Najah Boulakjar raised four trucks full of relief supplies for earthquake victims in Morocco. Now it’s time to make room again to get his lamp and home furnishings store up and running. Only one problem: the campaign was so successful that he was not able to send everything away yet. “We really need a truck so we can get there with a fourth load.”
For a week, about fifty volunteers helped to process and package the flow of items for transport. Among the stock in his business are boxes of packaged materials. “We wrote what was in it in Arabic, so that people no longer have to find it out,” he explains. It now mainly concerns a load of wheelchairs, blankets, sleeping bags and tents. “Luckily the Dutch are real campers,” he laughs.
While he is talking about the successful collection at the remains of the campaign, a car stops and brings another shopping bag full of items. It is of course accepted, but the campaign has now really come to an end. Customers of his business are waiting for their orders. “We had to stop because we had no more room. People still keep bringing stuff, but we’ve really stopped,” he explains.
The vast majority of the items are now on their way to Morocco. The first truck has already arrived at the border, the second is driving near Madrid and a third truck is ready to leave.
Now Boulakjar is still looking for a truck and drivers for the last load. “Anyone who can take it away can come and get it. That is allowed for Morocco, but if someone gets up and wants to drive to Libya, that is also fine.”
The progress of the transport can be followed via TikTok.
Najah is overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for his fundraiser.