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.

Friday, January 27, 2017

34 new Agadir youth RISE

Last year, Dar Si Hmad brought professional development training to two hundred young people in urban Agadir, thanks to a partnership with US-MEPI. The university students, young professionals, and vocational school trainees graduated from our RISE & THRIVE programs in June after building their civic engagement, entrepreneurship and employability skills. They have been wowing us with inspiring projects and career journeys since.

The 2017 edition of the RISE program will focus on environment and sustainability themes through a project-based learning approach. On 20 December 2016, 34 students kicked off their journey with an initial activity bringing them together from around the city to get to know each other, celebrate their acceptance into the highly competitive program, and learn more about the skills they will gain over the next months. 

 

Honored by the United Nations at COP22 last November, Dar Si Hmad and its world-class fog harvesting system is an inspiring example of environmentally-sound leading initiatives in Morocco and around the world. Thus, Dar Si Hmad seeks to transfer its passion for the environment to the new cohort of RISErs. Through this year’s program, they will learn about project planning and management, finance, marketing, human resources and leadership applied to the environment sector. Their training will include four course themes:
  • Module 1: Project Ideas, Ideas evaluation and Pitching
  • Module 2: Strategic Planning
  • Module 3: Organization: Practical tools
  • Module 4: Basic Organizational & Managerial Principles
Participants will also be developing their own projects and taking part in various extracurricular activities facilitated by Dar Si Hmad staff members and volunteers.

Over five hundred young people in Agadir applied to RISE, a testament to the need for these kinds of programs in Morocco and to the commitment of young people to furthering their potential and building their communities. 


At the December Integration Day, the students got the chance to meet each other, learn about the exciting program coming up and hear more about the Dar Si Hmad “Way”. As the tradition goes, Executive Director Jamila Bargach gave a short speech and welcomed the new participants. Following that, the RISE team led by Project Coordinator Salah Eddine Ait Lakdoume walked them through the modules they’ll be experiencing, introduced them to our organizational values and invited them to set rules for themselves. The event included also a music performance by the inspiring Nastya Soller from Russia.


Congratulations to the new RISErs. An unforgettable journey is waiting for you at Dar Si Hmad!

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