The children of Aguerd being taught the basics of literacy, language skills & numeracy, without which they are likely to live out their days in bitter poverty.
© www.anniewrightphotography.com

I’m delighted that my photographs of the children of Aguerd are now featured in a fund-raising publication for early learning in remote areas. These photos, which I made in the spring of 2018, were taken in a village in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Here, pre-school kids are being taught the basics of literacy, language skills & numeracy, without which they would be likely to live out their days in poverty. Although these classes are available to all the children of Aguerd, some parents refuse to allow them to attend. Frequently it’s because even small hands are essential for working in the fields or for any activity that helps keep the family afloat. An example is a girl of about ten, who I photographed struggling to carry an unwieldy white chair. I was later told that she’s ‘the smartest kid in the village’. Sadly her parents are adamant that they won’t let her to go to school, a decision that – however you look at it – will affect her entire life. But then again, from her family’s point of view, the time she’d spend in education, would be time lost for economic survival.

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The charity behind the school in Aguerd – and many others in both Morocco and Nepal – is Action Automonie Avenir