Timeline / April 14, 2025

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Content Published April 14, 2025

Album Published April 14, 2025

Rural girls boarding accommodation - Marrakech

Mme Touria Binebine is known in Morocco as the 'Queen of Hearts’. Her vision was to build a boarding dormitory so that academically gifted girls from rural areas with no local secondary school can continue their education in Marrakech. She raised money and the first stone of "L'Association for La Secularisation de La Jeune Fille Rurale" was laid in 2003 with the first girls taking up residence in 2005. Once at the boarding dormitory girls are cared for and provided with clothes, food and basic healthcare. A few of the older girls who attend university stay on and, in return for on-going board and lodging, mentor the younger girls. Today there are 190 girls but not enough sponsors so any donations are welcome. The dormitories are very simple with bunk beds, bedding and curtains and Souad donated 16 rugs to help add warmth and a sense of home to some of the rooms. In addition, after the November 2023 earthquake, 20 orphaned girls were taken in and a 12 bed dormitory hastily constructed in a meeting room. A clothes donation was made to help these orphans who had lost so much in their lives. Thanks to the generous donations of a high street brand Souad was able to give large amounts of clothes to the girls.

Album Published April 14, 2025

Fes primary school

Another port of call in her home town is a primary school. Here donations of toothbrushes and toothpaste and talks about oral hygiene and the dangers of smoking are enthusiastically received, no doubt a welcome diversion from normal lessons!

Album Published April 14, 2025

Village pre-school in Aït Ourir

To build on the their on-going relationship and to encourage the school children in their endeavours, Souad revisits her helper’s village on her trips to Morocco. She has provided further books, memory games, Lego and toys, as well as toothbrushes (the photo with a horse baring its teeth helped introduce the importance of oral hygiene!). 20 stools for the school courtyard now ensure the children no longer have to eat their lunch sitting on the ground in all weathers. Small things that we all take for granted.

Album Published April 14, 2025

Village pre-school in Aït Ourir

Souad’s helper in Morocco comes from a hamlet near Aït Ourir 45 km outside Marrakech, so it’s only natural that she has built a relationship with families there and in particular a local teacher. Soft toys from London based The Toy Project and new clothes donated by a high street clothing brand have been distributed alongside books and educational games for the pre-school.

Album Published April 14, 2025

Medina Children's Library (9 new items)

There is a hidden treasure in Souad's home city of Fes. We're not talking about the pomegranate red dyed babouches or an array of Fassi pottery, but a children’s library buried deep in the medina just off the Talaa Sghera. It was started in 2015 by three women who live locally and wanted the children in the community to have a place to discover books and develop a love of reading. As a child Souad was lucky enough to spend her summer holidays with an aunt who was a headmistress. This was the only way she could access a range of books and ultimately extend her education to include university and with it the freedom to choose her way of life. For most children, especially girls, access to books is still fragmented. This rare, free library focuses on children’s books ages 3-14 in Arabic, French and a few in English. Souad visits the library when she stays with her mother and brings books, memory and card games. Other donations have included tooth brushes to teach oral hygiene and tables and stools so the children no longer have to read, draw or write on the floor. Most recently the children have been introduced to the creativity of Lego donated by London based charity The Toy Project. As one Lego ad states ‘Kids build Lego. Lego builds kids’!

Album Published April 14, 2025

Humanitarian Intro (1 new item)

Humanitarian

Before establishing Larusi in 2000, Souad worked in human rights for over a decade at Amnesty International. On her travels throughout the Middle East and Maghreb she became very aware of the hardships encountered by many of the communities. This background has influenced her approach to business and philanthropy to this day. From the start, when sourcing for Larusi took her to Morocco, she has made time to help her home community in Fes. She was the first woman in her wider family to study for a university degree in the seventies so naturally she is interested in promoting the life changing ability of education. This is reflected in her support of a small local charity library which gives children much needed access after school to books and other activities. In addition to books, Souad personally distributes donated clothes and shoes and, in eagerly anticipated sessions, enjoys reading to the children and teaching them educational games. Recognising the importance of health education, Souad’s lively sessions on oral hygiene and the distribution of free toothbrushes, something of a novelty, are also well received! After the 2023 6.8 magnitude earthquake devastated towns and villages in the Atlas Mountains killing over 3000 people, Souad felt that direct action and using her own initiative would create the most immediate, meaningful results, particularly for some of the weaver families affected. She approached businesses, designers and clients of Larusi to make contributions and, through their generosity, was able to personally organise the distribution of money, essential clothing, footwear and utensils to the small communities and hamlets she knew. Charity also starts closer to home; Souad donated a rug to The Felix Project when Ilse Crawford, one of Larusi’s long standing clients, designed a welcoming community kitchen in south west London. She has also donated three rugs to a library and community space in Peterborough empowered by All in Awe.

If you feel you can help in any way with these humanitarian endeavours please do contact Souad: info@larusi.com or call +44 20 7150 9910

Content Published April 14, 2025

Content Published April 14, 2025

Album Published April 14, 2025

Earthquake (10 new items)

After the November 2023 6.8 magnitude earthquake devastated towns and villages in the Atlas Mountains killing over 3000 people, Souad felt that direct action and using her own initiative would create the most immediate, meaningful results, particularly for the weaver families affected. She approached businesses, designers and clients of Larusi to make contributions and, through their generosity, was able to personally organise the distribution of money, essential clothing, footwear and utensils to the small communities and hamlets she knew. The photos show the devastation wrecked on a family home of three generations of weavers, well known to Souad. Astonishingly the room with the loom was the only one not badly damaged. The family are living in their courtyard by day and still sleeping at night in tents provided by the government. Clothes donations by the owners of a high street clothing brand, clients of Larusi, soft toys from London based charity The Toy Project and money raised as a result of Larusi’s interior design clients giving their usual trade discount to the cause all helped to make a significant and immediate difference at a crucial time.