Education For All

Few girls from the rural communities of the High Atlas Mountains are given the opportunity to continue their education beyond primary school for several reasons, but one including the funds needed for transport and lodgings to town based secondary schools. Despite the Moroccan Governments support of education policy and women's rights, half of the country is not literate and in rural areas, up to 83% of women are illiterate.

Education for All (EFA) Morocco was established in 2007 to build and run high quality, free, boarding houses for girls from 12 - 18. The care includes 3 nutritious meals a day, hot showers, dormitory accommodation, study support via an international volunteer programme, and dedicated, local house mothers. This environment makes it easy for the girls to settle and thrive in their studies at secondary school.

How it began...

EFA started in 2007, opening a boarding house in the High Atlas Mountains south of Marrakech, to give 36 girls access to secondary school. In 2009, a second house opened in the town of Talaat n'Yacoub, followed by a third in Ouigane in 2010. Three further houses have since been constructed bringing the total to 6, with the overall capacity of supporting over 200 girls at any one time. In the last 13 years, over 50 EFA girls have gone on to University.

Mike McHugo, co-founder/Director at the Kasbah du Toubkal, from where we run some of our itineraries in Morocco, was awarded an MBE by the Duke of Sussex for his work in setting up and supporting the charity.

The Effect of the Pandemic

UNICEF have said that the pandemic has created the biggest disruption to education in history. EFA saw a direct impact when for the first time in their 13 year history, they had to close their boarding houses. Back in their villages girls were cut off from their education, friends and teachers.

In response to the crisis, EFA decided to fundraise to provide the final year students tablets to help them revise and stay motivated.

Fortunately in October 2020 the houses were able to re-open, complete with touch free themometers, hand-sanitising stations, paper towels and washable masks. To reduce the capacity in the houses, girls were put on a rota system, with those at home carrying out long distance learning using the tablets provided earlier in the year.

Message from an EFA Student

"I joined EFA with a big dream that I want to achieve. I knew that EFA will be the candle that will light my life, and will make me different and unique not only in my village but in my society as a whole. I want to be an educated woman that achieves what no one else from my village has achieved. I want to work on myself, improve my personality, and make my parents and everyone who has supported me proud of my achievements.”

Ghita Anflous

At YellowWood we want to ensure that we are not just 'tourists' and that we are not 'taking' without 'giving back'. We want to contribute where we can, and understand the realities of life facing local communities in the areas we visit.

We want to promote the work of EFA and to create an opportunity for you to help make a difference. During our stay at the Kasbah we will have the chance to learn more about the work of EFA direct from one of its project workers in return for us making a contribution to their charity. If you feel able, we invite you to do what you can also.

Related Adventures

Grading

To help you choose the right adventure for you, we have given each itinerary a grading that relates to the level of Walking / Trekking you will experience during the trip. This grading can be found on the Yellow map on the adventure page of the website.


All of our trips involve a level of general activity so are designed for people who are in good health, enjoy the outdoors, and have a taste for adventure and some level of fitness. As will be clear from our destinations, the climate (and altitude) may be different to that which you are used to, so please take this into consideration when choosing the most suitable holiday.


Please read our Adventure Itinerary & Essential Information for more information and don't hesitate to contact us if you would like to chat through whether you have found a suitable adventure for you.

Grade 1-3: Entry Level

You need to be in good physical health to enjoy your active holiday, but you don’t need to be an experienced hiker. These itineraries offer a mix of sightseeing and easier walking for around 2-4hrs a day, with the emphasis on sights and cultural experiences. 

Walks will be well marked or on defined pathways, and often around sites of interest. The expected amount of descent/ascent will depend on the landscapes of the destination, but will not exceed 400m/day, and will often be much less. Walks are at low altitude (below 3000m). 

You will not be required to carry more than a day sack with water and essentials. Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have a pair of comfortable and worn in walking shoes/boots.

Grades 4-6: Intermediate

You need to have a good level of fitness and be a regular walker for these adventures, with ideally some trekking experience. You can expect to be walking for 3-6 hours per day, not including rest stops, normally on good trail paths but with some uneven surfaces at times. 

You will not be required to carry more than a day sack. You may be walking in more challenging temperatures. You will generally be walking at low altitude (below 3000m) but may walk at altitudes up to 4000m. The amount of ascent could be up to 800m in a day but will frequently be less. You may walk on consecutive days.

Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have suitable clothing for this adventure.

Grades 7-9: Challenging

You need to have a good level of fitness with previous experience of trekking. Extra training before your trip will ensure that you get the most out of your adventure. Areas will be remote and terrain uneven. 

Expect to walk for 5 – 8 hours a day, not including breaks, with some very steep ascents and descents. You will be walking at altitude (over 3000m but not higher than 5000m).

Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have suitable equipment/clothing for this adventure (see the packing list for your adventure).

Please check individual itineraries for details of what you will need to be carrying with you.

Get in touch

CLICK HERE to schedule a call online with YellowWood Founder Sam McManus.

Or call us directly 24/7 on:

+44 207 846 0197
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