On the night of September 8th, 2023, the world shifted beneath Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains.

At 11:11 p.m., as the earthquake tore through the Al Haouz region, Fdila was sitting inside the home she shared with her husband, still grieving his passing just a month before. When the walls shook, she stumbled outside into the darkness, surrounded by neighbors calling out each other’s names to be sure no one was lost.

“We all sat under the gaze of the sky and the stars,” she said. “We did not have any cover. We sat like this until morning. We looked for food and water, but found nothing, until relief came.”

And YOU were part of that relief.

In the frantic hours that followed, drawing on over 20 years of community work and our extensive local network, we mobilized across mountain roads and collapsed villages, reaching remote communities where aid often arrives too late.

Because of supporters like you:

• 690 tons of relief supplies reached 69 villages
• 12,597 people regained clean water access
• 100 psychosocial support workshops helped families process unthinkable loss

Villages like Agouns, Tanamerte, Aghbar, and Widrarane received food, water filters, hygiene kits, solar systems, and household essentials that made survival possible.

Among those touched by this support were Amal and Laila, two sisters-in-law from the village of Talilit. Amal, whose name means “Hope” in Arabic, became a beacon of resilience after the earthquake. Through a four-day Psychosocial Empowerment Workshop, she gained confidence, practical skills, and the vision to start her own online business. Her courage inspired Laila, and together they began to rebuild both their lives and their futures.

In the Aghbar Valley, the impact was equally tangible. Hundreds of families regained access to safe water, essential household items, and temporary shelter. At the heart of it all was Si Larbi Adhar, overseer of 22 villages, whose leadership and unwavering care guided communities through their darkest days.

As he shared:

“They have lifted us from hardships that seemed insurmountable.”

Today, as the year comes to a close, communities are still rebuilding. Your support made this possible, and now there is an opportunity to extend that impact further. Your year-end gift will expand the next phase of rebuilding to new communities: improved livelihoods, water systems, and continued trauma support.

Hope has many names: Fdila, Si Larbi, … and you.