Bringing aroha to Morocco 'THERE'S JOY IN HELPING'

The Kiwi hotel owner is giving back to the people and place she fell in love with

- Aroha Awarau

While the people of Morocco are overcoming the deadly earthquake that rocked the nation last month, Christchurch businesswoman Nicky Burmester has found a new calling. Since the disaster, she has been tirelessly working to provide aid and clear rubble in the ancient city of Marrakech, and the surrounding villages. 

Nicky has been living in Morocco since the beginning of this year to manage her traditional riad hotel, the Berber Duchess, which she bought in 2016.

She says she had just fallen asleep on the first floor of the hotel when the magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck on September 8, just after 11pm. The disaster killed about 3000 people and destroyed hundreds of homes, buildings, and historical and archaeological sites.

"I've never experienced an earthquake in Morocco before and I couldn't believe this was happening," she says. "I got out of bed and all the guests were up. Our riad was full of Australians. I was able to talk to them to make sure they were okay."

Nicky says it was fortunate the Berber Duchess is a riad - a courtyard house with no roof, made from concrete, stone and wood - that are designed to withstand all climates. The structure survived the earthquake with no damage. Other homes in the city - and especially in many of the remote villages nestled in the surrounding High Atlas mountains - were not so lucky.

The following morning, Nicky and her Italian partner Leonardo Lanni were deeply emotional after seeing the devastation, and how it impacted their neighbours and community.

They were compelled to go out and provide aid and help with clearing the rubble within Marrakech and the villages in the mountains, alongside local volunteers.