On the 31st of May, the Fundación Tres Culturas (Three Cultures Foundation) organised a Ramadan celebration specifically for the Moroccan seasonal workers who are currently in Huelva province for the strawberry and red fruit harvest campaign. Altogether, 165 women travelled from the farm they are working on (located in Almonte in Huelva) to the Foundation’s headquarters in Seville, the Hassan II Pavilion, to share a very special day at which the Tres Culturas (Three Cultures) directive team (led by director José Manuel Cervera); the Consul General of the Kingdom of Morocco in Seville, Farid Aoulouhaj; and the Deputy Consul Abdellatif Alami were also present.
In fact, the director of the Foundation and the Moroccan Consul were in charge of welcoming the workers, thanking them for their work in the Andalusian countryside and highlighting the importance of the role they have for many years been playing in these agricultural campaigns. Following a few words from each, in Spanish and Arabic, a concert by singer Ehssan Toutan and her group began and they encouraged the public to sing along and dance with their popular and very festive rhythms.
At sunset, and following the Adhan (the prayer to break the fast or iftar) the women were able to enjoy a dinner consisting of the typical Moroccan dishes of the season, from harira to pastelas, as well as fruit, boiled eggs and a range of sweetmeats and water, juice and liquid yoghurt.
This event is part of the IntegrARTE programme, a Fundación Tres Culturas (Three Cultures Foundation) initiative which the Spanish, Andalusian and, especially, Moroccan authorities have been implicated in with an important presence of the Deputy Ministry for Moroccan Expats and the Ministry for Work and Professional Insertion of the Kingdom of Morocco. Equally of note is the implication of the strawberry sector (in fact, the workers were accompanied by the managers of the farm where they are carrying out their tasks) and consultants from the PRELSI launched by the Interfresa Interprofessional Association to ensure good work conditions for these women.
They were also accompanied by the teacher of the Spanish classes for Moroccans that Tres Culturas (Three Cultures) is running in Cartaya, Almonte, Palos de la Frontera, Moguer, Rociana and Lepe (with 13 groups in total) within the IntegrARTE programme, which also includes theatre performances in Arabic, concerts and actions such as this celebration to mark the holy month of the Ramadan.
