Atlas Mountains trekking and Marrakech

Planet

1. Village labourers used traditional building techniques and local materials in its construction, with everything having to be carried in by hand or on the backs of mules. Power tools could not be used, as electricity didn't arrive in this remote region until 1997.

Perched on imposing outcrop 1,800 metres above sea level, the kasbah crowns Imlil Valley with its population of around 5,000 mostly subsistence farmers, whose own fields and walnut, cherry and apple orchards flourish below.

2. Trying to reduce plastic waste. Please help us to make this a reality.

As in many countries, Morocco has a waste disposal problem which here in the inhabited Toubkal National Park can be more noticeable. Rubbish, particularly plastic rubbish, that does not decompose, is one of the main culprits.

Accordingly we are trying to reduce the use of plastic bottles at the Kasbah, as we believe these are unnecessary. We are in the very privileged situation of having safe spring water as our water supply, so we are instigating a new system at the Kasbah based on 2 of the R’s, Reduce and Rethink in relation to plastic water bottles.

Our ultimate aim is that we and our guests will not be a source of plastic water bottle waste. We believe this is possible, as we have a source of safe drinking water and hence bottled water serves no useful purpose.

A NOTE ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE: We work closely with “SPANA” a British charity working for the Protection of Animals abroad.
We only use mules whether ours or hired in that are in good health have Spana bits, are loaded with 60 to 80 kg of baggage and muleteers are discouraged/banned from riding when the mules are loaded. We worked with Spana to produce this website www.imlilvalley.com and associated pdf brochure for use by everyone involved in tourism to encourage good practice in several area’s of sustainable tourism including mule welfare.

People

1. Education for All Morocco Limited EfAM is a charity established in 2006 by Discover Ltd and other friends in Marrakech. EfAM was set up to build boarding houses near to secondary schools in Morocco, providing accommodation and care to girls from remote mountain communities in the High Atlas mountains, enabling them to further their education through the Moroccan state system. Primary education in Morocco is compulsory and readily available to both boys and girls between 7 and 14 years old. However, it is unusual for girls in the High Atlas mountains to continue their education beyond primary level. This is because the nearest secondary school may be over 20km away, and impractical to travel to each day. Many families do not have the financial resources to support their daughters through secondary education. Those that do may lack a family network near to a secondary school to whom they can entrust their daughter. Girls from these communities deserve the opportunity to continue their education.

“We believe that if you educate a girl, you begin to educate the next generation.”

Education for All and Discover Ltd organise community work and service projects through which you and your students can make an essential contribution to our ongoing work in Morocco. We have already built 3 boarding houses, which between them accommodate over 100 girls. Through fund raising and practical community work or service projects.

2. All our invoices will incur a 5% charge this is in favour of the local Village Association “Association des Bassins d’Imlil” and Education For All. The Association Bassins d’Imlil covers the whole of the surrounding valleys. This association provides the ambulance that you see in Imlil which provides a service to the local population and visitors, other community projects that have been undertaken include the rubbish clearance system and the provision of the village Hammam. Education For All helps provide college education for girls from the rural High Atlas.