Project Launch:

The name Kerrandou derives from the French quarante deux (42) because the town is about 42 kilometers from Errachia. Located in the High Atlas Mountains in the Southeast of Morocco, the Kerrandou rural commune covers a vast agricultural valley composed of about 13 different douars (small villages), spread along the Ziz river. The douar of Kerrandou mirrors this movement of young people to larger cities in search of opportunities. With support from World Connect's Kids to Kids Program, a month-long series of youth-led workshops on painting, theater, dance, and music, culminated in a locally-based weekend exhibition called Ayam Athaqafi or Days of Culture. The 75 young participants increase their skills in and knowledge of the arts, strengthened their leadership capabilities, increased their self-esteem, and organized a groundswell of community support for youth-led activities. In the process the group also deepened the students' roots in their own community.