RAJA KHAYRAT

Marrakesh- 2,946 people were killed, 5,674 people were injured in the earthquake that struck Morocco’s Al Haouz province and its neighboring areas on September 8, 2023. The women of Al Haouz province are the group most affected by the earthquake. Many of them have lost their jobs due to the earthquake. Although they are aware that the difficult living conditions will delay their dreams for a while, they are still hopeful for the future, rebuilding their houses and returning to their normal lives.

Latifa Maumay is one of the women, whose houses were destroyed by the earthquake. She lives in a tent with her parents and child in Tamasset, a village of Asni town of Al Haouz province, as do other villagers since their houses were destroyed by the earthquake. Before the earthquake, she worked for an association providing sewing, embroidery, and craft courses to women living in villages. “Today, I am unemployed because of the earthquake. We had to stop our courses and projects because girls and women no longer want to attend the courses due to their difficult living conditions,” said Latifa Maumay, who also worked as a hairdresser and henna artist before the earthquake. “The earthquake paralyzed all celebrations and events. Now, I struggle to survive for my child despite the difficult living conditions.”

She worked as a teacher before the quake

Aisha Moho is another woman, who has been left unemployed by the earthquake. “I used to work as a primary school teacher in the town of Toukart. The quake turns our lives upside down. Parents no longer want to send their children to school. I have worked as a teacher for three years. I love children and my job, and I never imagined that I would stop working,” she told us. Aisha Moho lives with her mother and brother in a container and works as a nanny to meet her family’s needs.

“We have lost our house. We built our house by saving money for years. I have also lost my job. My brother is a student. Since we lost our father nine months ago, I am the only breadwinner of my family. We are lucky because we live in a container having better conditions than a tent. In our village, there are about 450 families and most of the houses in our village have been completely destroyed in the earthquake. All villagers have lost their sources of livelihood due to the earthquake.”

Fatima Yozalin, the owner of a sewing and embroidery workshop in the town of Asni. Her workshop has closed since the earthquake. At the workshop, she used to teach 40 girls and women how to sew every year. After the earthquake, she took her sewing machines to a tent because her workshop collapsed in the earthquake. “My sewing machines have been damaged due to rain,” said Fatima Yozalin, who is the only tailor in the town of Asni.

The women of Al Haouz dream of a better future, of rebuilding their houses and returning to their normal lives.