Hollywood of Morocco
Trip Start
Jul 10, 2011
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11
18
Trip End
Oct 30, 2011
Ouarzazate, Morocco
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Ouarzazate is located at an elevation of 1,160 metres (3,810 ft) in the middle of a bare plateau south of the High Atlas Mountains. To the south of the town is the desert.The town is chiefly inhabited by Berbers, who constructed many of the prominent kasbahs and buildings for which the area is known. The Ouarzazate area is also known as the Hollywood of Morocco, this is where numerous blockbuster movies have been shot including; The Jewel of the Nile; Cleopatra; Lawrence of Arabia and The Sheltering Sky; as well as some scenes for Star Wars and Gladiator.
After lunch we stop at Project Handicapped Horizon. We visited the department dedicated to training local artisans with the possibility of buying thier work. Jewellery, ceramics, iron work and embroidery.
Project Handicapped Horizon is an organization dedicated to the rehabilitation, health, empowerment, and the social and economic success of persons with disabilities. Established in Ouarzazate in 1994 by volunteers and in coordination with Handicap International, the organization has since served over 3,000 persons.The Project has 2 major departments :
The first department is dedicated to Orthopaedic and Prosthetic Medicine. A professionally trained team of engineers are providing services to persons involved in accidents, traumas, severe illness and disability such as : custom building and fitting of prosthetic limbs; custom design and building of wheelchairs, bicycles and motor vehicles; building specially designed shoes and orthotics; day services for children with mental and physical disabilities; physical and physiotherapeutic rehabilitation.
The second department is dedicated to the training of local artisans, in the creation of wonderful handicrafts, such as: pottery, metal work, jewellery making and weaving amongst others. Project Handicapped Horizon currently employs 23 local artisans and are selling their products locally and even sometimes to an export market. We hope to assist so that they can expand their sales, organizational strength, artisan staff and salaries and hence become more self sustainable. Intrepid Travel groups have been regular visitors to the centre for the last year and frequently purchase items from the gift shop.
Project Handicapped Horizon have goals to increase their fund-raising further by presenting regular exhibitions at local hotels and events. There are also plans to extend the reach of their work further into the rural regions of the Sahara and Atlas Mountains.
Your assistance through the Intrepid Foundation will help to support a large range of people in this wonderful organisation.
