Members of the Moroccan community in Quebec gathered on Sunday to honor the victims of the earthquake that struck Morocco on September 8, and to support those who must now rebuild.
Under the leadership of Nouzha Enkila, Sunday’s rally, which was held at Saint-Benoît Park, in the Pointe-de-Sainte-Foy sector, brought together around fifty people around the cause.
Such an event is important because we are far from our family, and if there is something that has affected our family in Morocco, we too are affected, says from the outset the one who is also in charge of the Moroccan Festival of Quebec, which has taken place in August for two years.
On the eve of winter, a dry season for Morocco and its victims, financial aid is proving essential in the reconstruction effort.
Everyone is organizing to donate money, and food, but the Moroccan government and the internal community have done what is necessary, she believes. We need to help in other ways.
Owner of the company Naturel Argania, which is located in the Saint-Roch district, Ms. Enkila is keen, from afar, to make a real difference in the lives of those directly affected by the disaster 10 days ago.
There is enough food, enough tents. We want to help in the long term, not just in the short term.
A quote fromNouzha Enkila, instigator of the gathering
Emphasize the long-term vision
A speech that resembles that of Bouazza Mache, an international expert in humanitarian travel.
In his eyes, we must try to have a formula to work in the long term instead of just working in the moment, to provide help, he insists.
If he also welcomes the immediate aid provided by the international community following the earthquake, the most important thing is phase 2 and phase 3 of what is called the humanitarian intervention plan, says the who came from Montreal to participate in the gathering. It’s the rebuilding of houses, the renovation of houses, the return of children to school.
Then, in the third phase, it is the reconstitution […] of the social fabric.
From the point of view of collecting money and funds, Mr. Mache believes that we have more and more visibility, that we will have enough to help the victims, adding that the Moroccan authorities have already put in place a plan to rebuild […] approximately 50,000 houses and take care of orphaned children.
It’s good that there is this synergy between society and the authorities, he says.
Without adequate supervision, there is a loss of resources, fears Mr. Mache.
We’re sure we’re a little torn, forget the man. If we have the opportunity to go, we will definitely go, but if we are not there, our thoughts are always with the victims.
People are affected everywhere, whether in the epicenter of the earthquake or elsewhere, people are experiencing this tragedy, he adds.
He cites the example of his mother who, traumatized, although located nearly 600 km from where the earthquake occurred, took three or four days to recover.
Even if we are 5000 km from Morocco, we also experience this with them.
Feel united
For Kahdija Elbahraoui, who heads businesses in the Quebec region, it was impossible to travel to offer aid directly to Morocco, to be close to our families, and to support our country.
We wanted to organize [Sunday’s event] to feel united [and] share the emotion together, she said.
Finding an echo in the speeches of her companions, she reminds us that the big work is in the future. Our country will really need support in the long term, especially for reconstruction.
She also thanks the aid organizations here in Quebec and Canada, saying she is touched by such support.
It also gives us a feeling of pride. The fact that we are here, that we contribute to this country, and that we really see the generosity of our host country towards our country of origin.
A quote from Khadija Elbahraoui, a Moroccan living in Quebec
A “marathon”
For Yousra Benhnia, director of operations of the Young Moroccan Chamber of Quebec, based in Montreal, it was important to be in Quebec on Sunday not only to support Nouzha [Enkila and] the entire Moroccan community in Quebec City, but also to recharge your batteries and be with your compatriots.
Especially since with everything that happened, we are far from the family, she said. We try to live our moments of joy, but also our moments of unhappiness, of solidarity, in community.
She believes that any solidarity action for Morocco, at this time, is laudable.
Morocco is going through difficult times and any help, any small dollar, can make a difference later, she adds. Especially since we’re talking about a marathon. We are talking about a 10-year project, at least.
There is a big investment to be made in Morocco, and it started 10 days ago, I hope it will continue for the next 10 days, or even the next 10 years, even.
