🇲🇦 The Last Nomads of Morocco | Al Jazeera World

Many of Morocco's nomadic communities living across the Atlas Mountains, like the Ait Atta tribe, are gradually changing their way of life from roaming herders to part settlers - or what sociologists call "a sedentary lifestyle".
But such fundamental change comes challenges, as well as opportunities.
Traditionally, nomads do not receive a formal education. However in the past decade, there have been moves to introduce what they call "tent schools" to try and equip their children for the modern world. But for them to attend school, their families have to remain in one place all year. It might also mean that the children ultimately leave their parents' traditional nomadic way of life.
"They told us they'd provide education for our children if we settled in a particular place," says nomad Daoud Ariba.
Helping with that adjustment are social activists like Ali El Amine. It was his idea to bring the tent schools to the region, with help from international agencies and the Moroccan government.
"Our goal is to see nomads at all levels of education, in college and even university. We want them to get diplomas and not to stop at the primary level and then return to cattle grazing," says El Amine who is also the President of Chems Association.
In addition to providing tents, the association serves as a liaison between the nomads and local authorities.
"We try to integrate the children into charity groups and obtain financial support for them," he says.
While the tent schools are a first step towards settling the nomads, the schools' remote locations, harsh winters and heavy rains pose challenges for teachers and pupils.
"When I came here, I walked for two hours," says teacher Abdallah al-Sahraoui. "I got an idea about the area from the road condition. The road was difficult with dangerous bends. I had to walk up and slide down the mountain. I had to walk for two hours to reach the school."
The tough mountain terrain also poses risks. Teenager Ittou lost her leg after she suffered a snake bite in the middle of nowhere. "My father came running and I told him I was bitten. He poured household bleach on the wound. But it did not work. He carried me on the back of a mule because of the lack of transportation," she says.
The nomads who settle also have to learn new skills, like basic building techniques.
"We were nomads living in tents, but now we've settled here," says Mohamed Ait Trichet of the Tidakline Nomads Association. "We're learning construction. We make clay brick to build our houses and other facilities."
The change for the Ait Atta is happening and there's hope that nomad communities that have been struggling below the poverty line will start to create a more viable way of life.
Education has undoubtedly been the catalyst for change for the nomad tribes. Sedentarisation will take time and not all the nomads embrace the change.
"I don't see any difference between nomadic or non-nomadic children in terms of their capabilities and their potential", says teacher Mohamed El Bakri. "But I see in their eyes the desire to learn and discover new things."
Morocco is not a wealthy country, but it wants to modernise and give its people the best chances in life. But if the process of change continues in this way, these proud people and their children really will be the last nomads of Morocco.
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[@tammiedunbar6166]

The children's teachers are real gems they are beautiful human beings. And the innocent children with their thrist for knowledge and the discovery of new wonders. Thank you Aljazerra for your beautiful stories and documentaries of people and their different cultures and customs. When I watch your stories I am reminded that we all are simply mere human beings and our humanity is the same all over this planet.

[@realmh2779]

This documentary is so touching and one of the reasons why i watch Aljazeera almost everyday is its unique documentaries and reports from some parts of the where nobody is talking. Thanks a lot AJ. I hope Someone watching this will feel what i am feeling now and immediately help them. Humanity.

[@android1673]

Not the responsibility of the government. People living in hard to reach places can't expect government to come and find them. If people are living in the middle of nowhere in the mountains of the USA nobody expects the government to come and find them and help them. Allot of empty places in the USA were there are No social services because its to far, remote and low density of people. You need allot of people to support a local hospital or school. You cant build that for everybody in the mountains or desert. You can only do that were enough people are living.

[@___beyondhorizon4664]

​@@android1673 have you visited Anthelop Canyon in Arizona? The Navajo nation has been there for century, tourists visit the famous underground canyon daily, the image s of canyon is on 80% of desktops PC. But at least during my visit in June 2018, there was still no running water in the visitor center and thier home. They suffered during the pandemic with high death rate. The community is there, bringing tourism but no government help.

[@___beyondhorizon4664]

There's hope, the Moroccan king has been educated in the west, he seems to be making progress in the city, someday, hopefully it will reach the remote areas.

[@suelymellott5240]

Thank you for this great documentary. I was in tears to see the struggles these brothers and sisters go through. But also their persistence and faith was amazing. May Allah bless them. Allahu Akbar.

[@ubuntu2551]

The ait atta tribe are tough people that also fought against the french colonialists.

[@Jawad-df7hm]

Colonisation is still going on (on the blackboard)..,

[@ghiles.a]

@@Jawad-df7hm yes 💔

[@shepopop]

Morocco is changing fast since the past 10 years , but in remotes campagne , mountains and Sahara lives some very very poor people . Every commute , my suitcase is crammed with stuff for the kids or anything useful . you can’t beat the feeling of sharing and those wonderful smiles in their faces .

[@jhashme3087]

God bless this people...

[@brahimtassoute3813]

Thanks

[@suren2313]

Now I want to travel to Morocco

[@Ufu4847]

You're welcome anytime.

[@zjzjbigfishcatches5965]

No human beings on earth should be forgotten or poor when the Creator gave all of us the earth to share with one another without a price tag on life for free, and that's why all government's should come together and fix that one thing that's simple as 1 2 3 that those of old left the last generation to do away with and that's to stop printing Money and saleing life for a price and come back together as one and share the earth with one another as the Creator put it here for all of us to be doing and that would be taking care of the earth and building pure and clean healther lives on earth, and that's what makes a strong Nation of people all over the world. May the Creator Mercy and Grace be upon all human beings on earth to wake up and come together as one!!!! Salam = Peace, AZIZ aka Z

[@mahadabdi5751]

Really this communate the confidence their life in order to help their children to create educatiom every commumite to success when they have decided to solve their proplems

[@kapsunadams9267]

I am wondering if there is an update on this show. I would love to see a picture of the new school and pictures of kids.

[@timkbirchico8542]

Amasigh is the language of the indigenous folk of Morroco.Morrocan Arabic dialect was also used.

[@wanda1541]

No amazigh is not arab we have pour dialecte a'nd we are'free

[@aaad7372]

Amasigh language should be abolished there was amasigh ppl who lived long time ago but now as time past we got mixed with marrying eatch other arab from the time of king hasan 2nd or even before. when islam was introduced to this part of the world they accepted it which brought us and the ppl of this country together as brothers and sisters

[@timkbirchico8542]

@@aaad7372 what a very inaccurate and dull comment

[@timkbirchico8542]

@@wanda1541 aweed amen? aweed akarom? Salaam trrek

[@warrior7909]

@@aaad7372 you have a mindset of colonial area like mohmed abde ljaber we're not mixed and we will never been mixed you have your own race and we have our own.

[@miamimercenary]

I want to donate a tent for those kids for their school. How do I go about doing that

[@3John-Bishop]

They don't accept donations from infidels.

[@krimau22]

Dont listen to this stupid Tasmar. There is different association that help those people like tha atlas foudation. Google it

[@shepopop]

Randy F , good on you . Anything is valuable to those people

[@shepopop]

Tasmar , another one brainwashed

[@redawydad1072]

Walcome to morroco

[@adamuawudubaba3185]

Kudos to the teachers

[@kikrukhrielie8727]

damn....I'm here complaining about my bike and some few potholes on my way to work... I'm always complaining about my system being too corrupt but these people....only mad respect to them all...!!!watching this makes me realise "there is so very little time or no time to be whining and complaining about when you have so much to do and help work it out...these people deserves to be help in every possible ways and means instead of helping those who always whine and complain and do nothing but think they are entitled to get every help from other people...anyways,I wish only Good fortunes and success to these kids...

[@scin3759]

Cute people.

[@juliusmangaser16]

The housing could be constructed by rocks.....same as the Peruvian building the stonewalls....chisel...hammer shape the rock...little cement ...a lot of work ahead..💎

[@user-js9kv9vu7h]

In fact, they were marginalized by the state, no medicine, no education, and the cruelty of life. There are millions of them in Morocco. The tribe of Ait Aduido is dying on their way to the hospital, which is more than 100 kilometers away. There are women who give birth over donkeys

[@android1673]

Not the responsibility of the government. People living in hard to reach places can't expect government to come and find them. If people are living in the middle of nowhere in the mountains of the USA nobody expects the government to come and find them and help them. Allot of empty places in the USA were there are No social services because its to far, remote and low density of people. You need allot of people to support a local hospital or school. You cant build that for everybody in the mountains or desert. You can only do that were enough people are living.

[@MO-jc3jc]

@@android1673 Then don't call it part of Morocco

[@agrofamil]

Long live the nomads

[@karimsoyan5739]

They are speaking Amazigh, even us Moroccans can't understand it xD. Also sometimes they include some Arabic words in it like numbers and so on. May Allah help them a lot of people suffering in the Atlas region. I will include them in my list of Helping poor Project Incha Allah.

[@tarikamribt45]

Karim Soyan its their natural place let them be

[@pietrojenkins6901]

Give the country back to the Berbers and the Sahrawi Republic. Morocco is a fake "country" afterall it should be Berber republic.

[@ubuntu2551]

@@pietrojenkins6901 sahrawis are arab nomads from the beni hassan tribe of yemen.

[@princekareem6872]

They are more moroccans than you!

[@yasmina10013]

Pietro Jenkins Morocco wouldn’t exist without berbers though..

[@afrobian1]

The forgotten Morocco, as we Moroccans shamelessly refer to these unfortunate brothers and sisters.

[@sultanahmed_officialschann1483]

welcome

[@laylaali5977]

Excellent documentary

[@majidaouladlhaj2266]

The problem of the whole world is moving from countryside to cities, for state should help people to inhabit their ancestral land

[@qassimkahwadji9664]

They look the same as arabs of the interior of Algeria (El Bayadh, EL Aghouat, El Naama, El Djelfa, Bou Saada) it's very impressive, exactely the same facial features.

[@aissahichou9568]

هههههه انت تضحيك على نفسك لا يجد عربي ذو بشرة بيضاء وروح الى بلد عرب وتأكد ولدينا بعض رجال عرب يزوجون من أمازيغية بيضاء صافية عرقينا وتولد بنتهم بين بيض وحنطي لانا عرب حنط وليس عكس يكفيكم تزيف فكل يعلم لون وشكل عرب انتم تروجون ان أمازيغ سود ولكن حقيقة تاليمكم ان أمازيغ يلي غير متجنيسين هم ذو بشرة بيضاء ولو في شمس ونا رايتو شخصا يتحدث أمازيغي وهو مكيس حنطي او اسواد فهو ليس أمازيغ صافي عرق ذليك يحدث عندم يتزوج من رجال سود او عرب حنطي ديما ما تحطون صور على ان امازيغ سود وحقيقة عكس ما تقولون وتزعمون ايها اشرار الله سوف يحسيبكم

[@ghiles.a]

@@aissahichou9568 علاش هادو بانو ليك بويض ؟ لي فالفيديو كلهم سومر

[@beatriceomino7321]

wow

[@OmarDelawar]

There are a bunch of white American's who would love to live that Nomadic life! They are sick of Capitalism and all the stresses and anxieties it brings.

[@roxyyize]

i am marocan and i hate the modern world

[@RU-zm7wj]

Yeah? Try it someday. No medicine, no food, no entertainment, no clothes, no water, no shelter, etc.etc.

[@chijanai]

To the narrator: تعديتي على الأنجليزية

[@pattipayloehoe2953]

My people

[@solomonberundi4771]

I think I just saw my father in law in this video, I hope yall can graze cattle as good as goats ;)

[@antoniescargo4158]

Pas de sous-titres /No subtitles available. I cannot understand the woman's English.

[@afrobian1]

There’s subtitles bro. Click on CC

[@sahroabdullahi2401]

They need opportunity and maybe factory or some kind work coming to their village

[@roxyyize]

that is the real live , and i hate the modern evil world

[@benhabeeb9154]

only quarter way through but had a thought, why do they want to settle and educate these people, is it to make them dependant on the state? they don't like people being Independant from the state

[@lvi8957]

*🍀✨- Marchallahumabarikoum -✨🍀* *👏😍 3aaach a ♓ Cha3b 💙💚💛 👌😘* *Azul 👋 Tahiyati 👐 Ayouz 👏Viva ♓ RiF ✌*

[@ghiles.a]

De la pauvreté au Maroc malheureusement encore un pays africain d'où la France ne veut pas sortir , encore un pays en Afrique où la France nous pose un roi dictateur qui vole pour vivre comme un dieu mais laisse le peuple se débrouiller comme il peut , Dieu merci j'ai vécu dans une famille aisé mais bon ... cela fait toujours mal 💔

[@What_aabout]

3ay 3ay a imazighen!

[@lindajackson618]

Need to get a better teacher! In early USA the schools were one Rome for all grades and kids learned just fine. That was many more grade than just two that this teacher is crying about. Wow! Houses are built out of the rocks there why can’t a school be built the same way? Been using stone for thousands of years.

[@wanda1541]

Im berber

[@Cosmic_92]

Travel for experiense

[@akhenatoneast5787]

What about southern Morocco there was a documentary about a family 11 members all blind from Southern Morocco it was pulled off air, maybe because it focused on black Moroccans and mainstream never want to show black darkskined people in North Africa

[@LS-im5ki]

The narrator may as well speak French .I am not able to understand the ENGLISH

[@bellarjmasaoudi6602]

The world is unfair

[@geevarghese201]

How we have such people on earth in this century.these people are living like early man..no good for the man kind

[@3John-Bishop]

These people live like in biblical times. Only the clothes are different, and trucks.

[@dorkasaurus_rex]

Gee Varghese and what's so much better about modern society? At least they're civilized enough to not shoot up schools

[@maxmassimo1412]

Early man was not corrupted

[@lobnachikhaoui2043]

Salem c'est nomade sont arabe ou Berbères

[@khalidgermany2783]

ils sont berberes

[@khalidgermany2783]

imazighen

[@benyaminyisrael4634]

Those children appear to be afraid and abused...what is that stick for? its certainly not any sort of pointer I have ever seen in the history of pointers going back 200 years...this video is filled with propaganda...secondly...why would you be teaching the children a language and alfabet that is not practical for their day to day lives? maybe at a later state they can learn a second language...but why not master the language of the people closest too them...Asia, russia, UAE...all those nations have vast wealth and economy...why would you teach the language of a culture that basically hates them?? I call total BS on this video!

[@benyaminyisrael4634]

you have me mistaken for some other group....all I know is they going about educating their children in a most unusual manner that is unprecedented in any developing society. as far as them stealing anything...I don't know about that at all...but I do know that Arabs whether nomadic or centralized are not indigenous to Africa...so they got there through the Islamic crusades more than likely and through misogyny have inherited the region...either way it goes..I would not be teaching my children to speak and read in English when they have no real future in western society...it would be best to educate them in the language and culture of the closest and wealthiest developed nations.

[@aidilmubarock5394]

do u even know morroco? And u just assuming not fact at all

[@majidaouladlhaj2266]

People should be taught in their own language,

[@afrobian1]

You’re coming out as di c k bro. Do you even know what language they speak? Please educate yourself before you speak. And leave your prejudices behind

[@sultanahmed_officialschann1483]

welcome