Urgent call for collection points to take donations for Moroccan earthquake appeal

A WEST Cork artist with strong ties to Morocco is appealing for businesses to  come on board to facilitate drop off collection points for donations to aid those affected by the recent devastating earthquake.

Rebecca O’Shea, who now lives in Ballinspittle, spent seven years in the valleys and villages of some of the worst affected areas of the High Atlas Mountains, which isn’t far from the epicentre of the earthquake. Over 3,000 people died following the earthquake, while thousands more were injured and many more left homeless.

As well as setting up a GoFundMe page, she is also keen to get good such as tents, bedding, clothes and food to the stricken people, especially as it gets colder at nights and she said they are in desperate need of help.

‘I lived there until 2020 and they are amazing people and so hospitable and kind. I was devastated when I heard the news of the earthquake as I lived in a tiny village there,’ she told The Southern Star.

‘As well as doing creative work I worked closed with villages fundraising for sapling trees, digging wells, food aid and helping locals with tourism  websites. I have hiked many of the trails and shared lunch in many homes.’

Following a public appeal on local radio, Rebecca was contacted by John O’Connell  from Project  ESPWA who is willing to work with her to send a container of goods to Morocco.

‘What’s happening now is people are contacting me with donations but they don’t know where to leave it. People aren’t coming forward to offer premises as drop off collection points in West Cork.’

She said it will cost €2,000 to send the container and has set up the GoFundMe page to finance that, while John is providing a warehouse in Dripsey ahead of filling the container.

‘I have a very specific list of goods that these people need which includes tents, blankets, clothes, sleeping bags, solar lamps, footwear and so much more and people need to abide by this list.’

Getting the aid to these people in these cut off villages is also proving problematic as there are no roads, while the army used mules to send aid to one particular village.

‘If someone has a vacant spot where people could drop items off for a few hours each day it would be ideal. We would also need someone to monitor the items being dropped off as we don’t want any old items being donates. I’m appealing to the people of West Cork to step up.’

See ‘Atlas Mountains Earthquake Relief Fund’ on GoFundMe and you can contact  Rebecca O’Shea on 083-0429866 for details on how to donate items.