This New York City store has been preserving traditional Moroccan handicrafts for nearly 25 years. After the recent devastating earthquake in Morocco, they hope to do everything possible to bring the country back on its feet.



It’s not every day that Moroccans see a devastating earthquake crush their homes into rubble and leave them searching for missing family members. The earthquake in September was the strongest in more than a century, severely damaging towns and villages near the base of the Atlas mountains and ripping through the suburbs of Marrakesh.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="942" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/A-living-room-setup-featuring-Moroccan-furniture-image-supplied2-942x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-60128" style="aspect-ratio:0.919921875;width:588px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/A-living-room-setup-featuring-Moroccan-furniture-image-supplied2-942x1024.jpg 942w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/A-living-room-setup-featuring-Moroccan-furniture-image-supplied2-276x300.jpg 276w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/A-living-room-setup-featuring-Moroccan-furniture-image-supplied2-768x835.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/A-living-room-setup-featuring-Moroccan-furniture-image-supplied2-1412x1536.jpg 1412w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/A-living-room-setup-featuring-Moroccan-furniture-image-supplied2-1883x2048.jpg 1883w" sizes="(max-width: 942px) 100vw, 942px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A living room setup featuring Moroccan furniture; image supplied</figcaption></figure></div>


One community severely affected was women weavers. Known for its decorative rugs and handmade artifacts, Morocco’s weaving tradition dates back hundreds of years. The craft is passed down from generation to generation, and every rug has a unique story behind it: each rug symbolizes the weaver’s family. But the earthquake has made the future of this dying practice even more uncertain.



Communities from all across the globe came forward to help Morocco get back on its feet. One such group was the workers at ‘Imports from Marrakesh’, a store specializing in handcrafted Moroccan tiles, carpets, lighting and accessories in Manhattan, New York City.



“These weavers lost everything,” Stephanie Rudloe, a stylist and decorator, who oversees merchandising at the store, tells FORBES AFRICA. “It will take time for aid to reach them, and we need to do all we can to help them. We’re doing a fundraiser in the coming months with the rugs we previously bought from them.”



Working with the founder, Mohamed Elmaarouf, Rudloe opened the store nearly 25 years ago. Sharing their combined interest in Moroccan handicrafts, the duo made the store a pioneer in Chelsea Market when it first opened, and it continues to welcome new and old customers.



“We want people to have a special in-store experience,” Rudloe says. “It should feel like they’re in Morocco. The store is more like a museum designed as a shop. We want to support the work of local Moroccan artisans and have their pieces displayed with pride.”



‘Imports from Marrakesh’ keeps a selection of handicrafts anywhere between $20 and $5,000. Rudloe believes that the wide range makes the store accessible to everyone.



“Even if people don’t buy anything, we want to give them a cultural experience,” Rudloe says. “We have Moroccan music playing in the store, which adds to the atmosphere. Customers can feel like they’re in Morocco without having to travel.”



Rudloe feels that Moroccan rugs and furniture are special as they fit well with different kinds of interiors from all across the globe. People can be their own decorators and also have a collection of handmade things that have a spirit and character attached to them.



In the wake of the earthquake, Rudloe wishes that when people visit the store, they see the beauty of Morocco for themselves and are encouraged to provide aid to the country.



“I really hope that the store will make people go to Morocco, too,” Rudloe says. “The people there need our help right now. I hope our fundraisers will help them during this time and preserve a traditional culture that’s quickly becoming a dying art.”

Stephanie Rudloe, co-founder of Imports from Marrakesh; image supplied

How A Moroccan Store In New York Is Helping Weavers Back Home

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



At least 2,000 people were killed by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Morocco—the country’s deadliest in 60 years—that toppled buildings and caused widespread damage southeast of Marrakesh, officials in Morocco confirmed Saturday night, as the region deals with a magnitude 3.9 aftershock.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/MoroccanArmed/status/1700623019687731643" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">confirmed</a>&nbsp;at least 2,012 people were confirmed dead and 2,059 are believed to be injured—more than 1,400 are critically injured.



The same area hit by Friday’s quake suffered a magnitude 3.9 aftershock on Sunday amid rescue and repair efforts, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000kus7/executive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Geological Survey</a>, but the Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/morocco-powerful-earthquake-marrakech-a927c7d286bf6e1047feb1c91ab96fd1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;it isn’t clear if that quake caused more damage or casualties.



Sunday’s aftershock was the second, as the U.S. Geological Survey&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/major-earthquake-strikes-oukaimedene-morocco" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;the first major magnitude 4.9 aftershock 20 minutes after the original shock.



The earthquake’s epicenter occurred in the village of Iguil, near the popular Oukaimeden ski resort where strong earthquakes are “uncommon but not unexpected,” and around 50 miles from Marrakesh,&nbsp;<a href="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000kufc/executive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the U.S. Geological Survey; earthquakes of this magnitude are more common near the northern part of Morocco.



The High Atlas Mountains, which are not densely populated, have experienced earthquakes in the past but the region has not seen an earthquake the size of the Friday’s since at least 1900, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



300,000. That’s how many people the World Health Organization&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/WHOEMRO/status/1700424387587883372" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a>&nbsp;were impacted by Friday night’s quake. The organization added its teams are “on standby” to provide support and “ensure health services are quickly delivered where needed, including for trauma care.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



The Moroccan army has been conducting search and rescue missions since the quake, and officials are working to provide food, water and shelter to those who were impacted, but the Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/morocco-powerful-earthquake-marrakech-a927c7d286bf6e1047feb1c91ab96fd1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;some Moroccans were complaining on social networks that the government wasn’t providing as much help as it could. Shortly after the quake, President Joe Biden released a&nbsp;<a href="https://eg.usembassy.gov/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-the-earthquake-in-morocco/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;saying the administration had been in contact with Moroccan officials and that they are “working expeditiously to ensure American citizens in Morocco are safe, and stand ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Moroccan people.” So far, Spain has sent resources to Morocco, and France has offered assistance in search and rescue teams, NBC News&nbsp;<a href="http://nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/morocco-earthquake-live-updates-rcna104254" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



The deadly earthquake in Morocco was likely the result of oblique reverse faulting, and as more information is available the U.S. Geological Survey expects it will be able to determine the causative fault.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/morocco-earthquake-live-updates-rcna104254" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBC NEWSMorocco earthquake live updates: More than 2,000 dead</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/morocco-powerful-earthquake-marrakech-a927c7d286bf6e1047feb1c91ab96fd1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AP NEWSA magnitude 3.9 aftershock rattles Morocco as rescuers seek survivors in ancient cities and towns</a><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/09/09/at-least-1300-dead-from-morocco-earthquake/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MORE FROM FORBESAt Least 1,300 Dead From Morocco Earthquake (Updated)By Brian Bushard</a><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/09/09/photos-moroccos-devastating-earthquake-its-biggest-in-120-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MORE FROM FORBESPhotos: Morocco&#8217;s Devastating Earthquake, It&#8217;s Biggest In 120 YearsBy Brian Bushard</a>

Aftermath Of Earthquake In Marrakech

Morocco Earthquake Death Toll Rises To 2,000 As Aftershocks Hit Same Areas

Morocco’s economy is getting lost in translation. 



With so many students dropping out of university because they don’t speak French, the government has proposed reintroducing it as the language for teaching science, maths and technical subjects such as computer science in high schools.



It also wants children to start learning French when they start school.



The country’s official languages are Arabic and Amazigh, or Berber. Most people speak Moroccan Arabic – a mixture of Arabic and Amazigh infused with French and Spanish influences.



In school, children are taught through Arabic although they don’t use it outside the classroom. When they get to university, lessons switch to French, the language of the urban elite and the country’s former colonial masters. Confused? Many are.



Two out of three people fail to complete their studies at public universities in Morocco, mainly because they don’t speak French.



The linguistic morass has stymied economic growth and exacerbated inequalities in the North African country, where one in four young people are unemployed and the average annual income runs at approximately $3,440 per person, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) &#8211; less than a third of the world average.



The plans to broaden the teaching of French go to the heart of Morocco’s national identity.



They would overturn decades of Arabisation after independence from France in 1956 and have triggered a furor in parliament, where members of the Islamist PJD party, the senior partner in the coalition government, and the conservative Istiqlal party view them as a betrayal.



The disagreement has delayed a vote on the changes.



“Openness to the world should not be used as an excuse to impose the primacy of French,” said Hassan Adili, a PJD lawmaker.



Proponents say the changes reflect the reality that French reigns supreme in business, government and higher education, giving those who can afford to be privately schooled through French a huge advantage over the majority of the country’s students.



“In the Moroccan job market, mastery of French is indispensable. Those who do not have command of French are considered illiterate,” said Hamid El Otmani, head of talent and training at the Confederation of Moroccan Employers.



Even before parliament votes on the changes, Education Minister Said Amzazi has okayed the roll-out of French in some schools, declaring its use in teaching scientific subjects as an “irreversible choice”.



Like many Moroccan politicians, his children received a private education.



“When decision-makers start sending their children to public schools, only then can we say that we have a successful education system,” said Jamal Karimi Benchekroun of the co-ruling socialist PPS party.



Amzazi did not respond to a request for comment.



Frustration over jobs and poverty has fueled periodic protests in Morocco, but the country has avoided the sort of instability suffered by other North African states, where pent-up anger has triggered uprisings and provided fertile ground for Islamist extremism.



King Mohammed VI, the ultimate power in Morocco, has proven adept at introducing limited reforms in response to popular protest. He has spoken publicly about the need to teach foreign languages to students to reduce unemployment and has made the economy a top priority.



Last year, he sacked the minister for finance after calling on the government to do more to boost investment.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">C’EST LA VIE</h4>



Problems with language are not unique to Morocco. In neighboring Algeria, another former French colony, students are also schooled in Arabic only to be greeted “en francais” in university and the workplace.



French’s pre-eminence reflects Paris’ continuing influence in the region. France is the biggest foreign direct investor in Morocco and large companies such as carmakers Renault and Peugeot employ tens of thousands of people.



Privately-run universities such as the International University of Rabat (UIR) have courses geared toward high-growth industries such as aerospace and renewable energy and offer tuition in French and English.



But a year at UIR can cost up to $10,000 in fees, way beyond the budget of most Moroccans. They go instead to non-fee paying public universities, where the abrupt transition to studying in French is frequently a burden for students and their lecturers.



“Sometimes we find ourselves giving French language courses during economy classes,” said Amine Dafir, economy professor at Hassan II University, a public institution in Mohamedia, near Casablanca.



Hamid Farricha, 37, dropped out of his applied physics and computer science degree at Hassan II University during the first year. He dreamed of becoming an engineer but the language barrier meant he struggled to keep up.



Trying to find Arabic translations for French scientific words was a drain on his time.



He switched instead to studying mechanics at a vocational school. He still had to master French to get hired.



“The biggest challenge after earning my diploma was writing a CV and sitting for job interviews in French,” Farricha said.



He got a job as a technician at a plant repairing car frames, paid below Morocco’s minimum monthly salary of 2570 dirhams, or $270.



Farricha was one of the lucky ones. Morocco’s economy cannot absorb all the young people looking for work. Around 280,000 graduates entered the labor force last year but only 112,000 jobs were created.



The unemployment rate for graduates is 17 percent, above the national rate of 9.8 percent, according to data from Morocco’s planning agency.



Morocco’s reliance on small and medium-sized companies which do not typically employ graduates, and austerity drives which have cut public sector jobs are part of the reason for the high rate of graduate unemployment.



The education system is also failing to prepare students for work.



In addition to high dropout rates, Moroccan students score badly compared to peers on international tests, and at university level, students oversubscribe to social science fields at the expense of technical subjects, according to an IMF report in late 2017. That means many don’t have the skills employers are looking for when they graduate.



Even for roles not requiring a degree, French is a must. On the French website of Morocco’s job promotion agency, almost all employers were looking for French speakers, including for jobs as guards, waiters, cooks and drivers.



Determined to get ahead, Farricha worked on his French while employed at the plant. He read newspapers and books in his spare time and gave himself a daily list of new expressions and vocabulary to learn.



He went back to university in 2014 for a degree in French law and is studying for a masters in diplomacy and international arbitration.



To meet his living costs, he teaches French to other students. -Reuters



&#8211;Ahmed Eljechtimi

RC1269A18E00

Morocco Looks To French As Language Of Economic Success

I have always been intrigued by sub-Saharan trade. In the interest of understanding caravan journeys better, I made trips to Mali and Morocco to observe their most famous routes. Goods such as gold, ivory – and regretfully, millions of  slaves – were moved from sub-Saharan Africa to Timbuktu, then through the desert and over the Atlas mountains to Marrakech and onto the port of Essaouira, which served as Morocco’s principal port, offering the cargo of the caravans to the world.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-30019" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/052-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/052-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/052-600x399.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/052-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/052-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/052.jpg 1023w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
My journey from Casablanca airport to Essaouira was a 400-kilometer ride that passed along the Atlantic sea coast and then inland along plateaus dotted with argan trees endemic to the region and known the world over for its use in producing aromatic oil. It was late in the night when I arrived in Essaouira, an Arabic/Berber medina contained within a European fortress with winding alleys and streets. Finding my seafront hotel was an adventure in itself, in a town with many dead-end alleyways.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-30020 alignleft" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/113-Forbes-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/113-Forbes-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/113-Forbes-600x399.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/113-Forbes-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/113-Forbes-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/113-Forbes.jpg 1023w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
It was a moment of great excitement when I opened my windows, illuminated by the Maghreb sunlight, and realized my room was right on top of the ramparts of the fort overlooking a broad seafront. Later, while walking along the crenellated ramparts of the cannon-lined fort, I could see the city wake up on one side while the finest fisheries off the waters of Morocco were coming alive with boats and attendant gulls on the other. Upon reaching the port, I caught a glimpse of the lives of fishermen who were unloading their large catches of sardines and conger eels; a haul big enough to sustain its economy.
The historic charm of the UNESCO World Heritage listed city is evident in every twist and turn in the maze of pedestrian-only streets that make up the medina. Broken facades and decorative doors open to reveal ancient Kasbahs lined with courtyards and fountains. Essaouira has been in existence in recorded history since the days of imperial Rome, where the purple stripes of the senatorial toga (garment of ancient Rome) came from a dye factory, made from sea snails found here. Ruled by Romans and then by Berber kings, it was swept up under the influence of Islam in the eighth century and ruled by Arab kings until the Portuguese captured it in the 16th century. This was followed by French occupation and it finally came under Moroccan rulers in 1777 when it was declared an independent nation.
This rich history of occupation has provided Essaouira with a French-designed fortress, Genoese-designed port citadels, a classic Arabic medina complete with a royal Kasbah, Jewish mella or quarter and a European enclave.
Walking through its winding streets I could see Arabic, French and Spanish influences in the architecture.
Essaouira’s real beginning as an import-export center came in the 1770s when the sultan of Morocco appointed families from Casablanca, Marrakech and other northern cities to settle here and become official royal traders to conduct trade with Europe and the Americas. It has been noted that seven of the town’s leading families in the 19th century were Muslim, while 25 were Jews, who once comprised 40% of the population.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-30022 alignleft" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2017/05/07-Forbes-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/07-Forbes-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/07-Forbes-600x399.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/07-Forbes-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/07-Forbes-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/07-Forbes.jpg 1023w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The homes of former Jewish traders and the synagogue reveal themselves through Hebrew carvings on the door lintels.
The souk area was quite interesting with many shops selling spices, wood carvings and cabinetry. Unlike the bustle found in the souks of Marrakesh, the pace here was very relaxed under the warm sunlight and a steady breeze from the ocean. The fort area has more upscale shops while the souks had a classic Arabic atmosphere. The delicious seafood available in restaurants around the harbor was absolutely amazing and at very reasonable prices. I found men here wearing the classic djellabas and women walking around in colorful qmis (long jacket) covering their baggy pants.
Essaouira is best reached from Marrakesh by road and can be covered as a day trip. Emirates Airline can fly one to Morocco from any big African city via Dubai.
With its unspoilt beaches, luxurious hotels, wonderful cafes and seafood restaurants, Essaouira is fast becoming a must-visit destination. Morocco has a lot to offer. In this context, Essaouira is often ignored. But for the intrepid traveler, it offers a special place where the caravans of the Sahara finally emptied its wares for the world to consume.

Tag: Morocco

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How A Moroccan Store In New York Is Helping Weavers Back Home

Morocco Earthquake Death Toll Rises To 2,000 As Aftershocks Hit Same Areas

Morocco Looks To French As Language Of Economic Success

Where Africa’s Caravans Were Headed