In the High Atlas region of Morocco, in the valley of the Berber tribe of Ait Bouguemez, at 1800 metres above sea level, and in the middle of what was originally rough, mountainous terrain, lies the école vivante, a youth and educational institution of the non-profit organisation Association Vivante.

The école vivante creates space for interaction, support and development; a place that brings people from different sections of society with different languages, cultures and religions together.

It combines the old with the new. Here, community groups, customs and traditions are maintained and intercultural exchanges are promoted.

The Association Vivante offers motivated young people, in a sustainable way, the opportunity to access the world and new possibilities. The école vivante is led by head teachers Stefanie Tapal Mouzoun and Haddou Mouzoun.

“We are drifting, being carried along by the journey, the landscape and our thoughts. The beauty around us has to be experienced, there are no words to describe it. We are travelling through a barren, dusty landscape for hours on end and yet it feels like a journey through a moment. At some point this evening we will arrive in the Ait Bouguemez valley and the Berber village of the école vivante.”
From a diary entry of a girl from the Scuola Vivante in Buchs, canton St. Gallen