Michiels - El Aisati (Fund)
Support education and poverty alleviation initiatives in South Africa and Morocco, which contribute to improving the living conditions of the most vulnerable people.
What is it about?
The Michiels El Aisati Fund was established in 2018 by Dirk Michiels and Nordin El Aisati. With the Fund, they want to support projects that contribute to improving the living conditions of the weakest and most vulnerable in society. They specifically choose organisations and initiatives that are active in the sector of poverty reduction and education in South Africa and Morocco, without distinction of origin, religion or gender.
The story begins in 2018, when Dirk and Nordin meet a retired school director in South Africa. Because of the many conversations with him, they felt compelled. Government budgets for education are very low in South Africa, which means that facilities in many schools are very limited. For example, the pupils of the St.-Albans Primary School near Port Elizabeth are taught in overcrowded classes and depend on only one meal a day, which is prepared in the school kitchen.
Dirk and Nordin were able to see for themselves how urgently this infrastructure needed to be renewed. A new, recycled container kitchen that meets the required ecological and hygienic standards was partly financed by Dirk and Nordin themselves in 2019, the remaining part was possible thanks to donations. The pupils of the school can now enjoy correctly prepared meals. In a second phase, the Fund also financed the renovation of a classroom in the school.