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In January, the UK and Morocco lost Evette Branson. The British philanthropist and mother of Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, died of Covid-19 at the age of 96. A women’s and children’s rights advocate, she had dedicated her life to these causes, working in the rural area of Asni, south of Marrakech.
In 2005, she created the Eve Branson Foundation (EBF) to support high added value projects intended for the local population. In 2015, the philanthropist was decorated in London with the Royal Wissam with the rank of Officer, granted to her by King Mohammed VI in recognition of the humanitarian actions she carried out in Morocco.
To pay tribute to the Eve Branson, 25 local NGOs submitted a request to the president of the municipal council of Asni on March 15. Their intention is to name a road section connecting the rural town of Asni to the Kasbah Tamadot hotel, in recognition of her projects and services for the region.
«We salute the many initiatives this lady has given led for our region and her determination to help the population in several areas. To us, the greatest tribute is to give her name to one of the districts of the region», they indicate in the letter to local authorities, accessed by Yabiladi.
The same associations also recall that the Eve Branson Foundation continues to manage several environmental, social and educational projects in the region. «Naming this road in honor of Eve Branson will strengthen her family's determination to continue supporting the development of the region», the same letter added.
A symbolic gesture to pay tribute to a great woman
«This great woman has supported, through her foundation, no less than six douars in the region, in several social and economic fields, which range from drilling wells to provide access to water to educational and environmental projects», says Houssein Bahja, president of the Tamgounsi association in Asni, spearheading the initiative.
The association cites, in this regard, the foundation's plan to create a waste collection and storage network and its support, during the health crisis, for the underprivileged population through direct aid grants.
«We cannot forget her unwavering support for our region and we want people to remember her through this symbolic gesture by naming the road connecting the town to her family’s hotel».
The leader of NGO Tamgounsi indicates that their proposal has garnered the support of the local population; and that 26 associations so far signed the letter addressed to the Asni municipal council.
«The council also appreciated our initiative, in particular the two vice-presidents and other councilors», Houssein Bahja explains, adding that the proposal would be discussed during the next session of the council. «I believe that giving this road her name will allow us to confirm the mark she has left on our region», he concludes.
If the initiative is accepted, it will thus set a precedent as elected officials are often reluctant to the hodonyms coming from of citizen initiatives. An example would be the mobilization in Rabat in 2015 to baptize an avenue in the name of Moroccan researcher Fatema Mernissi. The city’s PJD-controlled municipal council has still not submitted the proposal to a vote.
Paradoxically, the PJD elected representatives in Temara, a neighboring city of Rabat, stirred a controversy last May, by giving the names Salafi movement figures to the streets of the Al Mansour Addahabi district before making a U-turn on the decision.
