We are thrilled to share with you the wonderful news that we have broken ground in Morocco. It took a few years for us to work through system as is usually the case when working in developing country.
My fascination with Morocco started when I was a little girl growing up in the lush hills of the tropical Island of Sumatra, Indonesia. My father who was a world traveler reminded me of the famous explorer Ibn Battuta from Tangier who reached the shore of my island in 1345. For so many more reasons I had always wanted to visit Morocco, not knowing that I one day I would travel to this amazing country for a blessed purpose.
I arrived on New Year’s Eve of 2013 in Casablanca. The purpose of my visit was to see the land donated by a generous family to build our next GiveLight home. The moment I set foot on the soil, my heart raced with joy. Here I am, in the land of Ibn Battuta, ready to build a beautiful home for orphans. After many months and a few years of working to get a permit, establishing our local NGO and refining our blueprint with architects, raising funds required, the idea and concept are now becoming a reality.
Wafaa Sabil, a Moroccan, based in San Francisco was our first pro-bono architect and she created the first blueprint for our home. She later introduced us to Seth Wachtel, Director of The Architect Department from University of San Francisco. Seth and a team of 20 students took the initial blueprint and further developed it based on in-depth research of Moroccan culture and Architecture. The outcomes were beautiful rendering of our home, which we proudly call “Maison des Lumieres” or “House of Light”. You can click here to see images of the home.
Earlier this summer, after getting the final permit, our Moroccan team along with the generous family who donaed the land met with six construction companies who are experts in the field. They were selected based on the quality of their work, integrity and their skills in specializing on Moroccan architecture. The meeting was held with each of them handling their bid on a sealed envelope to ensure there’s no hidden negotiation going on prior to the bidding. The job went to the best construction company working with our local Architect who was very generous as she charges only a minimal fee for the project.
Our home is located in the city of Oujda, about 2 hours drive from Marrakesh. It borders with Algeria and from the land we can see Algerian mountains in the distance. A high quality elementary school is within walking distance and a beautiful forest is only about a mile away.
We envision this to be another nurturing home for forty girls whom we plan to raise with love and dignity. We are thankful first and foremost to our Creator for giving us theidea, people and resources we need to turn our dreams for Africa into reality. Below is a note from our Architect who will oversee the execution of this project through completion.
First of all, I would like to thank Givelight for giving me the opportunity to work on this project. Beyond my architectural expertise, improving the quality of life of the young orphans of Oujda is the occasion for me to help others. It is very important to me to leave a legacy of solidarity. The real reward after the success and completion of this project is to see the result of our labor translated into joy in the eyes of our little orphans girls.
~Linda Razki – Architecte DESA (HMONP)
We have raised $400K for this home and need to close a gap of $50K. If you are interested in contributing to this specific project, please click here. We are also looking for interior designers, producers of furniture and lanterns to adorn our home with beauty and light.
We hope you celebrate this amazing milestone with us and we look forward to having “un grand fete” Moroccan style when we welcome our precious children to their home this winter. God willing.