Lalla Haya Source

     The source Lalla Haya springs at the foot of Tarmilate tray and Zguit massif, at 552 m above sea level on the banks of the Oued Aguennour. Discovered in 1933, it is located in the heart of a heavily wooded area, mainly composed of cork trees. Essentially volcanic, the source Lalla Haya is bicarbonate, ferruginous and sulphurous. The water comes from several thousand meters deep in vapor form, driven by the carbon dioxide rises to the surface.
 

     The water flows naturally to a temperature of 42 ° C. Lalla Haya is a natural gas reserve of water at the source, unique specificity in Morocco, making the brand a Oulmès flagship product, a water of exceptional minerality. 

Village : ABRDI

Abrdi village which is located in the outskirt of Oulmes on the main road to Meknes and it is composed of three little tribes; Ait Bouho, Ait Hdiddou and Ait Omar. The population of the village is about 1200p.Some houses are electrified and some are not. The spoken language in this region is Tamazight (Berber) and Arabic.
     Most people work in the agricultural sector. There two primary schools in the village. For the hospitalisation, people are usually to go to Oulmes or Khemisset.

Village : AIT OUAHI

     Ait Ouahi village is on the vicinity of Tarmilat, a large village on the west of Oulmes about 1500 inhabitant which is known for wood, bottled water and some hot springs. Ait Ouhi is a reference to the tribe that settled in the area centuries ago.


     The spoken language in the village is basically Tamazight (Berber) and some families speak Moroccan Arabic. Most people work in the agriculture for local consummation and ranching. Concerning schools, there is a primary school in Tarmilat but for the middle and high school students go to Oulmes.


    For the hospitalisation, people usually go to the hospital of Oulmes or the main one in Khemisset which is an hour and half from the village. The population of the Ait Ouahi is about 400 people. Most houses are electrified and have Turkish toilets.


     The distance between the houses of the village is 5 to 15 minutes walk. Tuesday is a souk day for the region. To get to the village there is a main road 10 minutes from Oulmes and 1, 5 km of dirt track. The village can host up to 40 students.

OULMES CITY

Oulmes City: a glamorous city of the Middle Atlas

Oulmes is a small but notable city in the Middle-Atlas lying in Morocco. It covers an area of 550 Km², and is given the epithet of “The Pearl of Middle-Atlas”. It is located in the North-east of the Capital City, Rabat, and is 150 Km away from it, 85 Km away from Khenifra city, 90 km away from Khemisset city, and 90 Km away from Meknes city.

The earliest people: original inhabitants

The earliest people of Oulmes city are descended from the “Amazigh tribes” lived then, and thus they belong to the Amazigh community living in Morocco. Their official language is “Tamazight” (Berber Language). It is said that they came to Oulmes from so-called “Ment”, near to A’glmous (Khenifra Province). Besides, it is thought that these people, the earliest people, belong to Ayt Ou’malou ancestry who came to settle down in Oulmes seeking refuge from the persecution of Moha Ou Hammou Ezz’ayani.

The etymology of the word “Oulmes”

The etymology of the word “Oulmes” goes back, according to what the inhabitants say, to the geographical location of the city itself, as well as the nature of the exploitation of the city. It was called at first “Almis” or “Almas” (the Amazigh equivalent term to refer to the ‘middle’ of the thing); it was called so because there was (as is still up till today) a weekly market in the Tuesdays, whereby people came from three tribes that surrounded Oulmes to buy their needs, or even to sell their goods.

Establishments

· Economic establishments :

Oulmes has got two major economic establishments: Arbor Company and Sidi Ali Company.

Arbor Company: Le Groupe Arbor Holding is a company that was founded in 1947, and it covers an area of 500 hectare. It is a very contemporary company with very modern technologies and mechanization techniques. It is the leader company in Morocco concerning the production and the distribution of fruits.

Sidi Ali Industry: was founded in 1924 in a village nearby called Tarmilat. It is concerned in producing bottles of mineral water (Sidi Ali & Oulmès).

· Educational establishments :

The city contains two elementary schools (Abi Al’fidaa & Abi Al’qassim Ezz’ayani), one middle school (Ennaser), and one secondary school (Mohammed VI).

Oulmes, indeed, is a charming city thanks to the weather which is very healthy, though it’s too cold in the winters and too hot in the summers. The city is charming and wonderful not only due to the weather, but the mineral water it has got as well. Even though it lacks many infrastructure buildings, tourists often conceive of Oulmes as an exciting city to visit thanks to the picturesque mountains it includes. Oftentimes they think that is a fascinating place to visit. Aside from this, it is an ancient city which was established thousands of years ago.



Remember, when in Rome, do as the Romans do!

PRESENTATION ANBJI TOURS

    Anbji Tours is non- governmental organization that was founded in 2010 by young Moroccans for the purpose of the promotion of the local Amazighi culture on the national and international scales throughout their activities and projects and to help the surrounding villages benefit from sustainable development plans.

     The association is aiming at the establishment of a youth center where young people from Oulmes and the villages can have a platform for trainings, lectures and create a background for interaction with people from different countries and backgrounds. The association has a networking of villages around the city of Oulmes where most of it is projects take place.

     The major focus of the association is mainly on rural tourism, social development and non formal education.

Activities :

Ø Cooking classes based on local and Moroccan cuisine

Ø Music and dance ( Ahidous)

Ø Planting trees

Ø Painting schools

Ø Teaching English for local children

Ø Hiking 2, 5 hours / Trekking

Ø Souk visit( Tuesday)

Ø Group discussion with local children / students

Ø Learn basics of Tamazight

Ø Visit Oulmes company

Ø Visit Arbor company ( agricultural)