Many Irish people have travelled to Morocco in their own time and at their own expense to help those resident in the country develop some exciting and far-reaching projects in high mountain Berber villages. As mentioned elsewhere, we are talking about remote and needy villages where the only access is by driving on rough narrow dirt tracks - often impassable in winter.

Perhaps one of the most far-reaching projects (and yet to be fully realised) is the building of a communal fuel-efficient bread oven. Good on ecological grounds; good for reducing the wear & tear on the women's knees as otherwise they would have to carry huge loads of wood down to the villages from high forests ; more potential time for the women to be with their families - and the bread that is baked in these ovens lasts longer! All for €60 per oven.

Other projects have included facilitating eye tests and glasses for school-children, providing school supplies to children from needy families; training some local men in basic emergency health care and stocking First Aid cabinets in their villages. This is the first time any medical supplies or "facility" has been provided for these villages.

Painting a local village school with some murals on the walls has started many a conversation!.....