking caused the door to jam, and we were unable to leave. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the house became uninhabitable.” says Hisham, recalling the unforgettable moment.
“After the shaking stopped, people helped us out. When my eyes landed on the neighbourhood, the scale of destruction struck me hard. Many people died that night.”
Like most residents of Ighil, Hisham’s family had to leave their home and live in makeshift tents, without life’s basic necessities. The earthquake damaged the local primary school so badly that it had to be demolished. At the time, Hisham’s brother, Elias, was in third grade. With heavy hearts, the family decided to send Elias to live temporarily with an aunt in a southern city – to spare him further suffering and allow him to continue his education.
“It was the first time Elias had ever been separated from his parents. He cried as he said goodbye. It was such a sad moment,” recalls Hisham.
Some weeks later, NGOs erected some makeshift classrooms in Ighil, and Elias returned to the village and rejoined his peers. But according to Hisham, something more was still needed.
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Hisham
Teacher from Ighil
“Children needed more support in education and a place to play and recover from trauma. Women and girls needed a safe space to combat illiteracy, grow, and heal. And everyone needed more access to knowledge. We wanted to turn the earthquake’s momentum into a catalyst for change,” adds Hisham.
Hisham started using all his resources as the head of a local association to support his people. One major goal he pursued was the establishment of a public library for the entire community – with special focus on children.
We responded immediately, and never left
People for People responded immediately after the earthquake, delivering 20,000 emergency items to affected communities. Yet even months later, as international attention faded, we continued listening to Moroccan NGOs and communities. Through these conversations, we learned that in Ighil and other remote villages, post-quake support was still falling short.
In January, we returned to Morocco for a joint needs assessment with SOS Children’s Villages Morocco, who facilitated community-level engagement in Al Haouz villages. The findings confirmed what we had been hearing: the needs were immense at every level. In the hardest-hit areas – including Ighil – daily life remained a struggle, with limited shelter, electricity, and access to markets. Amid these challenges, education emerged as one of the community’s top priorities. “We decided everything else could wait – but not education,” explains Hisham.
Following the visit, People for People and SOS Children’s Villages Morocco remained engaged with grassroots associations and local communities to ensure alignment with their aspirations. For months, our team worked on sourcing housing units, training on their set-up, and finalising logistics – all the way from warehouses in Amsterdam to the villages of Al Haouz, Morocco.
A mission to restore hope
In June, we returned to bring these aspirations to life starting with the villages of Ighil, Tazalt, and Tafargoust.
According to Hisham, once our team arrived in Ighil, everyone joined in and started working seamlessly – a scene that humbled many. Language was a barrier, but somehow, communication flowed uninterrupted until the last unit was up and fully equipped.
“There is a sacred saying: ‘Souls are marshalled soldiers.’ When one recognises humanity in another, love prevails, and language is no longer needed,” says Hisham, who was overwhelmed by his people’s passion and joy.
“I’d ask anyone to lend a hand – no matter if they were men or women, no matter what they were doing. They’d drop everything and join the workshop without a second of hesitation.”
The mission concluded on the 4th of June. Six relief housing units were set up in three villages – fully furnished and equipped with laptops, printers, creative kits, and stationery. Soon after in Ighil, Hisham installed bookshelves in one of the units – planting the seed of the library he had long dreamed of. As he placed the books on the shelves, impatient Elias picked one up and began to read.
“He’s a smart boy. I hope he gets the bright future he deserves,” says Hisham, who has since been investing in the units through regular activities – game days for children, special fun days for girls, and women’s social gatherings. In parallel, he is now working relentlessly to arrange remedial classes to support schoolchildren in the new academic year. He’s also coordinating with women-led associations to organise literacy programmes for women.
“The process of creating this space was much more than just putting up buildings. The people of Ighil will never forget this initiative – because it helped them see their lives through grief, and helped them feel heard and seen.” says Hisham.
Just as the need hasn’t ended, this mission isn’t over either. Equipped with three additional shelter units and the hands-on training they received in June, SOS Children’s Villages Morocco is continuing what we began together. Hand in hand with local communities, they are constructing three more units in two other locations where the needs are greatest: Wawgmout and Outghal.
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