On Thursday 10th July, Centre Amane hosted a ftour (‘break fast’; this is used to indicate the act of breaking fast at sunset during the holy month of Ramadan) for the children and the families that the centre supports, the staff, the local and international volunteers, and the donors who contributed directly to the development of the work at the centre or donated materials and ingredients to make the event possible.
The women’s group at Centre Amane prepared food for 220 guests while also providing full table support and cleaning after the event. The preparation of the food began at the start of the week and the women worked all day despite fasting and the summer heat in Taroudannt. On the day of the event, all the staff at the centre and the older children helped set up the terrace of the centre with traditional carpets, a projector to show pictures of the activities and trips of the last year, speakers to play malhoun (a traditional Moroccan music genre typically found throughout Ramadan for its melodic structure), and tables and chairs to host the dinner.
Ftour at Centre Amane
Over 200 guests arrived before ftour and socialised until the the call to prayer that announces the time to break fast. After this all the guests broke fast with an expansive menu comprised of dates, harrira (traditional Moroccan soup), msemna (traditional Moroccan pancakes), chebakia (traditional biscuits eaten especially at Ramadan), croissants, bread, cheese and eggs accompanied by tea, coffee and orange juice that were served by the women’s social committee.
After breaking fast, the majority of the guests left to go to the evening prayer, while the children remained at the centre playing under the supervision of the Centre Amane team. The women’s group then cleared the tables and also prepared a dinner. When guests came back from the mosque, a beautiful spread of couscous with vegetables and chicken was served.
The night came to an end with a speech from Hassan Jouham, the current president of Groupe Maroc Horizons (GMH), MCT’s previous partner NGO, thanking all the guests for coming and participating in a community event at the centre. The president of Fondation Amane pour la Protection de l’Enfance (FAPE), MCT’s current partner NGO, then thanked the Centre Amane team and women’s group for organising event. Another FAPE member concluded by reciting a douaa (a thanksgiving grace).
The ftour at Centre Amane was a successful community event enjoyed by those who attended. A special thanks must go to Touria Nouhi, the social worker at Centre Amane who coordinates the women’s group and organised the event. The women’s group and the children also deserve thanks for their great effort in putting together an event with such delicious food and warm atmosphere. Lastly MCT would like to extend gratitude to all the local donors (shops, families, associations, municipality) who made this event possible, contributing the majority of the ingredients used to prepare the ftour and the dinner.