Algeria

Algeria alumni have embarked on an environmental project to create a “Green School” in the rural Algerian province of Tizi-Ouzou. Tizi-Ouzou is located about 100KM from the capital of Algiers and has a large Berber population. The project consists of remodeling an elementary school in the village of Beni Douala. The village school was the first school built by France in the region during the French colonial occupation of Algeria and since that time it has never been remodeled.

Lynda Halit `05 and M’hamed Kouidmi `06, are members of Eco-Action, an environmental university association and are also the lead organizers of the project. They are joined by another ten alumni including: Lisa Madani `07, Yanis Akkache `07, Rifel Bouabdallah `05, Rosa Lounis `05, Naila Kerkebane `06, Yasmine Drais `06, Taki Eddine Djeffal `05, Lamia Lahreche `05, Mahfoudh Oubadji `05 and Abdelaziz Izri `05 who are all volunteering in this effort. The group plans to travel to the village of Beni Douala for five days during their spring break this coming March to work on painting and decorating the school, and creating a garden and a small play ground. The group also hopes to use the opportunity to teach the students who attend the school about environmental awareness. So far the group has collected over $1,000.00 in donations and has applied for other grants.