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In renovating the house we have exclusively used local builders and craftsmen, providing much-needed employment as well as many mutual linguistic and cultural learning opportunities. We have tried particularly to work with young people – many of whom would otherwise struggle to find jobs - and have paid well above current rates. In furnishing the house we have sourced many fixtures and fittings in junk markets, as a way of recycling resources; and have commissioned local craftspeople to mend and restore pieces of furniture and other design elements.
It is important for us to minimise the potential negative impacts of tourism on Essaouira, so we offer suggestions for guests on how to deal with issues around dress, poverty, alcohol and shopping/haggling – and try to encourage engagement with Moroccan culture in positive ways. We also give the opportunity to bring old clothes, toys etc to the house, for distribution among people in need in our neighbourhood.
The house has showers rather than baths so as to minimise water usage, and we ask our guests to conserve water and energy and minimise their environmental impact in other ways, for example by using alternatives to the black plastic bags which are given away all-too-freely by Moroccan shopkeepers.
We also encourage the use of public transport wherever possible, and provide a link from our website to a carbon offsetting organisation, as well as to information about responsible travel. A 5% share of all our profits goes directly to people in need in the town and surrounding area – for example helping to fund children’s schooling - and on our website we feature links to charities who work in and around Essaouira.
We invite every traveler who books a vacation via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the vacations they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same vacation can have different views!
