There are populations that, with the exception of political election periods, are left abandoned... This is the case for the inhabitants of the rural commune of Bni Leit, where a team of volunteers decided to go on 21 June to conduct a medical campaign. This campaign was organised by the Association of Life and Earth Sciences Teachers (AESVT) of Tetouan, in collaboration with other partners, for the benefit of the marginalised rural population of Douar Tayenza in Bni Leit.

The figures concerning this commune speak for themselves. Of the 784 households in the commune of Bni Leit (which covers an area of 111 km²), 32.5% live below the poverty line. The inactivity rate is 56.1%. It is one of the poorest communes in the country, where the illiteracy rate remains high (69%). Only 0.8% of the inhabitants of this commune have a higher education level. It is a population marginalised in more ways than one. It should be noted that before the opening of the new regional road connecting Souk Larbâa of Béni Hassan and the sanctuary of Moulay Abdeslam, almost the entire population lived more than 10 km away from the nearest paved road. These inhabitants live essentially from subsistence farming invaded by cannabis and unproductive livestock farming dominated by goats.

Faced with this most disastrous situation, these voluntary association members did not remain indifferent and preferred to respond with action. "The choice of Douar Tayenza was motivated by the fact that it is the largest in the rural commune, but also because it houses a third of the total population," highlights Lahcen Taiqui, coordinator within the AESVT of Tetouan. Before adding: "Paradoxically, this rural commune occupies a territory particularly rich in its natural heritage. It spreads over the northern flank of Jbel Bouhachem, which represents the most humid, the most forested, and the most diverse part of the Bouhachem 'Regional Natural Park' (...)". It should be noted that if these inhabitants live in a most precarious socio-economic situation, they benefit in return from unparalleled natural wealth; a natural capital that is likely to generate innumerable socio-economic benefits for the inhabitants, the commune, and the entire region. It is in this context that the AESVT Tetouan is acting, through the Dar Bouhachem project "Development of Rural and Ecotourism Hospitality in Jbel Bouhachem", with the local population of Douar Tayenza. This project, supported by the GEF-SGP of the UNDP (United Nations), the Social Development Agency, and the rural commune of Bni Leit, aims to develop ecotourism and income-generating activities to reduce human pressure on the biodiversity and natural wealth of Jbel Bouhachem (www.bouhachem.ma).

The idea of acting in this commune was therefore born from the desire of the AESVT of Tetouan to provide aid to the inhabitants of Douar Tayenza, with whom the association is carrying out extraordinary work as part of the activities of the Dar Bouhachem project.

Sunday, 21 June, at 7 a.m., all the volunteers took the road to the rural commune by bus. "A bus from the Faculty of Sciences of Tetouan, which is among the partners of this campaign, was made available to us to carry out this campaign (...)," specifies Lahcen Taiqui, himself a teacher at this institution. Five other cars loaded with medicines followed the bus. It must be said that health professionals responded to the call: the Morocco Monaco Association for Medicine, the Association of Public Sector Doctors in Tetouan, the Amicale of Private General Practitioners of Tetouan, the Association of Opticians of Tetouan, the Moroccan Association for Oral Health Prevention of Tetouan, the Pharmacists' Union of Tetouan, and a group of nurses from the Red Crescent Clinic of Tetouan. These main partners were supported by the Tétouan Asmir Association, the Tetouan Students' Club, and the Chekkara Association for the conservation of musical heritage.

After 48 km of disastrous road "which still bears the scars of this year's rainy winter," the volunteers arrived in the commune at 9 a.m. A hearty breakfast consisting of bread, honey, olive oil, eggs... awaited them at the Bakkali family's home. We know, moreover, how generous the inhabitants are despite the few means they have. At 10 a.m., everyone was on the front line to welcome the inhabitants.... A large tent, made available to the rural commune of Bni Leit, had been set up the day before by the organising committee made up of members of the AESVT Tetouan with the help of the local population. "This tent served us for the reception and orientation of patients to the various specialist consultation offices. General practitioners, assisted by some specialists (pulmonology-allergology, cardiology, traumatology, internal medicine) and by the team of nurses, examined and prescribed medicines (...)" specifies Mr. Taiqui. Everything was in place...

It remained to be seen if the inhabitants would respond to the call! This is what Ms. Meftaha Senhaji, a member of the AESVT Tetouan and the organising committee, confided to us: "At the beginning of the campaign, and especially during the preparations on site, I noticed that people did not really believe in it. I had the impression that they had never benefited from this kind of action. They did not immediately understand what a medical campaign really was (...) People kept their distance and, at first, there was very little turnout. When the first people were examined and obtained the prescribed medicines, others began to head gradually towards the tent (...)" The campaign could now begin: people were waiting in the shade, near the reception tent. They were then called one by one according to the number they had been given beforehand. Inside the tent, they were welcomed at one of the five consultation tables by a doctor and a nurse... If necessary, patients were referred to medical specialists installed in 5 different houses. "Two of these houses were recently fitted out and equipped as homestays as part of the Dar Bouhachem project (...)," specifies Mr. Taiqui, coordinator of the Dar Bouhachem project... Gynaecology, paediatrics, general medicine, diabetology, ophthalmology, optics, ENT... Almost all specialities were represented... What seems important is that the inhabitants feel that the various actions they carry out with the associative fabric have meaning and utility for themselves... After consultation, the patients were directed to the pharmacy, run by a pharmacist, a nurse, and a nursing assistant, in order to receive the prescribed medicines. In total, 694 prescriptions were issued. Patients flocked from all the douars. Some even came from neighbouring communes!

At practically the same time, the children were welcomed into two workshops set up by the volunteers. A painting workshop was supervised by the artist Bouzaid and his son. Another workshop was dedicated to games and raising awareness about the environment and the importance of hygiene. About a hundred toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste were distributed to the children participating in the workshop. An awareness workshop was also organised for the elderly, supervised by a general practitioner. In the opinion of all, this day was an opportunity for mutual exchange. Despite the fatigue, the volunteers were satisfied with this first attempt and committed to continuing this action. According to Lahcen Taiqui, "accompanying and follow-up measures for more in-depth medical examinations and analyses are on the agenda (...) Most of the volunteers who participated in this campaign agree that follow-up was essential; in particular through the establishment of a flexible and sustainable structure integrating the Health Delegation and several other partners so that these actions multiply for the benefit of the rural populations of the province and the region". It must be said, as Ms. Meftaha Senhaji rightly reminds us, that "these populations are so destitute that they cannot afford to go to the city to see a doctor. They cannot pay for the prescribed treatments (...)," before adding: "By talking to the inhabitants, I learned that the only dispensary in the region is continuously closed. In case of urgent medical care such as intramuscular injections, they have to travel to the Al Hamra dispensary, which is poorly served by transport and is located 15 km away! This kind of action therefore allows us to go towards destitute people to let them benefit from what we, in the city, have (...)"

Once the campaign was over, the volunteers, doctors, pharmacists, opticians, teachers, and artists took the road back, tired, exhausted, but aware of having listened to the Other, having given time for these voiceless people who would gain so much from being taken into account by our freshly elected officials...