Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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In renovating the house we have exclusively used local builders and craftsmen, providing much-needed employment as well as many mutual linguistic and cultural learning opportunities. We have tried particularly to work with young people – many of whom would otherwise struggle to find jobs - and when appropriate pay well above current rates.
The house has showers rather than baths so as to minimise water usage, and we ask our guests to conserve water and energy and minimise their environmental impact in other ways, for example by using alternatives to the black plastic bags which are given away all-too-freely by Moroccan shopkeepers. We minimize unnecessary laundry by changing bedding and towels only on request.
Our staff is employed permanently, all registered with social services and paid above the average wages in our region.
We strongly believe in responsible tourism and in the need to give something back to our local community in Essaouira. For this reason we have set up our own charity, Project 91, to which we contribute a minimum of 10% of our profits each year. Our aim in setting up this charity is to alleviate poverty in Essaouira, particularly by:
- Helping families support their children through education and into employment
- Encouraging and sponsoring vocational schemes through jobs and apprenticeships for young men and women
- Providing micro-loans to people in need
- Protecting and enhancing the local environment
- Encouraging responsible tourism.
We also encourage the use of public transport wherever possible, and provide a link from our website to a information about rail travel, carbon offsetting and responsible travel.
In the information we provide to guests, we offer suggestions on how to ‘tread lightly’, dealing with issues around dress, poverty, alcohol and shopping/haggling – and trying to encourage engagement with Moroccan culture in positive ways. We also give the opportunity to bring useful items for schools in the countryside, and have set up a campaign inviting our own and others’ guests to bring unwanted clothes, for us to sell on to benefit Project 91.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
