Every Monday I receive one of my favourite weekly emails… a blog post from my friend and Chiropractic Leader Lynn McAvenia. Lynn is big in the world of chiropractic, leading retreats, coaching, and organising Europe’s biggest annual conference. You may know that my wife Farah (aka “The Boss”) has been away since last Thursday, and the kids and I are missing her. You may also know that Farah works pro-bono for both Rotary and the Charity Aspire Mama Africa. Her mission and vision is beautiful and clear… to give the women of Africa a fair chance in life.
Lynn’s email explains what she and Farah have been up to. Her email brought tears to my eyes, and pride to my heart. I will let Lynn’s words do the explaining…
To Be There At The Birth, by Lynn McAvenia
I am in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. I am here as one of the leaders of the Fire Moon Rising women’s retreat.
At this altitude, the air is thin but very pure. The villages that hang from the sides of the mountains are primitive. Many are inaccessible by road, only by tracks that zigzag back and forth up the mountain face. This trip is the culmination of many years’ dreaming and planning.
Mule Carrying Chiropractic Tables in the Atlas Mountains, Morrocco
My friend Farah and I run a small charity, Aspire Mama Africa. We raise funds to allow Amazigh tribal girls to go to school. This is the chosen name of what used to be called the Berber tribe. Farah has a dream to educate Moroccan women. I have a dream to bring Chiropractic to this harsh but beautiful land. I envision a day when we will send Amazigh girls off to study Chiropractic in the UK or the US, and one day they will return here to care for their people.
70% of Moroccan women are illiterate. When little girls finish primary school in their villages, it is impossible for them to attend senior schools many hours trek away. Without education, they are soon married. Our charity supports an organization called Education for All Morocco. We help pay for safe boarding houses in the towns, each with a loving house mother to care for the girls. Living here, these girls get to attend senior school.
When one girl was asked, what would your life be without this boarding house, she said, “I would be born, have children, and die.”
Today, we trekked four hours up the mountain to a small village, and for the first time, the women chiropractors who are part of our retreat adjusted Amazigh women and their children. We estimate that we delivered 200 adjustments. The atmosphere was incredible. This is just the beginning. For Morocco and for Africa.
Providing Chiropractic to Women and Children who have no access to healthcare.
If you are a woman chiropractor and would like to join us next year for this extraordinary experience, please contact us, either through me or through Aspire Mama Africa. If you would like to sponsor girls financially, we would be tremendously appreciative. We receive donations and support from many wonderful chiropractors and chiropractic clinics around the world.
A.M.A. Leaders: Lynn, Farah, Emily & Makenna
Farah and Lynn were joined by chiropractors and patients, from our clinic and others, from Europe and America. Thank you to Farah, Lynn, and the Fire Moon Rising group for this amazing work. You are inspiring in your actions, and I am grateful to have you in my life.
To help Aspire Mama Africa, you can donate directly to:
Asociación Aspire Mama Africa
IBAN: ES97 2100 5674 6513 0007 1248
BIC / SWIFT: CAIXESBBXXX
Bank: Caixabank
You can click here to find out more, or even ask at front-desk.