1. Project Identity
Legal Name: Atlas Volunteers Association
Project Name (provisional): Tiswit Project
The project is born and developed exclusively in the village of Tiswit, Midelt region, Morocco. It does not aim to represent other villages or expand without careful reflection. The location is central: the project is built rooted in the community and its context.
The final name can be decided later; for now, what matters is the coherence and clarity of the project, not the brand identity.

2. Context and Origin
The Tiswit Project arises from previous experiences of long-term volunteering in the village, which created real connections with the community, especially with children. This experience allowed an understanding of both the transformative potential of such initiatives and the risks when they turn into business, dependency, or external protagonism.
The project is born from the desire to do things differently, learning from past mistakes and establishing clear ethical boundaries from the very beginning.

3. Mission
The mission of the Tiswit Project is to support the community of Tiswit village during the summer, with a particular focus on children, through an educational, community, and intercultural program founded on:

• presence and shared time

• cultural respect

• mutual learning

• personal reflection for participants

The project does not seek to intervene in or change the community but aims to strengthen existing processes and foster authentic relationships. For volunteers, the mission offers an experience of conscious coexistence, encouraging them to:

• reflect on their life and consumption habits

• reconnect with what is truly essential

• practice mindfulness, care, and humility

4. Vision
The vision of the Tiswit Project is to establish a small, coherent, and sustainable initiative, deeply rooted in the village, that can endure over time without losing its ethical foundation or purpose.

In the long term, the project aims to:

• provide real and continuous educational support during the summer,

• create dignified and stable local employment, even if seasonal,

• be recognized by the community as their own project, rather than one imposed from outside.

The project does not seek numerical growth or territorial expansion if doing so would compromise connection, quality, or coherence.

5. Type of Project

• Educational: supporting learning and providing guidance for children.

• Community-based: developed together with the community, respecting their pace and decisions.

• Intercultural: fostering genuine and respectful encounters between people from different cultural backgrounds.

• Human-centered: prioritizing relationships, coexistence, and care over immediate results.

6. Scale and Phase

• Scale: small

• Current Phase: pilot

• Main Period: summer

• Number of Volunteers: limited and controlled (maximum 15 per two-week period)

• Growth: slow, conscious, and reviewable

The limitation on volunteer numbers is an ethical and practical decision to prioritize project quality and the privacy of children.

7. Values

1. Cultural Respect and Rootedness: the project adapts to the reality of the village, not the other way around.
2. Reciprocity: everyone gives and receives; there are no saviors or passive beneficiaries.
3. Conscious Simplicity: a slower pace, less consumption, more shared time.
4. Local Autonomy and Leadership: decisions are made in collaboration with local community members.

5. Relationship and Continuity: we prioritize strong bonds over the number of activities.

6. Transparency and Honesty: clear communication about objectives, resources, and limits.

7. Human and Emotional Care: respect and support for children, volunteers, and the local team.

8. 8. Inner and Spiritual Dimension
   The project recognizes that intercultural encounters are also an inner process. Living in Tiswit, sharing time, and embracing simplicity fosters deep personal growth for both volunteers and the local team.

Spirituality is understood as conscious presence, attention, listening, coherence, and reflection—not as religion or imposition.

The project creates spaces for:

• introspection,

• writing,

• sharing circles,

• moments of silence,

• reflection on consumption, relationships, and priorities.

These experiences are lived and explored—they are not imposed.

9. Ethical and Practical Red Lines
The Tiswit Project acknowledges that it fits within the definition of voluntourism, but it operates from ethics and awareness. Clear boundaries are established:

Relationship with Children

• No gifts or individual money are given.

• No emotional dependency is created.

• No promises of future help that cannot be fulfilled.

• Absolute priority: the dignity and well-being of the children.

Use of Images

• Avoid photos of children for emotional or promotional purposes.

• Only group photos, activity shots from behind, hands, environment, school, or materials are allowed.

• Any image of children requires explicit consent and context.

• Never use images that provoke pity or objectify.

Role of the Volunteer

• Volunteers do not come to “save” or impose ideas.

• All actions are coordinated with the local team.

• Actions are never taken out of urgency, pity, or personal protagonism.

Project Operation

• The project generates no personal profit.

• Income covers actual costs and dignified local employment.

• Surpluses are reinvested in the community or the project itself.

• The number of volunteers is consciously limited.

• Community well-being takes precedence over the volunteer experience.

These rules are non-negotiable.

10. Approach and Continuous Review
The Tiswit Project is not measured by numbers or photos. It is sustained through:

• presence and listening,

• respect for individual rhythms,

• constant reflection on motivations,

• acceptance of limits.

If the project loses coherence, humanity, or respect, it is paused, reviewed, or transformed. No project is above the people or the community.

This document serves as the ethical, conceptual, and operational foundation of the Tiswit Project. It must be read, understood, and respected by the entire coordinating team and all volunteers.

All project decisions and actions should be able to stand firmly on the principles outlined in this document.