Amzmiz, Morocco Earthquake Relief

On September 8, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake ripped its way through the Atlas Mountains, south of Marrakech, Morocco. My Peace Corps village, Amzmiz, was mere miles from the epicenter. For three years, this village was my home. I was welcomed into homes in all parts of town and treated as part of the family. I worked with women's organizations, youth development agencies, and countless individuals who all saw me as a member of the community, not just an outsider. My host family became my true family, standing with me at my wedding in Tiflet when my parents couldn't be there. I made friendships that will stand the test of time. Amzmiz is my second home.

And it's been utterly destroyed.

My family and closest friends are alive, hamdullah, but homeless. They are surrounded by destruction and death. It's difficult to be so far away and unable to lend a helping hand as my neighbors dig out their deceased, sort through the rubble, and find a way to rebuild our community. I'm asking for your help as my friends, my family, my community are sleeping in the streets and trying to figure out how to move forward.

Your generosity will help rebuild homes and put food & potable water on tables. It will provide a source of security for a community that feels like it's been abandoned and receiving no aid. Our friend and my husband's colleague from Where There Be Dragons is currently residing in Rabat. We are sending her money this week to buy supplies to meet the immediate needs of community members: blankets, sleeping pads, tents (if she can find them), clothing, underwear, shoes, flashlights, medicine, feminine hygiene products, water, food, school supplies, etc. We've been sending wifi and phone credit to friends and family members to help them stay connected. I've also been in contact with another expat in Marrakech to help deliver goods to them in the coming weeks as the need sustains.

The ATMs and banks in town are currently out of commission, so it's very difficult to send money straight to Amzmiz during these days right after the disaster. As the dust settles we'll use the relationships I made as a volunteer to connect with local community members to ensure the money is going to meet the needs of the community members, not just tried up in bureaucratic red tape. My host brother, Ramzi, has an association and is known throughout town as a local leader. We'll send funds directly to him for disbursement to those in need to help with the process of rebuilding. My counterpart, Fatima, who helped me connect with so many of the organizations I partnered with as a volunteer, will also be an asset in helping us distribute funds and identify those who are in the most need. We will work with my friends and fellow Amzmiz residents, Helen and Marc Gallagher (qualified British guides who run Wild Goose Adventures - which is a trekking and mountaineering company in the Atlas mountains). They are connected with many of the small villages surrounding Amzmiz that suffered even more damage. We intend to send funds directly to them to help disburse to those smaller communities that are hard to reach. They will buy warm clothes for the impending winter, school supplies, feminine hygiene products, medicine, shoes, etc, as well as help us identify the current needs as each week passes.

We intend to split the funds and send them to: 25% Ramzi, 25% Fatima, and 50% Marc & Helen to be dispersed in Amzmiz among those in need as they are all trusted members of the community and share our vision of heling those in the most need.

You can see some footage of Amzmiz by clicking here. My heart is broken for my community.