Virgin Unite

Through Eve Branson's tireless and extensive work, she has provided financial, educational and medical assistance to innumerable Moroccans in need. Moreover, she has spent endless hours teaching invaluable creative skills to villagers.

Eve now plans to build workrooms in four villages in the Atlas Mountains. These facilities will provide workspace for local people to make hand-embroidered clothes, carpets and knitted items.

The aim of this project is not to directly hand out money, but to help teach Moroccans to be creative using the skills we teach them.

In Asni and Asselda, which have a long tradition of carpet making, Mrs Branson and Virgin Unite are setting up new workrooms for carpet weaving, which will allow villagers to increase their productivity while enjoying a cleaner, safer and more pleasant working environment. We are also in the process of building a new school in Asni for 90 pupils aged 3-6. At present, they only have a small square room shared by older children, and no play area.

In Tansghart, Mrs. Branson has provided knitting lessons and supplies to local young women who now sell their knitted goods in the Kasbah Tamadot gift shop, generating critical income for their families. Up next on the horizon is a proper knitting studio which will allow the women to expand their activities. Additionally, construction of a new well is underway to supply Tansghart residents a convenient, reliable source of clean drinking water.

Virgin is committed to making a positive impact in the communities where we do business. To that end, Kasbah Tamadot has actively supported Eve’s vision to make greater opportunities available to local people, including managing and promoting the gift shop that sells the crafts produced by village residents. In addition, the hotel has worked to incorporate the welfare of the local community into its broader day to day operations. It has created jobs for local people (90 percent of staff are from the local villages) and offers free, weekly English classes to the community.

Kasbah Tamadot has also reduced its environmental impact through the installation of solar panels, construction of a local water treatment plant, incorporating native plant species and non-toxic pest control methods in its gardens, and helping to plant 16,000 trees in the surrounding area.