Meet the Board
Meet the Board
MARA CONSERVATION
encouraging empathy for other life
MLP Team in Morocco
Advisors in Morocco
MOROCCO LIBRARY PROJECT (MLP)
inspiring literacy, building friendship
Oliveseed founder Barb Mackraz started Morocco Library Project (MLP) in January 2014 as a personal project and in collaboration with teachers developed English libraries in 40 underserved areas (see where). These are the first English libraries at schools in rural Morocco. The libraries are mostly in Amazigh communities in desert and mountain areas. Most are small libraries for after-school English clubs; some are larger for a whole school; all have a focus on quality and relevance. MLP also developed Dar Shabab libraries for the Peace Corps and twice received support from the U.S. Embassy. Today MLP is part of Oliveseed, where it continues to thrive and has evolved to the national MLP Short Story Competition, encouraging young Moroccans to develop their literacy and voice.
The mission of MLP is to inspire a love of learning and culture of reading, and for young people to have the knowledge, confidence, connections, and resources to make a positive difference in this world. Students and teachers have embraced it, and this ignited a movement of English clubs throughout the country. MLP also builds the cross-cultural friendship that our world so greatly needs.
"I have taken part in many interesting English Language Teaching programs nationwide. Morocco Library Project, though, is exceptionally different. Its impact can be felt in our students’ mindset and behavior. MLP’s impact has gone beyond improving English to boosting students’ critical thinking, creativity, self-confidence, and motivation. MLP to me is that abundant source of hope, inspiration, and love. Students from underserved areas are giving more importance to reading as the real engine of change."
~Ali Amhal, Biougra, Morocco
English teacher & founder of the Access Language Center
MLP libraries are quality collections tailored to the interests of the students and teachers who use them
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A breadth of quality fiction and nonfiction for all reading levels. After consulting with the teacher on their needs and interests, we buy books in the U.S. at an educator's discount and ship them.
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Classic and modern literature, including contemporary young adult novels that touch on current themes. This includes world literature, and we are increasingly adding to the collection books from Africa, both North and Sub-Saharan.
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Poetry, essays, and folktales from around the world.
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Great books for learners, such as the Who Is / Who Was series. We sometimes include children's picture storybooks.
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Picture-rich nonfiction about nature, science, inventions, and architecture; and biographies of inspiring people who have brought positive change.
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Creative writing from students, including their own short stories. We publish these writings in books and add them to libraries.
The Impact on Girls
MLP is for all students, boys and girls alike, and we feel strongly it should be that way. But it's having an especially profound impact on girls, because as teachers here tell us, "Girls love to read." As the first English school libraries in rural Morocco, this initiative ignited a movement of after-school English clubs all over the country. In some rural parts of Morocco, female participation in secondary school is as low as 26%. By contrast, these after-school English clubs with libraries are over 60% girls, who are embracing the supportive environment and the extra-curricular learning activities of the library. Teachers also tell us that once their English club has a library, more girls join in.
"Educating Girls Can Stop Gender Inequality in Morocco" ~Ilham Haddadi
Same Wall, Same Student, 5 Months Later
Fatima helped transform a beat-up old room into a beautiful library for her school in Erfoud. With access to literacy resources her school had never had before, she soared. Today, Fatima is the 1st woman in her family to go to university.
Before & After
"Imagine a school without a single book on a poor shelf! That was my school... so keep imagining, creating a library in a school where there is no place called library. What might seem to be a little for some is really a treasure to others."
~ Abdelhaq Elkouar, English teacher, New High School, Erfoud, Morocco
"A school without a library is like a body without a soul."
~ Meriem, age 16, Erfoud