Meet the Mayshad Foundation.
This Moroccan and American-based NGO supports innovative social projects in rural areas of Africa to benefit marginalized communities with focused efforts on women and youth. Founded by Nezha Alaoui in 2014, the Foundation aims to improve the living conditions of these communities through the launch of income-generating activities.
Every year, the Mayshad Foundation organizes a week-long program called the Mayshad Festival. This year’s festival aims to celebrate Intercontinental Social Responsibility. Participants come from all over the world and from all different backgrounds to experience Morocco. Through the organization of this festival, Mayshad creates a networking platform between American, African, and European entrepreneurs while highlighting the diversity of Moroccan society, religion, history, and geography.
The Mayshad Festival begins upon arrival at Jenan Mayshad. This expansive riad is where founder Nezha Alaoui spent her childhood weekends and holidays immersed in the pure beauty of nature. A stay at Jenan Mayshad is a magical experience that ignites all of the senses. Guests experience the ultimate richness of Morocco in a peaceful environment with garden paths leading through the property’s mystical retreats.
Throughout the trip, guests have the opportunity to experience the highlights of Morocco. Among these experiences, guests can seek inspiration at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, explore spirituality in nature at the Menara Gardens, expand knowledge at MACAAL Museum (Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden), and engage with cultural history at the beautifully preserved Synagogue of Marrakesh. Each day offers a new adventure punctuated with gourmet experiences - lunch in a trendy cafe at the Marrakesh Spice Market; dinner beneath the stars in the Agafay desert; a Sephardic-inspired meal in the heart of the Jewish quarter. The Mayshad Festival strives to reinforce the link between America and Africa, emphasizing an intercultural network with both participants and experiences.
The Festival culminates with a spectacular symphonic concert in the desert of Agafay, 35 km from Marrakech, with its stunning 360° views of the landscape’s barren grandeur and beyond to the snow-capped Atlas Mountains.
Festival Music Director Joel Revzen conducts the Orchestre du Palais de Versailles in a program of timeless masterpieces including Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Symphony No. 4 (Italian), as well as the Canteloube Chants d’Augergne with superstar mezzo-soprano Susan Graham.
Dinner is served in the Mayshad pavilion, the sun dips down beneath the hills, and nightfall envelops the camp in inky darkness as our guests experience a veritable oasis of the world’s most beautiful classical music in the middle of the desert.
Experience the heart and soul of Morocco. Contact JackB@jbsworld.com for more information about participating in this year’s Mayshad Festival.