A high place of spirituality, pilgrimage, and meditation, for both women and men from the Tekna tribes and the oases of southern Morocco, the Moulay El Bachir Al Alaoui zaouia refuses to fall into oblivion and intends to fully assume its role as a guardian of ancestral Sahrawi traditions and collective memory. It has been resurrected today thanks to the determination of Lalla Fatma Lmrini, who created an association around it for the renewal of heritage and sustainable development. This lady, who proudly considers herself the "first female curator of a zaouia in Morocco," has succeeded in bringing the Moulay El Bachir Al Alaoui zaouia, inherited from her father, back to life, safeguarding its heritage, and rehabilitating its memory. "I inherited this zaouia from my father, who passed away in 1978 when I was 9 years old. Over the years, I noticed that visitors were becoming rare, even though this place was an essential destination for many followers, particularly women and men from the Tekna tribes. I then created the association to rehabilitate the zaouia and perpetuate the role it once played as a place of knowledge, pilgrimage, and reconciliation. I wanted to pay tribute to my father, a man of great wisdom, a fervent activist for Morocco's independence, and a great philanthropist," she explains. With the support of the MDGf Culture/PDTS Programme, Lalla Fatma Lmrini was, in fact, able to rehabilitate the zaouia and build a new structure. "The wood used is ornamented with recessed motifs depicting palm trees, tents, and camels. The building is also rebuilt in rammed earth to perpetuate the tradition. I was especially keen to respect the architectural heritage of the Guelmim region," she explains. The library has also been enriched with heritage manuscripts from the Guelmim region and school books before being transformed into a space for learning and exchange for young people. And because Lalla Fatma champions the cause of the women in her region, she dedicates a space in the zaouia to the education and development of the women of her commune, Asrir, and the Guelmim region. Thus, in addition to its religious and social mission, the Moulay El Bachir Alaoui zaouia has been providing literacy and religious classes to nearly 60 women for two years and welcomes students from the Tighmert high school into its library to consult the many books available. And these choices are not coincidental. "My commune did not have a library, and the students, especially high schoolers, needed one to learn more. Also, literacy classes were essential in my region, which records a high rate of illiteracy among women, and one cannot claim development if such a situation persists. It was urgent to facilitate women's access to knowledge so that they could create income-generating activities and participate in the development of the region," she indicates. As a councillor for the commune of Asrir, president of the planning, economic affairs, urban planning, land management, environment, finance, and budget commission, and for the past six months, a member of the Gender Parity and Equality Commission, Lalla Fatma does not intend to stop there. "My wish is to build a madrasa for Quranic studies with a boarding school. Apprentices can come from far away and access knowledge... I also dream of organising an annual moussem for the zaouia, as was done in the past, during my late father's time. A moussem that would allow women and men from different Sahrawi tribes of Oued Noun to gather around religious and festive activities," she confides.

Lalla Fatma thus intends to preserve the intellectual influence of a zaouia, like other places that, through their religious and social impact, have shaped the history, society, and culture of Morocco.

The project to rehabilitate the Moulay El Bachir Al Alaoui zaouia and open it to the young people and women of the commune of Asrir was carried out within the framework of the Joint Cooperation Programme (PC) initiated by the Moroccan government (Ministry of Culture) and the United Nations System through five agencies (UNESCO, UNDP, UNIFEM, UNIDO, and UNFPA). Named "Cultural heritage and creative industries as a vector for development in Morocco 2008-2012," this programme has a budget of five million dollars (USD), funded by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDGf), launched in 2006 by the government of Spain and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Joint Programme covers the regions of Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate, the Oriental, Souss-Massa-Draa, Guelmim-Es Semara, and the pilot zone known as the "Convergence Zone," consisting of four oases in southern Morocco.