8/9/2019 Virgin Unite Newsletter 4 - February 2007

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V I R G I N U N I T E

GUESTS NEWSLETTER ISSUE 4 FEBRUARY 2007 Compiled by Eve Bransonnewsletter

WHAT IS VIRGIN UNITE?

WHAT IS ITS AIM?

WHAT DOES IT DO?

WELL, AS RICHARD HAS ASKED ME TO HELP

WITH THE LOCAL VIRGIN UNITE ENTERPRISE

IN MOROCCO, THIS NEWSLETTER GIVES

ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS.

C O N T A C T

Virgin Unite

5th Floor

Communications Building

48 Leicester Square

London WC2H 7LT

tel: + 44 207 484 4404

fax: + 44 207 930 8750

email: sue.hale@virginunite.co.uk KASBAH TAMADOT ASNI ASSELDA TIMZRA TANASGAAT

V I R G I N U N I T E

MoroccoNEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS

8/9/2019 Virgin Unite Newsletter 4 - February 2007

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virgin unite morocco

Approach to the river below Tamadot

EVE BRANSON

We left England on a cold November blustery day, but by the next day the

sun was out, the wind and rain soon forgotten. We spent two nights staying

at my daughter Vanessas quaint Hotel, Riad El Fenn, situated in the centre

of the Medina. Here you find a maze of busy narrow streets selling anything

from jewellery, carpets, trinkets with mingled scents of sweet incense, and

tangy citrus fruit to aromatic wood, its smoke drifting up the alleys. That is

of course if by now you are lucky enough not to have been run down by an

overladen donkey pulling a cart-load of goodness knows what, or by the odd

cyclist weaving his way through the maze of jostling pedestrians.

Finally you find Vanessas old wooden door, not realising the splendour

within as you ascend a steep flight of steps to the top terrace. All your

tensions and worries pour away as you feast your eyes upon the Grand

Mosque, softly lit up, as the Chief Muezzin vocal voice summons you to

prayer.

Moving on two days later, I awoke at my sons Kasbah Tamadot as thesun had just risen above the magnificent snow capped mountains; below

my balcony lay the gardens now in full bloom the elegant Cypress trees

sheltering an enticing pool waiting for the guests to awaken.

In case you havent read the first editions of the Virgin Unite newsletter, Ill

briefly explain the aim of Virgin Unite, where, in Morocco, Im responsible

for helping the three villages adjoining Kasbah Tamadot: Asni, Asalda, and

Tanasgaat.

Asni:where guests would have passed on the hill leading up to the Kasbah.

Asalda:a village over the river opposite Asni market town.

Tanasgaat:the mud clad village you see across the river from the Kasbah.

The aim of the project is not to directly hand out money, but help teach the

locals to be creative using the skills we teach them. We can then sell their

finished products in the Kasbah gift shop, so returning a percentage to the

donor and part back to their village. My ambition is that if they make too

much for the Kasbah gift shop, well open our own shop on the way to Asni.

Only three hours flight and you find yourself in a

colourful, magical world

Asni: they already have an embroidery teacher, but the help we could give is to

buy better materials so their intricate work is more saleable.

Brahim, one of the managers for the Kasbah, is also my driver and interpreter.

First he drove me to Asni to view the land Virgin Unite is buying for a new

school for 90 pupils aged from 3-6 years. At present they only have a small

square room shared by older children, with no play area nearby.

Asalda: Brahim then drove me into this sleepy village not a tourist in sight

just the odd cow, sheep or goat being led whilst young boys were kicking an

old football in their midst.

Higher and higher I was taken, walking over rough stone and mud (how thankful

I was to have been to the physio before leaving!) to the site being dug, where

Virgin Unite are paying for a large room to house 16 looms hence enabling

32 girls to weave carpets. I was then led to their present room, a cramped, dark

corridor where there is only one loom, producing only two carpets at a time.

Tanasgaat:One shouldnt have a favourite village, but Im ashamed to say my

very favourite is the red mud terracotta village opposite Tamadot Tanasgaat.

To date they have no well, so all the ladies queue up for a trickle of mountain

water. Virgin Unite are now paying for a well which will be piped up to the

village.

The village across the river has never had any help, and if you read my previous

editions of Virgin Unite newsletters, you will see how a y ear ago we starte d

teaching five girls to knit, ending up with 2 9 enthusiastic girls all keen and all in

Grannys small bare parlour.

The girls were so enthusiastic and appreciative that my dream is to buy a small

plot and build them a studio of their own. We can then send over tea chers of

other skills who will no longer have to knit sitting on a damp mud floor!

Whilst in Tanasgaat, first I was given the ever hospitable green tea sitting on

the floor, which always makes me realise the necessity of going to the gym! In

spite of not being expected, a few girls heard of our arrival and turned up to

enthusiastically show me their finished products.

My imagination was fixed; I must buy them a workshop! Having left the

village of Asalda, Brahim drove me to Tanasgaat with the purpose of buying

some land for the studio. As Brahim seems to know every one, it wasnt long

before three Berber men appeared as if from nowhere to show me a flat,

square piece of land (the odd chicken scratching and a Berber woman leading

her cow) overlooking the river. The snow-capped mountains and Kasbah

Tamadot looked so grand on the hill b eyond, whilst the donkey was braying

in the distance. It was absolutely ideal, with the sun pouring in from early

till late, but they werent sure whether the farmer would sell Id have to

patiently wait until the next day. Meanwhile, I was anxious to be able to walk

over to Kasbah Tamadot, so Brahim took me down a nearby track with the

valley on my right, which was surely a replica of the garden of Eden an

earthly image of paradise untouched, unseen by anyone but villagers.

But no time today to experiment and see if I could walk over the river to the

Tamadot its too deep. I shall find a plank and somehow bridge the gap.

On my last day nine girls turned up and then,

help! No room, no wool, no needles a

workshop was surely essential

My last day whilst having breakfa st in the sunshine at Tamadot, Brahim

arrived with good news; the lady will sell me the small plot of land. A quick

pack later and we were off to see the Governor, who had asked to see me.

Somewhat daunted when we arrived at a large palace-like building in the

town of Tahannout that had flags fluttering from all corners up the grand

steps, we were taken and ushered into a large room, with what I thought was

the Governor at the end sitting behind his large desk. I tried to impress with

my best French, but Brahim sent me a smile and wink oh no, it wasnt the

Governor. Up another flight of steps and into another large room, with yet

another large man behind yet another large desk surely this must be the

Governor? More of my best French was expounded, more smiles and winks

from Brahim. No Mrs Branson, wrong again! Up the last flight of grand marble

steps which led to a padded, locked door slowly it was opened by a flunky

and there was the largest, grandest office imaginable, with plush black leather

chairs and sofas, and at the end the largest desk Id ever seen surely this was

the Governor? Yes, a kindly, important looking, white-haired Moroccan man,

but who, alas, couldnt understand my best French. Nevertheless, he made

me feel welcome and proceeded to converse for the next hour in Arabic with

Brahim, whilst Brahim explained what Virgin Unite was aiming for in

his villages.

I dont know what he must have thought, seeing this funny little old English

grey-haired lady helping in all the surrounding villages Ill never know as

by now Brahim and I needed to relax. So, off to his nearby farm a dream

miniature Moroccan farm with orchards of peaches, apples, and pears

interspersed with olive oil, nuts and herbs. Adjoining the orchard were the

chickens scratching alongside the donkey, rabbits, cows and beehives, all of

whom appeared to get along together, and all of whom produce. Then it wasback to Kasbah Tamadot.

Filling up a container of freshly squeezed olive oil, we plucked an orange or

two from the orchard and were off to Marrakech where Brahim was making

sure my deeds to the land were in order, and after a kind invitation to stay

in the centre of the Souk from Abel Demoussi my old friend (who helped me

find the Kasbah Tamadot), I sat back on his roof terrace with a whisky in hand,

feeling the last few days had surely been truly fruitful. I now look forward to

my next visit.

Girls gathering for a lesson TanasgaatWonderful hospitality The only existing carpet loomAsalda - talented carpet makers Over the river to Tanasgaat The site for Eves studio Tanasgaat The much-needed well under construction

Sitting on a mud floor, no light, no heat, but

generosity abounds with a cup of green tea

The girls tender the cow, leaving a potential for

their untouched talent