Dar Si Hmad for Development, Education and Culture is an independent nonprofit organization founded in 2010 promoting local culture and sustainable initiatives through education and the integration of scientific ingenuity in Southwest Morocco. We operate North Africa's largest fog harvesting project, providing villages with access to potable water. Our Water School and Girls' E-Learning Programs build capacity in the Anti-Atlas Mountains. Through our Ethnographic Field School, researchers and students engage with local communities in Agadir, Sidi Ifni, and the rural Aït Baamrane region for meaningful cross-cultural exchange.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Water RISEs: Agadir Youth Reflect on Water


Dar Si Hmad's RISE Program equips young people in Agadir with personal and professional competencies that enhance their employability and entrepreneurship potential. Many of our RISE participants have a particular passion for journalism and have used their time with Dar Si Hmad to form a journalism club. Agadir Rising shares the stories and passions of these young Moroccans. Their blog includes articles, opinion pieces, artwork, poetry, graphic design, and stories about a wide range of issues.

As part of our celebrations for World Water Day, Dar Si Hmad challenged our RISErs to tell us what water meant to them for a special edition of Agadir Rising. This week, we'll highlight five beautiful submissions we received through a variety of media.

First up is a powerful piece of original artwork by Abdellah Boutaramat called "Water...the Hero!"




Artist's Statement:

Personne ne peut nier l’importance de l’eau comme étant une condition fondamentale pour tout être vivant sur cette planète ,cependant plusieurs aspects de pollution et de gaspillage renvoient à la non-rationalisation de son utilisation ,ce qui menace en permanence la vie des millions des êtres.
Le dessin tente de mettre sur la même scène la place fondamentale occupée par l’eau (la goutte d’eau qui porte sur les épaules toute la planète) et la crise frappant les ressources hydriques, provoquée par les facteurs de pollution représentée sur le dessin par « l’effet de serre » .En outre, la caricature essaie de mettre en évidence la souffrance de la goutte d’eau qui ne peut plus supporter la lourdeur du fardeau surtout après avoir subi une ‘ perte de poids’ importante. (gaspillage)

No one can deny the importance of water being a fundamental condition for all living beings on this planet. However, several aspects of pollution and waste return to the irrationality of its usage that permanently threaten the lives of millions of beings. 
The design attempts to put on the same scene the fundamental place occupied by water (the drop of water that all the planet carries on its shoulders) and the crisis affecting water resources, provoked by pollution factors shown on the drawing by ‘the greenhouse effect.’ In addition, the cartoon attempts to shed light on the suffering of the drop of water that can no longer support the heaviness of the burden especially after sustained a significant ‘weight loss’ (waste).


Artist Biography:

Je m’appelle Abdellah Boutaramat, un jeune marocain âgé de 21 ans, originaire de Tafraout. Je suis actuellement Etudiant en 3ème année à l’école nationale de commerce et de gestion d'Agadir. Je suis passionné de différents genres de l’art, notamment la peinture, le dessin, la caricature et la poésie. Ces quatre catégories représentent, pour moi, les quatre dimensions d’un autre monde ou l’imagination est un dieu, qui m’autorise de m’exprimer en toute liberté et sans limites tout en me libérant du stress frappant, en permanence, mon quotidien. J’ai participé à plusieurs compétitions et ateliers de formations concernant les catégories pré-mentionnées afin d’exercer mes passions et ainsi affiner mes talents. Il m’arrive tantôt de gagner des prix et tantôt de gagner « l’expérience » mais jamais perdant car, au fond de moi , je crois toujours que l’échec d’aujourd’hui sera la réussite de Demain.

My name is Abdellah Boutaramat, a 21-year old Moroccan originally from Tafraout. I am currently a third year student at the Ecole Nationale de Commerce et de Gestion (National School for Trade and Management) in Agadir. I am passionate about different genres of art, notably painting, drawing, cartoons and poetry. These four categories represent, for me, the four dimensions of another world where imagination is a god, which allows me to express myself freely and limitlessly while releasing stress and escaping from my daily routine. I have participated in several competitions and development workshops concerning the aforementioned categories in order to practice my passion and refine my talents. Every so often, I win prizes or win ‘experience,’ but never losing because deep inside I always believe that failure today will be success tomorrow.

To learn more about RISE, please visit http://www.darsihmad.org/rise-thrive/. To hear more from Agadir's youth, check out Dar Si Hmad's Journalism Club, Agadir Rising.

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