ISSUE 1 2005 ISSUE 2 AUGUST 2006 ISSUE 3 DECEMBER 2006 ISSUE 4 FEBRUARY 2007

ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER 2007 ISSUE 6 FEBRUARY 2008 ISSUE 7 AUGUST 2008 ISSUE 8 APRIL 2009

EVE BRANSON
ISSUE 9 MAY 2009 ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2009 ISSUE 11 DECEMBER 2009 ISSUE 12 JUNE 2010
FOUNDATION
We only print a limited number of newsletters for guests at
NEWSLETTER
Kasbah Tamadot, however all the issues are available in
News and Developments from
electronic format. If you would like us to send you a copy
the High Atlas Mountains
7
RY 200
RUA
FEB
E4
ISSU
6
ER 200

N
EMB
DEC
E3

NSO
ISSU
6

please email robert.speirs@virginlimitededition.com.

200
UST

BRA ON
AUG
E2
ISSU

EVE NDATI TER

5
200
E1
ISSU

U T
9
IL 200

FO SLE
APR
E8
ISSU
8

NEW
200
UST Om
TS FR
AUG
E7

pmEN NS
ISSU
8

VELO NTAI
RY 200
RUA
D DE S mOU
FEB
E6

S AN
ISSU
LA
NEW hIgh AT
7
ER 200
EMB

ThE
SEPT
E5
ISSU

0
E 201
2010 SON
JUN
E 12
BER
ISSU
AN
OCTO EVE BR
9
ER 200 DOT,
EMB
TAmA e 13
issu ILED By
DEC
Ah E 11
KASB LIKE
ISSU

COmp
S AT 9 ULD
gUEST
R 200 U WO
OBE
IF yO .COm. KER
S FOR
OCT
E 10
mAT. IMS
ISSU
LETTER FOR DITION •
WS RONIC ITEDE A RT
OF NE ELECT
LIm SGH

issue 14 DECemBER 2010

9
200
ER gIN TA N
IN VIR
NUmB
9 MAY
ABLE EIRS@
E •
ITED
ISSU

A LIm AVAIL RT.Sp ZRA

0
TIM
INT S ARE ROBE

201
•
ONLy
pR ISSUE EmAIL A
ThE ASE ASS
ELD
WE ALL pLE
VER COpy •

BER
hOWE UA SNI
D yO •
A
SEN
US TO AD
OT

O
TA M
BAH

OCT
KAS

compiled by eve branson

:
from
port
h sup
s wit

3
operate 40.

UE 1
ber 2975
ndation ity Num
n Fou com d Char
Eve
Branso
irgi nunite. Regi
stere
. UK
The www.v

ISS
5645
• 0215
.co.uk pany
No.

W6
7BJ inunite 1HP
. Com
don e@virg on, W1S
ith, Lon e. sue.hal re, Lond
mersm 3980 •
Squa
over
Han
Ham se, 14
Green, 203 126 over
Hou
Brook (0) e: Han
Unite use, 50 2 • f. +44 d offic
Virgin ool Ho
stere
396 Regi
e”).
Sch 203 126 in Unit
The (0) g as
“Virg
t. +44 n (ope
ratin

The Eve Branson Foundation operates with support from:

datio
n Foun
Virgi
The

Virgin Unite
The School House, 50 Brook Green, Hammersmith, London W6 7BJ
t. +44 (0) 203 126 3962 • f. +44 (0) 203 126 3980 • e. sue.hale@virginunite.co.uk • www.virginunite.com

The Virgin Foundation (operating as “Virgin Unite”). Registered office: Hanover House, 14 Hanover Square, London, W1S 1HP. Company No. 02155645. UK Registered Charity Number 297540.

K A S B A H TA M A D O T • ASNI • ASSELDA • TIMZRA • TA N S G H A R T • IMSKER


lovely SAFFRON
wooly FLOWER
coats
a return to imsker
Three busy days in the Atlas Mountains with lots to do! This
visit I was sent a helper, Linda Cruse. Not the usual helper - oh
no! Not only a beautiful looking blonde who up to now had
been working as a front line humanitarian worker in disaster
areas following events like the Asian tsunami and the Pakistan
earthquake, Linda has had to cope in some extremely dangerous
situations. She has escaped from a rebel army, been wrongfully
arrested, been held at gun point and threatened on any number
of occasions. She has travelled by yak with nomadic caravans,
and also by motorbike through the Himalayas, across the deserts
of Pakistan on a camel, and slept in tents out under the stars.
Now you know how lucky I am to have her with me to help in
the four remote villages in the Atlas Mountains. Perhaps she’ll
look upon it as yet another challenge, a different challenge not
to be missed. Up until now I have managed alone with help from
Brahim Bendar, Kasbah Tamadot’s House Manager and Zoubair
my interpreter, so I’m sure all my girls will appreciate the extra
help. I hope Linda will stay with my foundation for a further
six months before delving once more into her own untouched,
dangerous territory.
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, helping the remote village
of Imsker (as yet untouched by civilisation) is my next challenge,
as they rely only on farming and selling fruit for their livelihood.
So off we went, driving on unkempt roads, over a narrow bridge,
over the river, then higher and higher we bounced and climbed
until finally we came upon the village.
Brahim was with me this time, and our first decision was to alter
Imsker as Aziz feeding
we found it orphan goats
the little
orphan
the location of the soon to be constructed craft house in Imsker
by moving it further down into the sunny valley. Thanks to all the
financial gifts from the ‘Rock the Kasbah’ charity auction ball this
past November in Los Angeles, we now have just sufficient funds
to start building.
As we arrived the whole village was throbbing with excitement
and anticipation and Ali (our main liaison) invited us up to
his house, a climb through rubble, dust and dirt; a climb not
to be recommended with 36 stitches still in my legs! But the
local enthusiasm kept me going whilst Ali and his six children
were preparing couscous for us on their small terrace (still no
furniture, the same unattached light bulb and just a home spun
carpet), but what a welcome as all his younger children and
friends were watching us with curiosity and wonderment as we
delved with our fingers into the dish.
time for a cuddle
Leaving the village with high hopes for the future, we dropped
into Tansghart to show Linda the Cashmere goat herd. What
joy seeing their pure white furry coats, all clean and glistening
in the sunshine and all the new baby kids, so tame… The two
little orphans were inviting us to pick them up for a cuddle –
a joy indeed.
But here I have a problem as there is not sufficient grass within
their area to feed them, and taking them up to the forest was a
disaster as there are too many poisonous bushes – just what do I
do next? No need to worry further; the local farmer had heard of
my plight and offered us the adjoining field at a reasonable price.
Later that evening back at Kasbah Tamadot I had time to pass
onto Linda some future suggestions while the two of us summed
up our three days work with a stiff drink!
And so I returned to England leaving Ann, a spinning teacher
and her assistant, Benita, well occupied teaching 26 girls in
Tansghart the art of felting and spinning. We are hoping to buy
some more land adjacent to the craft house as there is nowhere
for cars to park, but my most exciting challenge is the craft
house for the people in Imsker who will have access to a centre
where they can learn lifelong skills.
Home for a week before I received the wonderful news from
Thanks to a recently upgraded ambulance service
in the mountains a guest who was taken ill at Kasbah
Tamadot was able to get quick medical assistance.
I happened to be staying at the same time and thanked
the driver and team for their timely intervention!
Brahim that we had been offered the adjoining field to the
goat shed: 2,000 square metres at an asking price of 250,000
Moroccan Dirham (almost £19,000).
My spinning teacher Ann reported that the fibre from the
goats this year is too fine and thin to spin anything other than
scarves. Now I hope next year that with better feed the goats
will not only be happy, but will fatten up and produce the most
wonderful, thick Cashmere wool.
a new comunity centre
for asni
Returning to Morocco once more in November, I had a special
request from Linda to open the new local community centre in
Asni, the village closest to Kasbah Tamadot. The centre will cater
for 160 young children, not just locally, but boys who will come
down from the higher Atlas Mountains, who, but for the centre,
would not have any education at all. The centre will also be
showing health and environmental street theatre.
Community
Centre in
asni
But the great event for all the local dignitaries and villagers was
the grand opening ceremony – drums and tambourines played
whilst the street was lined with gaily dressed Berbers, the local
police holding back the crowds (not a difficult job as they are so
law abiding) until finally the Governor swept up and we were
both presented with a bouquet before being led down the carpet.
The next job was to cut the red tape before we were shown
The philosophy of the
foundation is to teach
the local girls lifelong
skills, removing the need
to beg or ask for charity,
for the Berbers are a
proud, happy people.
inside. What an amazement seeing computer rooms, dormitories
for the boys from the remote villages and 50 4-year olds sitting
at their little desks.
I bought along a lion hand puppet as I thought it would amuse
them, not being able to speak Arabic. After a while they loved
it and started to laugh whereas in the next room the kids were
only three years old; they were not amused and to my dismay
two of them started to cry! Not a good idea Mrs Branson!
But these three days have been quite productive as we also had
a professional shop owner from Marrakech giving the girls in
the craft house in Tansghart advice on making more saleable
objets d’art, and the head of Asounfou, the Kasbah Tamadot
Spa, Shauna, gave us advice on how best to display items in
the shop. We then are considering making Argan oil and locally
grown Saffron available for guests to buy on their next visit. Who
knows? By then we may not only be spinning our Cashmere
wool but knitting special garments.
Later in my visit in another craft house built by the local
community above Asni I met six mature ladies (pictured on the
cover) sitting on the floor grinding the kernels of the corn ready
for them to turn into couscous which they’ll cook then sell to
Kasbah Tamadot – ideal as these women have few skills apart
from cooking.
I can hear the Muezzin calling the faithful to prayer: a gentle
reminder, but how I love it – yet one more sound along with the
noise from the donkeys, sheep and goats. This will be my last
newsletter before Christmas however I shall be returning soon
after as I’m planning on another fundraiser. This time it will be a
fundraiser with a difference as I’m hoping England will challenge
the King’s team in Morocco to a game of polo with our top
Windsor team.
So with work ahead I must wish you all a very Happy Christmas
and thank you for all the support you have given my girls in the
four villages. I only hope you’ll come again next year.
EVE BRANSON