Every single life matters…
We are GiGi (the mother) and Safia (the daughter) joined by our mutual love for animals, and choosing to do something about the animals we meet every day.
Animals (dogs, cats, mules, horses, donkeys and more) suffer on the streets from mistreatment, abuse, neglect, and lack of food and water. We are not a shelter or a refuge, the animals we bring home stay in their home, not in cages or penned areas.
To date, we have 18 dogs, 30 cats and 6 horses, all rescued from the harsh streets of Marrakech. We actually only wanted 2 cats, and progressively ended up with 30. To save 3 dogs (a mother and her 2 babies), we moved to a farm out of Marrakech, and again the 3 dogs gradually became 18. Some were thrown over the wall, others had to be saved from mistreatment, each of them has their specific story.
Where the horses are concerned, it all started by discovering a horrifying reality. 15 horses that had been, in their heyday, part of the film industry, and once that was over, their Moroccan owner dumped them in a derelict stable area and left them to die. 8 died from starvation, Safia saved 4 and found owners for the others. The 5th horse was found wandering aimlessly on the streets and the 6th was literally dying of hunger so a kind friend bought her off the owner.
Safia created a project around equines called CavaliSpirit (owned by her company Equine Spirit) with the purpose of improving the conditions of the equines in Morocco by changing the way people see them and treat them. Although we have the appropriate knowledge and the determination and commitment to make it happen, we unfortunately do not have the financial resources to offer them their forever home. These horses are the heart and soul of this project. They are the reason it exists. For us to move forwards, and help more equines and change the way people treat them, we need to lead by example with these 6 horses.
Here we must include the valuable aid we receive from our nearest and dearest. There’s Christine, our very gifted Animal Communicator, who despite being far away, always finds the time to communicate with whatever animal is ill or unhappy. Her intervention has been crucial in soothing animals before sterilization, in revealing the areas of discomfort and so much more. Then there’s Jaouad, Safia’s husband, who was actually the one who saved the first 4 horses. His work with horses is perfectly compatible with Safia’s work ethics so they make a great team. He undertook a training in equine dentistry, which has enabled him to treat so many equines on a pro bono basis. Last but definitely not least, we must mention Kinda, Dina and Laysa (GiGi’s 3 other daughters/Safia’s sisters) who are always unfailingly present with their unwavering moral and financial support. They have also played a large role in bringing this Association to life, adding their stones to the edifice slowly but surely.