SUPPORT THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EARTHQUAKE-DAMAGED MOUNTAIN SHELTER IN MOROCCO:

WHO WE ARE

The CIP Association – Cinema, Inclusion, Participation is dedicated to promoting a positive culture of disability, including through the use of film. It was established in 2022 as a continuation of an initiative launched several years earlier at the Prever Agricultural Institute in Osasco, Italy.
Since 2017, teachers and students have used film as a tool for inclusion of students with disabilities.
The project led to the creation of several short films that were featured at the Handifilm – International Disability Film Festival in Rabat, Morocco. Since 2018, first as a school group and later as the cultural association CIP, we have participated annually in the festival, building strong relationships with Moroccan organizations working in the field of inclusion.

THE “MARRAKECH EXPRESS” BIKE TRIP

At the end of March 2025, a small caravan will depart by bicycle from Pinerolo (Italy), heading to the village of Tassa Ouirgane, in the Atlas Mountains, in the Marrakech region of Morocco.
The goal of the trip is to raise funds to promote inclusive and sustainable ecotourism as a tool for the economic and social recovery of a family that lost their home and mountain shelter due to the September 2023 earthquake, as well as for the entire local community of Tassa Ouirgane valley.

Along the journey, the caravan will meet with associations and public bodies to promote the project and expand the reach of the crowdfunding campaign.
All funds raised will go to the R.E.S.T.O. Project.

To cover travel expenses, we seek support from companies and organizations that share our vision.
In return, we offer the gratitude of the people we’ll help (as we already did with the 2024 “RESTO” project, by rebuilding the shelter as an eco-camping site) and the visibility that the journey will generate.

THE CIP 2024 PROJECT

Our 2024 project is called R.E.S.T.O., an acronym for Resilient Ecocamp Solidarity Toubkal Ouirgane. Its goal is to support the revival of hospitality services at a mountain shelter in the Atlas Mountains, about 60 km from Marrakech, destroyed by the earthquake.
On September 8, 2023, a devastating earthquake struck Morocco with its epicenter in a rural area along the Atlas range, about 70 km from Marrakech. It caused 2,960 deaths and over 5,000 injuries, as well as the destruction of entire villages.
The Barkhouche family from Tassa Ouirgane lost everything in just a few minutes. The earthquake leveled the building that housed their only source of income: a mountain lodge for hikers on the upper floor and their home on the ground floor.
Three months later, in December 2023, as the CIP – Cinema Inclusion Participation association from Torre Pellice, we were scheduled to attend the Handifilm Festival in Rabat. We decided not to go empty-handed and began a fundraising campaign. During our trip, we also identified a particularly affected area where our support could make a real difference.
Back in Italy, we launched a solidarity initiative in Val Pellice and the Pinerolo area. Thanks to the efforts of many compassionate people, we raised enough funds to organize a work camp in April 2024. In May, the new camping site was inaugurated, allowing for the partial restart of tourism activities: 10 tents (with mattresses, pillows, and blankets), 26 beds, 2 bathrooms, and a kitchen. The facilities and access paths were made accessible for people with motor disabilities.
In October, we organized three solidarity trips, bringing 75 people from Italy to stay at the new RESTO camp during a 4-day trek through the valleys and Toubkal National Park, home to the highest peak in North Africa (4,167 m).
The project was documented in the short film “RESTO – je reste ici”, which premiered on December 7, 2024, as the closing film of the 17th Handifilm Festival in Rabat.
We are now ready for the second phase of the project. Upcoming initiatives, including the crowdfunding supported by our bike journey, will be dedicated to the reconstruction of the permanent stone shelter.raccolta una prima parte dei fondi per realizzare il campo di lavoro dell’aprile 2024; a maggio è stato inaugurato il campeggio che ha permesso la ripartenza, almeno parziale, dell’attività turistica: 10 tende (con materassi, cuscini e coperte), 26 posti letto, 2 bagni e la cucina. Le strutture del campeggio, così come il sentiero d’accesso, sono stati adattati per la fruizione di persone con disabilità motoria.
A ottobre abbiamo organizzato e realizzato tre viaggi solidali che hanno portato 75 persone dall’Italia a soggiornare nel nuovo camping RESTO durante un trekking di 4 giorni nelle valli e nel Parco del Toubkal, la vetta più alta del Nord Africa (m 4.167).
Il progetto è stato raccontato diventando il cortometraggio “RESTO – je reste ici”, proiettato il 7 dicembre 2024 come film di chiusura della 17° edizione del festival Handifilm di Rabat.
Adesso siamo pronti per la seconda parte del progetto. Le prossime iniziative, compreso il crowdfunding che verrà sponsorizzato dal viaggio, serviranno a ricostruire il rifugio vero e proprio in muratura.