Summer, back to school
and the new year!
10 min readingJune 2022 - January 2023
Our elder children have taken flight !A new websiteSummerBack to schoolNew year 2023In the Fiers & Forts family, I would like..News from "La Maison Fiers & Forts"News from the Fiers & Forts' skateparkSome more picturesA word from the FounderThe beginning of the school year 2022 was a historic moment for the Fiers & Forts ... 6 of our elders took off at the beginning of October, after years of life at the Center. It was a great step for these young people (and for us!) that we are very proud of. All six are now of age, in higher education or in professional training and this new phase is a big step towards autonomy.
Not very far, they are still in Tamesloht, or in Marrakech, some with their families and others in the Fiers & Forts shared apartment. The young people no longer live at the Center but are still accompanied by the educational team and of course they are still Fiers & Forts !
The apprehension of their flight was quickly transformed into impatience to live this new adventure. For the other children and the team too, this announcement was a shock and then a great joy to see them grow up and ready to fly.
Since July, 2 Fiers & Forts have graduated from high school !
But that's not all, they have also been admitted with another teenager of the CFF, in the prestigious Royal Mansour Academy, in training of head waiter and beautician. A huge bravo to them !!
The nest did not have time to be empty, because the requests to join the Center are many and often urgent. Little nestlings have joined the family ! They integrated very quickly, thanks to the welcome of the children, who never cease to surprise us with their generosity.
During a "picnic of the speech" we ask :
We are amazed every day by these children, but at this moment, a sublime emotion went through us... they are true lessons of Life.
We are all very happy to have welcomed these 4 little treasures.
We were excited to announce... the creation of our new website!
Not all the pages are active yet, but we are working hard on it. We are very proud and grateful for the exceptional work of Clément, whom we would like to thank wholeheartedly.
As you know, dear friends, the Center is the home of 36 children. So in the summer we have to be creative to occupy everyone !
We reached out to the Fiers & Forts family on our networks at the beginning of the summer and received some great messages... "Come to our house at the pool, we will have the artisanal ice cream!" but also, "A day at the water park, do you think the kids would like that?"... and again "We're always ready to welcome young people on internships!"
How can we say... THANK YOU ! Thank you for the children, the teenagers, but also thank you for supporting us, for being beside us ! This reactivity, this mobilization, is an incredible message, it tells us very concretely that you believe in our mission.
Thank you for offering the children the opportunity to go to the pool, an extraordinary luck in the middle of a very hot summer. Thank you for coming to our house, the Center, to provide creative workshops that the children loved. Thank you for welcoming our teenagers for an internship, they are very grateful for the hand you are lending them.
Thanks to all those who made it possible for the children to be refreshed this summer, including the Fairmont Royal Palm who opened their pools 3 days a week all summer long to our little swimmers.
Thanks to all those who made it possible for the children to be refreshed this summer, including the Fairmont Royal Palm who opened their pools 3 days a week all summer long to our little swimmers.
Cyanotype workshops, bracelets...
Cyanotype workshops, bracelets...
The children went to El Jadida.
The opportunity to change air, to discover Morocco, to stock up on beautiful landscapes to make beautiful dreams all year long !
For the teenagers of the Center, summer is the perfect time to do internships. In addition to getting a foot in the door of working life, it is also a great opportunity for them to open up to the world, to explore a universe very different from their daily life at Tamesloht, a concrete way to develop autonomy, responsibility and it helps each one to consider the future... It is thanks to 6 of our precious partners and friends that our 10 teenagers could live these rich and fulfilling experiences. From the Fiers & Forts a big thank you to La Villa des Orangers, El Fenn, Luna Sarah, Les maitres du pain, La perle aux oiseaux and Royal Mansour.
Back to school... A period always so intense every year! It is a big challenge, to be able to register all the children in school or in training, to offer everyone the opportunity to start the year with all the necessary supplies, school books, clothes in which they feel good...
To meet the challenges of the new school year, it's again thanks to you that we can do it. Thank you to the generous donors who participated in this September challenge.
This year, the objective of the fund was not reached, but some of our Fiers & Forts friends came in person to the Center to bring us brand new supplies which greatly helped in the good launch of this school year. Thank you Isabelle, Nicolas, Lamine and the Racing Club de Football de Muret.
To meet the challenges of the new school year, it's again thanks to you that we can do it. Thank you to the generous donors who participated in this September challenge.
This year, the objective of the fund was not reached, but some of our Fiers & Forts friends came in person to the Center to bring us brand new supplies which greatly helped in the good launch of this school year. Thank you Isabelle, Nicolas, Lamine and the Racing Club de Football de Muret.
This newsletter is an opportunity to share with you how proud we are of the commitment of our teams. Guardians, gardeners, cooks, housekeepers, educators... all put their heart into their mission for one thing only, the blossoming of our children.
Katia and Léa, through the Open Studio, invited children from the Center to participate in their meaningful video project, to explore in dance... the difference.
Among these children, a Fière & Forte passionate about the arts has impressed the partner dance school, the Art Academy of Marrakech, which has then offered a free registration to our dancer in the making. Thank you for this nice gift that fills her with joy. Thank you Léa, Katia, Bruno and all those who took part in this beautiful project.
Watch the video here !
At the end of the year, all the educators benefited from a training on the theme of sports adapted to young people or people with special needs. The certification and graduation took place at the CFF after a playful day for the young and the old!
In October, 2 crews of "déjantées" (means crazy women, it was their name !) took up the challenge of the Roses des Sables Trophy, and took advantage of this adventure to come to Marrakech to make generous donations to Fiers & Forts.
Thanks Morgane, Anne-Laure, Iris, Juliette and their families.
Our Madam Cécile (a volunteer for many years at the CFF) has made us happy by inviting the members of her choir to the Center on several occasions, to share artistic moments with our children. On the program: singing of course, but also art workshops. Thank you all for these beautiful Sundays!
For several winters, the Royal Mansour has organized a solidarity Christmas market to which the Fiers & Forts are invited. While the youngsters and the management of the CFF proudly sell handcrafts, original and local products... The children eat chestnuts, cotton candy and even take pictures with Santa Claus!
This year, there was some new stuff at our stand ! We were very happy to sell Rachid'sunique creations: bowls, vases, mirrors, cutlery, frames and lots of treasures made entirely from recycled skateboard.
The new year was only a month ago, but a lot has happened in a month!
A golf competition to benefit the CFF was generously organized, some of our partners challenged us as we welcomed groups of 40... and 180 people to the Center! Together we played soccer, gardened, shared bread making and planted trees on the site of the Maison Fiers & Forts...
The Royal Mansour Academy and its students came to visit us and share their learning. The young waiters, pastry chefs and beauticians from the spa put their hearts into offering a festive day to the children. With music, we shared a delicious couscous, cake, lots of sweets, a make-up and manicure area...
Do you remember that 3 of our young people have been studying at the academy since September? They were obviously there for this beautiful day, proud to show their friends the house where they grew up, to introduce their many brothers and sisters... And we were even prouder to see them like this, blossoming, examples for the little ones... the emotions!!!
And that's not all, January is the time when we renew our partnership with the Janelly & Jean-René Fourtou Foundation every year.
It's done for 2023, thank you !
To all of you who have come to meet us, who have supported us for a long time, who organise events so that the children can grow up serenely... Thank you seems very small compared to the huge gratitude we feel.
A very nice trainee named Oekje, a young Dutch girl with a big heart, who came to the CFF during the month of September. Thank you very much for your smile and all the moments you shared with the children.
Extraordinary volunteers who come every week, offering their time, their skills and their hearts to the children. A very big thank you to our wonderful friends Cécile, Fatiha and Jean-Claude.
Long-time partners and new supporters!
Thank you for your indispensable financial support, your donations of supplies, furniture, your visits so that our network, our Fiers & Forts family can grow and perpetuate its actions.
American Woman's Club of Casablanca Association Fiers & Forts Camille Albane
Else von Sick Foundation
Epic travel Morocco Fondation Bénina
Fondation BMCI
Fondation Eijkman Fondation Futur 21 Fondation Sodebo
Hotel Assoufid
Hotel Essaadi
La Pause
Managem
Maitres du Pain
Philips
Royal Mansour
Villa des Orangers
Qualified trainers to accompany the educational team. Thanks to Thierry and Si Said for their time, their knowledge and their high quality sharing.
Young creators in residence at the Beldine pottery workshop shared their passion and talent with children during artistic and culinary workshops ! Thank you Sonia, Jeanne, Lou and Max.
Several years ago, we identified the need to create a halfway house for young people and thanks to the support of generous donors committed to this adventure, we were able to carry out the first stages of the project: buying a plot of land close to the CFF ; after authorisations, building the surrounding wall and the caretaker's house; then the construction of the skatepark...
We obviously hope to carry out the following stages as soon as possible but the reality is different, we have to wait to obtain the authorisations for the construction of the "Maison Fiers & Forts". While waiting for this great moment, there is no question of leaving this wonderful space abandoned, the Fiers & Forts are already creating lots of memories ! The skatepark, of course, plays a very important role in this, but we have also started to plant trees and plants, and that means a lot to us. A small house for storing skateboard equipment has also been built, the space is starting to look very welcoming !
Thank you to all of you who support us in this project, which is essential for us to be able to carry out our mission of supporting the socio-professional integration of our older children.
We are ready, the children are ready, partners and sponsors confirm that they are ready to follow us in this great project, so we are going to do it all together !
We have celebrated the end of season 2 of the Eduskate program and the beginning of season 3 is very close! In addition to the Fiers & Forts, the children of Tamesloht also enjoy lessons at the skatepark and even on the streets of the village.
Hanota, Kamal and Arthur form a great team, regularly supported by super creative and dynamic volunteers. Thank you Mira, thank you Kyrian ! And that's not all, another CJF member now shares the daily life of the Center, the pedagogical director of programs, Tim. Thank you for your commitment to our children, in skateboarding of course but also through English classes and kendama sessions !
For several months now, every Monday, the skateboards have been resting, leaving their place to rollerblades on the skatepark. The children are happy to meet Louis, Zakaria and their friends for crazy sessions! With all our hearts, thank you to them and to the foundation Skate to Create.
For a few weeks now, CJF Morocco's team has been sharing its passion and skills with the Trait d'Union, in Marrakech. We are happy to consolidate through this new exchange, the link with this beautiful partner of the CFF for years.
A big thank you to Philippine, Tomas and Victorien for the beautiful pictures !
It's with emotion that I see our elders leaving the home in which they grew up, after so many years together, but I am even more proud to see them so close to autonomy. I am so happy to have the chance to share this great moment with them ! Thank you all for supporting us for so many years and for continuing to do so, without you we can do nothing ! Thank you from the bottom of my heart !
Madou.
