MOROCCO LIBRARY PROJECT
INSPIRING LITERACY, BUILDING FRIENDSHIP
We develop English libraries at public high schools in rural communities of Morocco. OliveSeed founder Barb Mackraz started Morocco Library Project (MLP) in January 2014, and we now manage it in OliveSeed, where it continues to grow. These libraries are primarily in Amazigh communities in desert and mountain areas, where we collaborate with teachers and students to understand the local context and curate an enjoyable collection for them. Working with after-school English clubs, we also codevelop project-based programs including creative writing and the collection of oral stories.
What began as the "Purple Library" in the town of Erfoud has blossomed into 30+ and is expanding into more, including a mobile library in the Sahara. Our mission is to help teachers inspire a love of learning and culture of reading, and to spark a passion for the positive possibilities that lie ahead for this generation. It's a privilege to work in this part of the world with teenagers who never previously had books for pleasure reading but are embracing this resource with all their heart.
2019 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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NETWORK OF LIBRARIES IN THE ZAGORA REGION (with the U.S. Embassy)
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ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PILOT
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6 NEW ENGLISH CLUB LIBRARIES
GOALS FOR 2020
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FOCUS ON THE RIF REGION FOR NEW LIBRARIES
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CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION
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AMAZIGH STORY LAUNCH
IMPACT ON GIRLS
Morocco Library Project is for all students, boys and girls alike, and we feel strongly that it should be. But MLP is having an especially profound impact on girls. In rural regions of Morocco, female participation is as low as 26%, compared with 79% for boys. By contrast, these English clubs with libraries are over 60% girls, who are embracing the supportive environment and the rich extra-curricular learning activities of the library. As teachers often tell us, "Girls love to read," and they frequently report that once their club has a library, more girls get involved.
"I am the first woman in my family to go to college, and reading books from our library gave me the confidence and literacy."
"Our team is focusing on solving one of the worst problems that Morocco suffers from, which is the absence
of reading."
"Just in one year I was able to read more than 50 books. I cried with the characters as I rejoiced to their joy."
"Maybe one of the hardest things to do is to try picturing in words what simply can't be, and this is to me what it means to talk about how a package of books has changed the world around me."
Ibn Sina's first English library has ignited the students' eagerness, broadened their horizons, and "sparkled their candles."
"It's time to respond to the Mother Earth call!" Students in Chouiter were so inspired by the story of Rachel Carson that they formed an environmental club and planted
20 trees in their community.
"As a supervisor, I have noticed that the mobile library makes teachers dynamic and community-oriented. Such a nice idea!"
"Reading is the most beautiful thing in life simply because it is our window to the wide world out there and a bridge between cultures east and west."
"The number of books that were checked out exceeds 400, which is a large number comparing with no books before the library."
Erfoud's "New High School" library, before & after
"A school without a library is like a body without a soul."
~Meriem, age 16