Tag Archives: Community Development

AMA

How community shelters protect children and help women restore degraded lands in Niger

MaraviPost
Community-built shelter in Tillaberi. Credit: Attou Moutari.

Washington, USA, 03 April 2026 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Community-built shelters in Niger are enabling mothers to participate in land restoration work by providing shaded spaces for their children, protecting them from extreme heat and environmental hazards.
The initiative has led to the construction of 662 shelters across six regions, safeguarding 6,465 children and allowing women to focus on earning income and supporting their families.
This practical solution not only improves household livelihoods but also advances women’s economic empowerment, transforming a structural barrier into a pathway for resilience and community development.

The Issue: An impossible choice

In the sun-scorched landscapes of Niger, where temperatures can reach 45°C (113°F), a quiet but powerful shift is underway. It’s not just about restoring the land—it’s about enabling the women who sustain their families and communities to work safely and earn an income. A simple, community-built shelter has helped remove a barrier that kept many mothers from participating in land restoration: childcare in extreme heat.

In 2023, the Integrated Landscape Management Project (PGIP), an environment and natural resources management project financed by the World Bank through IDA credit, launched a large Cash for Work program to help rural communities restore degraded lands and build resilience to climate change. As implementation moved forward, the team saw a human hurdle: women with young children faced an impossible daily choice. Formal childcare options were scarce. Many mothers brought infants and toddlers—some as young as one year old—to the worksites, exposing them to intense sun, dust, and high winds. The risks ranged from dehydration to insect and snake bites. Mothers worried about safety and health, and their participation—and earnings—suffered.

The Solution: Community-built shelters (“hangars”)

The team listened to women and worked with local leaders to test a practical, culturally rooted solution: build shaded shelters near worksites and ask trusted “village grandmothers” to supervise the children. These hangars use local materials—wooden poles, straw, and planks—and create cool, protected spaces where children can rest and play while their mothers work nearby. Community selection of elder caregivers created trust and accountability, while keeping the model simple, affordable, and easy to maintain.

The Impact

Immediate and transformative results came quickly. To date, 662 shelters have been built across six regions, providing safe spaces for 6,465 children. By removing a basic barrier—safe childcare in extreme heat—the project unlocked women’s participation in cash-for-work activities and helped stabilize household incomes. Communities report greater peace of mind for mothers and better focus on work when children are safe and close by.

Community-built shelters are playing a pivotal role in advancing Niger’s job agenda by removing a critical barrier to women’s participation in land restoration work. By providing safe spaces for childcare, these shelters allow mothers to take part in Cash for Work programs, increasing the workforce and directly supporting household incomes. This access not only expands employment opportunities for women but also enhances their ability to contribute economically to their families and communities.

The initiative fosters skills development and community cohesion. As women are freed from the constraints of childcare during working hours, they can engage more fully in restoration activities, gaining practical experience and confidence. This strengthens their position in the labor market and promotes broader inclusion, making access to jobs more equitable and sustainable for rural communities.

Governance and sustainability

To sustain the model, existing village structures—Site Management Committees (COGES) and Grievance Redress Committees (CGP)—handle logistics, upkeep, and any concerns. This light-touch governance reinforces community ownership and keeps the shelters practical and responsive.

What’s next: Adapting and improving

The project is developing mobile shelters—lightweight, detachable units that can move with worksites as activities shift seasonally. These will remain cost-effective and compliant with environmental and social standards, with attention to child health and safety. Existing shelters will be upgraded with mats, simple toys, picture books, and water trays, making the spaces more comfortable and stimulating. “Village grandmothers” will receive basic training in child protection, hygiene, and caregiving to strengthen care quality without complicating the model.

This is a straightforward lesson in inclusive development: when we remove everyday social barriers, climate and livelihoods projects go further. In Niger’s heat, childcare became the decisive factor in women’s participation. A low-cost, community-led solution turned a risk into a result—protecting children, increasing women’s earnings, and improving the effectiveness of land restoration.

Beyond one project, the hangar model offers a practical blueprint for public works and climate resilience operations. It shows how integrating simple social measures—from trusted caregivers to grievance channels—can elevate outcomes and expand who benefits, especially in contexts of extreme heat and limited services.

This approach is affordable, replicable, and rights-respecting. Most importantly, it helps women work safely and earn, while children stay protected—an inclusive path to climate resilience that can be scaled.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Word Bank Group.

This initiative is part of the Integrated Landscape Management Project (PGIP), which is part of the Sahel RESILAND Program and is implemented by the Government of Niger with the technical and financial support of the World Bank, PROGREEN, and PROBLUE.

The post How community shelters protect children and help women restore degraded lands in Niger appeared first on African Media Agency.

Travel & Tourism

Cape Town Minstrels Carnival 2026 – Everything You Need To Know!

Maravi Post Reporter

The iconic Cape Town Minstrel Carnival returns to the Mother City on 5 January 2026.

Now known as the Hollywoodbets Cape Town Street Parade, this annual event is the longest existing carnival in the city and is an integral part of the city’s cultural heritage. Historically this celebration took place on 2 January aka Tweede Nuwe Jaar and the minstrels were to referred to as the Kaapse Klopse – this celebration the Mother City’s biggest event to usher in the New Year.

What To Expect at the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival

Thousands of minstrels in glittery uniforms from a variety of troupes with face paint, hats and parasols march through the city’s roads, playing their signature “ghoema” music on banjos, trumpets and drums. The troupes are spaced out so that each performance happens separately, allowing onlookers to hear each troupe. There is also a structure to each troupe, with non-instrument playing members called “voorlopertjies” leading the way with extravagant dance moves while the band provides the backing soundtrack.

Among this year’s troupe lineup you will see Original D6 Hanover Minstrels, Mitchells Plain Young Tycoons, Phantoms Community Development, Ashwin Willemse Orient Community Development, Young Wild Comanches, Manenberg Superstars, Carnival Boys Youth Development (also known as Crystal Palace), Wild Apache, Baruch Entertainers, CPT Hawkers, Fabulous Seawind Entertainers, and many more.

Experience The Magic 

The parade is set to attract a crowd of 80,000 to 100,000 spectators, eager to experience over 16 minstrel troupes and 20,000 performers. 

The parade will begin at the corner of Somerset Rd and Dixon St. The route
will follow along Somerset Rd all the way to the DHL Stadium.  

Road Closures 

To accommodate the parade and ensure public safety, several roads will be closed from 6am on Monday, 5 January to Tuesday, 6 January 2026. 

Affected streets include: 

Street/Road  Restriction    Between  Closure Time  Opening Time 
Main Rd  Full Closure (residential access lane between Upper Portswood Rd & Highfield Rd)  York Rd  Buitengracht Street  06h00  23h59 
Prestwich Street  Full Closure  Alfred St Granger  Chiappini Street  06h00  23h59 
Somerset Road  East Bound closure  Bay Blvd Granger  Granger Bay Blvd  06h00  23h59 
Fritz Sonnenberg  Full Closure  Bay Blvd Granger  Rd Portswood  06h00  23h59 
Somerset Road  Full Closure  Bay Blvd  Buitengracht St  06h00  23h59 
Ebenezer Road  Full Closure (Hotel Access only)  Prestwich St Javis  RD Somerset  06h00  23h59 
De Smit Street  Full Closure  St Napier St Javis  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Moreland Terrace  Full Closure  St Schiebe St  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Napier Street  Full Closure  Dixon St  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Alfred Street  Full Closure  Prestwich St  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Dixon Street  Full Closure  Strand St  Javis St  06h00  23h59 
Chiappini Street  Full Closure  Prestwich St  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Chiappini Street  Full Closure  Napier St Liddle  Somerset RD  06h00   23h59  
Alfred Street  Full Closure (Hotel Access only)  St Beach Rd  Schiebe St  06h00  23h59 
Prestwich Street  Full Closure  Portswood Rd  St Alfred  06h00  23h59 
Cobern St  Full Closure  Granger Bay Blvd  Somerset Rd  06h00  23h59 
Granger Bay Blvd  East Bound Carriage Closure  Helen Suzman  Helen Suzman  06h00  23h59 
Fort Wynyard St  Full Closure  Blvd  Granger Bay Blvd  12h00  23h59 
Fritz Sonnenberg  Full Closure    Beach Rd     
Vlei Road  Full Closure    Fritz Sonnenberg Rd  12h00  23h59 

 Local access and permit holders: 

Street/Road  Restriction    Between  Closure Time  Opening Time 
Main Road  Permit Holders Only  Granger Bay Blvd  Three Anchor Bay Blvd  06h00  23h59 
Granger Bay Blvd  Permit Holders Only  Helen Suzman Blvd  York Rd  06h00  23h59 
Ebenezer Road  Permit Holders Only  Port RD  Prestwich St  06h00  23h59 
Bennett Street  Permit Holders Only  Port RD  Prestwich St  06h00  23h59 
Hudson Street  Permit Holders Only  Waterkant Street  Somerset RD  06h00  23h59 
Hudson Street  Local Access Only  Hudson St  Strand St  06h00  23h59 
Vos Street  Local Access Only  Vos St  Strand St  06h00  23h59 
Rose Street  Local Access Only  Rose St  Strand St  06h00  23h59 
Waterkant  Local Access Only  Buitengracht St  Waterkant St  06h00  23h59 
Cavalcade Road  Local Access Only  York Rd  Upper Portswood Rd  06h00  23h59 
Thornhill Road  Local Access Only  Cavalcade Rd  Upper Portswood Rd  06h00  23h59 

 Entry 

The HollywoodBets Cape Town Street Parade is free for the public. Follow Cape Town Street Parade on Facebook, Instagram, and X, for the latest updates on the start route and other information. 

Related Articles 

The post Cape Town Minstrels Carnival 2026 – Everything You Need To Know! appeared first on Cape Town Tourism.

Development

Sendeza speaks out against abuse of Social Cash Transfer Program

Chisomo Phiri

By Chisomo Phiri

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPos)-Minister of Gender, Community Development, and Social Welfare Jean Sendeza has expressed concern over the misuse of resources under the social cash transfer program.

Speaking at a maize distribution ceremony in Bvumbwe Village, Thyolo on Wednesday,Sendeza lamented that both authorities and beneficiaries are misusing the program.

The minister said the program is intended to support the most vulnerable members of society, such as the elderly and those with disabilities.

However, she noted that this is not always the case.

On his part, District Commissioner(DC ) for Thyolo District Hudson Kuphanga reported that despite challenges,the distribution exercise has been progressing well in the district.

One of beneficiaries, Kate Justen, expressed gratitude for the support, saying it has helped them become food secure.

Currently, about 17,000 households in Thyolo district are benefiting from the maize distribution exercise.

Lifestyle

Pope urges Christian Brothers to be mindful of challenges young people face

Maravi Post Reporter

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV met with the Brothers of Christian Schools in the Vatican on Thursday.

The group includes several hundred priests and nuns who work as teachers in Catholic schools around the globe.

He urged them to be mindful of the challenges faced by young people in today’s world.

“We think of the isolation caused by relationship patterns increasingly marked by superficiality, individualism, and emotional instability,” he told the group.

The pontiff added that there was a “spread of patterns of thought weakened by relativism, and the prevalence of rhythms and lifestyles in which there is not enough room for listening, reflection, and dialogue.”

This, he said, was the case at school, in the family, and sometimes among peers themselves, “resulting in loneliness”.

Founded by a French priest and educator in 1680, the brothers are marking the 300th anniversary of the institute’s recognition by Pope Benedict XIII in 1725.

Today, its schools can be found across the world including in 22 African countries, with a focus on education, community development, and youth formation.

It has also established six universities in Africa (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, and Kenya), each specialising in fields such as education, engineering, and medicine.

The Brothers are also involved in community outreach, offering health and educational services, vocational training, and support for marginalised populations.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/98/77/02/ED_PYR_1498772_20250515130649.mp4
Lifestyle

Mercury in Senegal mines endangers families

Maravi Post Reporter

The quickest way to separate gold from rock, Sadio Camara says, is with a drop of mercury. In Senegal’s Kedougou Region, far from the capital Dakar and near the borders with Guinea and Mali, she and dozens of other women spent the day washing piles of sediment in search of gold. In front of her house a short walk away, she emptied a dime-sized packet of the silvery liquid into a plastic bucket of that sediment.

With bare hands and no mask, she swirls the mixture as her children watch. “I know it’s dangerous, because when we go to exchange the gold and they heat it again, those guys wear masks to avoid the smoke,” she says. But she says since she only processes a little gold at a time, she believes she is safe. But even small-scale exposure can carry serious risks.

Across West Africa, mercury — a potent neurotoxin — remains the dominant method for extracting gold from ore in the region’s booming informal mining sector, much of it illegal and unregulated. In Senegal’s gold-rich Kedougou region, women like Camara use the metal regularly, often without protective gloves and masks, to make a living. Mercury exposure can cause irreversible brain damage, developmental delays, tremors, and loss of vision, hearing and coordination.

Once released, it spreads easily through air, water and soil. Particularly after heavy rains, it contaminates rivers, poisons fish and accumulates up the food chain. “We are doing this because of ignorance and lack of means,” Camara says as her son played at her feet in the courtyard of her family’s home. “If the government know what is good for us, come and show us.” In artisanal mining, mercury is prized for its ability to bind quickly and easily to gold. Inside her kitchen hut not far from the stream, Camara heats a nugget of mercury-laced sediment with a metal spoon over an open flame. The toxic metal evaporates and leaves behind a kernel of gold.

There’s no mask, no gloves – just the raw materials and her bare hands. Her children stand just a few feet away, watching and breathing the fumes. The process is cheap, effective and dangerous. Camara said she doesn’t usually handle the burning herself – that task is typically left to men. But she and other women regularly mix and shape the mercury amalgam with no protection. “If you stabbed yourself with a knife it wounds you, if mercury did the same, people wouldn’t touch it. But with mercury you can go years without feeling the effects.

The consequences come later,” says Doudou Dramé, president of an organization that advocates for safer conditions for gold miners in Kedougou. Women are also particularly vulnerable, says Modou Goumbala, the monitoring and evaluation manager at La Lumiere, an NGO that supports community development in southeastern Senegal. He says the mercury being used to separate the gold from the earth ends up in the region’s waterways, which women interact with a lot more than men in Senegalese society. “Women do the laundry with water, women do the dishes. Women wash the children. And women often use the waterways for this, not having sources of safe drinking water,” he says. That exposure can be especially dangerous for pregnant and nursing women. Mercury can cross the placenta, putting fetuses at risk of developmental delays and birth defects. Infants may also absorb the toxin through contaminated breast milk.

Gold can be extracted from earth without using mercury, using gravity separation, often achieved with machines like shaking tables. In 2020, the Senegalese government promised to build 400 mercury-free gold processing units, but so far only one has been constructed. During a recent visit, the rusting slab of metal sat unused beneath a corrugated roof. The machine is in Bantaco, 15 miles from Camara’s home, and it isn’t practical for most miners to use because of the logistical challenge of transporting ore there and back to where they are from. Goumbala says one machine per village would come closer to solving the problem.

Jen Marraccino is the senior development director at Pure Earth, an NGO that works to fight against mercury and lead poisoning, particularly in artisanal small-scale gold mining. She says that gravitational separation is a technology that can provide miners a way to get gold without endangering their health. “The more that this type of work happens in a particular region, the costs then go down for these technologies such as shaking tables. Building the supply chains to the international market, the costs go down. So, solutions can build and grow within a region,” she says.

AP’s repeated efforts to schedule an interview with Senegal’s director of artisanal and small-scale mining were unsuccessful. The director later said the department had been suspended. He did not provide a reason.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/75/22/07/ED_PYR_1475227_20250513064744.mp4
Lifestyle

Cholera outbreak in Angola kills nearly 600 people

Maravi Post Reporter

Angola continues to fight its worst cholera outbreak in 20 years, with the disease spreading to 17 of the country’s 21 provinces since January. 

The outbreak has caused nearly 600 deaths and more than 18,000 cases as of early May, according to United Nations agencies. 

Angola’s Ministry of Health and its partners, including the World Health Organization, respond to the outbreak through case detection, deployment of rapid response teams and community engagement.

“We walk around with loudspeakers, urging people to do what they can to get rid of this evil”, said Health Promotion supervisor António Catunda.

The country has also launched a vaccination campaign in February, which has reached 1 million people. 

Despite thease measures, Angola has a case fatality rate of 3.2%, exceeding the 1% threshold used as an indicator for early and adequate treatment of cholera patients.

The situation is especially difficult for responders on the ground. “We’re tired of seeing deaths, we’re tired of seeing patients with these problems”, said Flávio Njinga, who works as a community development and health agent (Adeco).

“We also want to rest, and we can’t. Since 13 January, when we started battling cholera, we’ve been fighting it all the time. We want at least one day of rest, but we can’t rest. We are the rapid response team, and we won’t stop until this is over.” 

This outbreak is affecting people of all age groups, especially those under 20 years old.  

Angola’s last major cholera surge in 2006 killed over 2,700 people. The country has since faced periodic outbreaks, especially during the rainy season.

More than 178,000 cases of cholera have been confirmed throughout Eastern and Southern Africa between January 2024 and March 2025, with South Sudan and Angola facing the most severe outbreaks, according to UNICEF.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/64/90/00/ED_PYR_1464900_20250512062347.mp4
AMA

TGP International joins forces with renowned Chef Kiran Jethwa to shape the future of hospitality in Africa

Maravi Post Reporter
Chef Kiran Jethwa at Seven Seafood & Grill

NAIROBI, Kenya, 28 April 2025-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- TGP International, a global 360° hospitality agency, has announced a strategic partnership with renowned celebrity chef and entrepreneur Kiran Jethwa, reinforcing its long-term commitment to Africa’s fast-growing hospitality sector.

The collaboration positions Kiran as a key ambassador for TGP International’s initiatives in Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda and across the broader African continent, bringing together deep local insight and international expertise to support a new wave of culinary innovation and F&B-driven placemaking across the region.

“As the hospitality landscape across Africa evolves, we’re seeing a real appetite for tailored, experience-led F&B solutions,” says Simon Wright, Founder and Chairman of TGP International. “Kiran’s expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and cultural connection will be instrumental in shaping how we serve this exciting and diverse market.”

TGP International is globally recognised for its award-winning F&B solutions with a growing portfolio of projects that demonstrate the power of F&B to drive community development and placemaking. By collaborating with stakeholders across the hospitality industry, property sector, and commercial real estate, TGP helps create environments where dining becomes a catalyst for community, culture and economic growth.

Seven Seafood & Grill at Alkebulan

Kiran Jethwa is well known for his entrepreneurial ventures such as Seven Seafood & Grill, Rahisi Foods, and The Kenyan Good Food Company, as well as for his acclaimed appearances on shows like Chef vs Wild (Disney+), The Great Kenyan Bake Off (BBC Lifestyle), and The Fearless Chef (National Geographic). His longstanding collaboration with TGP includes the launch of Seven Seafood & Grill at Alkebulan, the world’s first African dining hall, conceptualised in partnership with Chef Alexander Smalls and debuted at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Speaking on the partnership, Jethwa said: “Africa has some of the most exciting food stories to tell. Working with TGP gives me a platform to help shape the next generation of African hospitality experiences, while bringing greater visibility to the continent’s cuisine and culinary talent.”

This announcement further builds on TGP International’s active presence in the region, including its work with Q Coffee in partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies and Sustainable Growers to provide benefit to women farmers in Rwanda.

Founded in 2002, TGP International delivers 360° hospitality services across food & beverage advisory, concept development, interior design, franchising, asset management, operations and marketing. With more than 700 successful projects across 25 countries, its portfolio includes work with major hospitality and real estate players such as Marriott, Accor, Hilton, IHG, St. Regis, W Hotels, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria and Expo City Dubai.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of TGP International

About TGP International

TGP International is a global 360° hospitality agency specialising in the creation of world-class consumer experiences, innovative food retail destinations, and distinguished F&B brands. The company offers comprehensive services across F&B masterplanning, market research, concept development, interior design, operations and asset management, franchising and licensing, and strategic marketing.

With an award-winning team of designers, brand strategists, and industry experts, TGP International has delivered some of the region’s most transformative food hall projects. The company is dedicated to harnessing the power of clustered F&B to shape vibrant, socially connected, and commercially sustainable urban communities.

Founded in London in 2002, TGP International brings over 22 years of experience at the forefront of the hospitality sector. With a portfolio spanning more than 700 projects across 25 countries and a team boasting over 300 years of collective expertise, the company has collaborated with leading names in hospitality, real estate, and development worldwide.

Website: tgpinternational.com.

Media Contact:

Jim Kersey

Senior Marketing & Communications Manager

jim@tgpinternational.com

Source : African Media Agency (AMA)

Top News

Morocco: Reviving a Monastery for Community Development

MaraviPost
An international gathering at the Toumliline monastery in the 1950s.

By Lamia Radi
Rabat, Morocco
In Morocco’s Middle Atlas Mountains near the town of Azrou, travelers come for hiking or to see the famed Barbary macaque apes in the Cedar Forest. Near Azrou, nestled high in the mountains and overlooking the green valleys below, the Toumliline Monastery was established by a group of French monks in 1952 because it was “suitably remote for contemplation,” as noted by a Time’s journalist in 1969. Pressured at first by colonial authorities to try to convert the local Amazigh tribesmen to Christianity, the monks refused, explaining that it would cause the people to be “outcasts in their own country.” Instead, they planted an orchard.

Morocco has long been a place where East meets West. There are churches, cathedrals, and other Christian sites. Yet, due to the changing political climate of the 1960s, the once thriving monastery of 40 dwindled down to 7 and to three and finally closed in 1968. Before that, it was a place open to people of all beliefs. The monastery welcomed students and local villagers for practical training in how to deal with differences of opinion. It was the site that brought together those of the Abrahamic faiths – the “Three Religions of the Book” – to find shared values and common ground. From the French Jewish philosopher, Emmanuel Levinas, to the local farmers, hundreds of people from different religions, ethnicities, continents, and social statuses gathered to debate how different faiths could live together and interact for the benefit of the majority.

Toumleline monastery today.

Today, the High Atlas Foundation, the Association Mimouna and the Foundation Memories for the Future work all together and with the local people to restore this once-vital part of the community for economic and cultural development. Through several planned projects, the site will concretely and symbolically teach us the lessons of openness, compassion, and cooperation.

They will gather the recollections of the region’s inhabitants for preservation of the important interfaith dialogues that took place at the monastery, adapting them for transmission to new generations.

With the monastery as a base for trekking tours, visitors will have the opportunity to experience sleeping in the monks’ rehabilitated living quarters and visit the small museum that will be created with a permanent photo exhibition, cultural tourism activities that will aid the local economy. By connecting to existing structures in the region, the project will gradually expand and diversify.

Visitors will also be treated to local honey for consumption or purchase when the monks’ bee-breeding program is reintroduced in partnership with a Moroccan association. This project will train local youngsters in the techniques of honey production as a sustainable venture.

Another project will train youth to be “global guides” to transmit to visitors important information about nature and the local ecosystems as well as the history of the monastery and the monks who lived there, how they interacted with the local communities, and the interfaith dialogues that took place within the monastery’s walls. Both projects for Moroccan youth honor the history of the monastery as an orphanage and place of teaching Islam to the young children, as meaningful today as it was in the past.

Partners in developing these tourist activities include the Ministry of Tourism and the city of Azrou, its institutions and local associations. The Ministry of Culture has also recently opened a small museum in Azrou dedicated to the history, culture, fauna, and flora of the region. In addition, a women’s cooperative that produces handmade carpets is supported by a collaboration between the nearby Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane and the Azrou Center for Local Community Development.

The crown jewel of the plan is to restore the monastery’s two famous gardens, one botanical – to heal the body with medicinal plants – and one Buddhist – to heal the mind with meditation. HAF’s partnership includes training in arboriculture skills and planting a fruit tree nursery with local seeds, a formerly significant agricultural activity benefiting farming families of this region. Taking care of the site long term will provide jobs to local gardeners as well.

Together, these partnerships and projects represent the rich heritage of the area and the philosophy that was the foundation of the monks who sought a place to meaningfully live their faith. With the revival of the Monastery at Toumliline, the people will enjoy the “fruits of community” planted in that long-ago orchard.

Lamia Radi, President of the foundation, is a political scientist and a career diplomat. This project has been developed by the Memories for the Future Foundation, a Moroccan NGO founded in 2008 that is dedicated to countering radical and violent ideologies in the Maghreb through the revitalization of interfaith sites and meaningful historical events.