Moroccan program continues to serve women
During the Cultural Revolution in China, it was said that women hold up half the sky. Since then, it has been applied in various contexts to raise the profile of women and their foundational work around the world. Too often in agrarian communities for those outside cities and towns, the day in, day out work of maintaining a household, child rearing and participating in subsistence farming is left to women. This is particularly true in patriarchal societies and faith traditions.
In Morocco, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) seeks to shift cultural assumptions and empower women, while respecting cultural and religious traditions. In sustainable agriculture projects, teaching skills in trade and empowering women, HAF transforms small villages in barren landscapes outside Marrakech. While on our sabbatical, David and I saw the transformational power of one project.
We started the day at the HAF offices in Marrakech, meeting Youssef Ben-Meir, the founder of HAF, and Mariam, our translator, guide and women's program staff. Youssef made it clear the purpose of HAF, which was funded by USAID for 25 years until 2025, is to support efforts in Morocco to be more Moroccan.
During the drive, we learned about 24-year-old Mariam, who joined HAF staff after graduating college and while discerning whether to pursue a law degree in France. She grew up in a modest village with parents who supported her education, as they supported her brother's education. Fluent in Arabic, French, Berber—the indigenous language of Morocco, officially recognized in 2014—and English, Mariam hopes to be a human rights lawyer or lead development work like HAF.
We drove 45 minutes to the villages of Akrich and Achbaro. At Akrich, we visited a plant nursery created by HAF on land shared with an old Jewish cemetery. We traveled to the nearby village of Archbaro to see the Zarbiat Achbaro women's cooperative HAF supports. Its leader, Samira Driouch, met us at the door of the new two-story, reinforced cinder-block building.
On the first floor were new sewing machines used to make biodegradable bags to support the plant nursery and other projects, looms for handmade rugs and other handicrafts cooperative members make.
The upstairs community space has a restroom, kitchen and dining areas with traditional low seating and also a European dining table and chairs.
We met a dozen village women who are part of the cooperative. Most were older and spoke Berber. Samira, who is in her late 30s and has three sons aged eight to 22,, and spoke Berber, Arabic and knew some French and English phrases. They chose Samira as their leader.
Through Mariam, Samira shared her story of joining the collective and how transformative the HAF's IMAGINE workshop program is for her. The four-day workshop empowers women in seven areas: emotions, relationships, sexuality, body, money, work and spirituality, so that they expand their confidence, develop self-agency, and identity personal goals and priorities.
The workshop gave her a chance to use her voice to benefit her family, community and herself.
Samira showed us a photo of her wedding day. I asked why she married so young—at 15. When she was 12, her mother died. She had to leave primary school to watch her younger siblings. As family finances fell on hard times, all but the youngest went to harvest vegetables.
At first, marriage was a way for Samira to have more stability for herself and her siblings. She clearly loves her husband and family. As an adult with children, she attended the IMAGINE workshop. Although it took time, he became supportive of her participating in the collective and workshop, and learning to read at a higher level, write and earn her driver's license.
As a grown woman with children, Samira, participated in the IMAGINE workshop. Earlier, she would never have imagined the life and leadership role she has now. I asked about her hopes as a women's collective leader. With fierceness, she said, she hopes the collective can offer education, training and financial support so no girl needs to marry so young.
When we asked about her dream for the collective, she said it is to have a photo of the women and their building in an important museum in Tangiers. That would show that their group is transformational for Morocco, as well as lasting.
Over a meal, we saw the friendship of Mariam and Samira across different levels of education, experiences and home lives. We shared of our lives and prayed God's blessings and guidance on them. Samira put one of the bracelets the collective makes on my wrist. It has a bead with the hand of Fatima—also known as the hand of Miriam—a symbol of protection in both Islamic and Jewish traditions. I wear it daily and hold in my heart these women in my heart who are changing their country for the better.
The Very Rev. Heather VanDeventer, Episcopal Cathedral of St. John
with The Rev. David Gortner, St. Luke's Episcopal - Coeur d'Alene
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SLIHC sums up statistics on implications of federal cuts on housing
Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium (SLIHC) hosted a recent gathering of agencies concerned about affordable-housing issues to share updated statistics and data on affordable housing and the impact of the proposed federal budget on regional housing issues.
Ben Stuckart, executive director, SLIHC, reported on impacts of the proposed changes in the region if they are passed.
• They eliminate HOME low-income housing funds that draw more than $3 million annually.
• They end Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which provide more than $3 million annually for neighborhoods and other projects.
• They cut Continuum of Care (CoC) funding, replacing part of it with Emergency Solutions Grants, reducing more than $5 million homeless funds.
• They reduce Fair Housing. As a result, the Northwest Fair Housing Alliance, serving more than 1,000 individuals, may be shut down.
• They decrease local flexibility in Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) and the ability to issue new vouchers for many groups.
The House Appropriations Committee has proposed cutting HOME and Fair Housing funds in half, continuing CDBG and CoC, and HCV adjustments. The Senate Appropriations are not yet determined.
Ben told of local conditions.
• Waitlists for low-income housing are an average of three years.
• There is a decrease in permanent supportive housing for homeless people.
Population figures recently adopted by the county and cities show a need for more than 20,000 units of low-income housing in the next 20 years.
"Spokane produces 200 units of low-income housing a year. We need to produce five times more than that. Funding is a major issue, and costs are increasing. Insurance rates are seeing double-digit increases every year. Construction inflation averages more than 5 percent a year. Funds are not increasing. Land prices are increasing, and land is becoming scarce," said Ben.
For information, visit slihc.org.
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Letter on Joya story...
Thank you for the wonderful article on Joya and its wonderful Executive Director Colleen Fuchs. I'm always impressed with the wonderful work The Fig Tree does for our community. Bravo!
Dick Boysen - former Guild's School Director
