Erickson’s Nonprofit Rebuilds Homes in Morocco
By QUINN PROPST
Ward Media Staff Reporter
How Friends of the Rif is Responding to the 2023 Earthquake
When a devastating earthquake struck Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains in September 2023, entire communities were reduced to rubble. For many families, centuries-old homes—built from rock and mud, passed down through generations—crumbled in an instant. In the wake of this disaster, a small but determined nonprofit, Friends of the Rif, stepped in to help rebuild not just houses, but hope.
At the center of this effort is Brent Erickson and his extended family. Erickson is the owner of Erickson Construction in Gig Harbor. He is also president of Friends of the Rif, a nonprofit he helped establish with his family after an earlier Moroccan earthquake in 2004. The connection between his two worlds is direct: the homes and projects his company builds in Washington help fund new homes for families in Morocco who have lost everything.
A Builder With Two Footprints
Erickson’s ties to Morocco go back decades. His wife grew up there, and the couple lived in the country from 2003 to 2006. That experience gave them firsthand knowledge of life in Morocco’s rural regions, where many homes are still built from stone, mud, and timber, passed down through generations.
In 2004, when an earthquake struck the Rif Mountains in northern Morocco, Erickson’s in-laws were among the first to respond. They began by bringing medical supplies to affected villages but quickly saw that the greater need was for permanent shelter. Families had been left homeless, with little or no government support. Over the next decade, Erickson’s in-laws and their network of supporters shifted their focus to housing, building 175 homes in the Rif region.
That work grew into Friends of the Rif, a nonprofit formally founded in 2017. Erickson now leads the organization while continuing to run his construction business in Gig Harbor. He channels part of his company’s profits into the nonprofit’s projects overseas. The model is straightforward but impactful: for every project completed in Washington, there is the potential to build a new home for a family in Morocco.
A Different Earthquake, A Different Challenge
The 2023 earthquake presented a new set of challenges. Centered in the High Atlas Mountains, the devastation stretched across a vast, mountainous area. While the Moroccan government did provide financial assistance to families, it was uneven. Some households received enough to begin rebuilding, but others received little or none. And for many, the amount was not nearly enough to cover the cost of a safe, permanent structure.
“The struggle currently is they’re working on trying to understand what the government’s doing and not building on top of what the government is giving some money to people to build,” Erickson explained. “So we’re working on, how do we facilitate that not everybody got money, so we’re trying to help the people that didn’t get money or need help in the building process, because they didn’t obviously give enough money to build a complete structure. Whereas last time, when we went up to the north, there was no—the government gave very little money out to people, so there was a lot more need for us to build houses completely.”
That means Friends of the Rif has had to adapt. In the Rif in 2004, the need was to fully rebuild homes from the ground up. In the High Atlas, the work is more nuanced—identifying which families have received no aid or are unable to rebuild themselves, and stepping in where the government support falls short.
Supporting Widows and Vulnerable Families
One of the first projects Friends of the Rif completed after the 2023 quake was a home for a widow who had not received government funds.
“The house that we built was for a widow that for some reason, didn’t get money,” Erickson said. “So we were able to get her a house. We have a list of other widows who can’t functionally build. So we’re trying to help them.”
For widows in rural Moroccan villages, the challenges are significant. Without a husband’s income or labor, many cannot rebuild on their own, even with partial government assistance. Friends of the Rif has made them a priority, recognizing that safe housing is especially critical for vulnerable households.
Building in the High Atlas
The practical realities of construction in the High Atlas are daunting. Many of the hardest-hit villages are accessible only by narrow footpaths, with no roads for vehicles. Materials must be carried up steep mountain trails by hand or loaded onto donkeys.
“All the cement is mixed by hand, all the gravel is brought up by hand,” Erickson said. “There’s no heavy machinery. It’s just sheer labor.”
Despite these obstacles, the group ensures that homes meet updated safety standards. After the quake, Morocco introduced stricter regulations requiring earthquake-resistant construction, inspected and approved by engineers. Local builders—known as malums—bring traditional knowledge, while also adapting to these new requirements.
The result is homes that are not only safer but also designed to endure, offering families a more stable future.
The Funding Model
A typical home in rural Morocco costs about $10,000 to build. While that figure is modest by U.S. standards, it is far beyond the reach of many families in the High Atlas.
Friends of the Rif relies on private donations and board contributions, but much of its funding comes directly from Erickson’s construction business. Erickson channels a portion of the profits from projects in Gig Harbor and the surrounding region into the nonprofit’s work overseas.
That direct connection between his local business and international aid creates a unique model of giving. Clients in Washington may be building a home or commercial project, but indirectly, they are also helping provide safe housing for a family halfway around the world.
More Than Shelter
For families who receive a new home, the impact goes far beyond physical shelter. A permanent house provides safety, security, and dignity. It allows families to remain in their communities, keep children in school, and focus on rebuilding daily life.
Erickson has seen how transformative it can be. “You have hope, you have a different outlook on life. You have people that do something for you. It completely changes everything,” he said.
For widows in particular, the stability of a home can make the difference between living under a temporary tarp structure for years or raising children in a safe, permanent environment.
Working Alongside the Community
Friends of the Rif operates with a focus on partnership and cultural respect. The organization works quietly, in collaboration with local families, builders, and leaders, rather than imposing outside solutions.
The Amazigh people of the High Atlas are known for their hospitality and generosity. Even in difficult circumstances, families will welcome guests, share tea, and prepare meals with whatever they have. That resilience and sense of community has shaped the way Friends of the Rif approaches its work—supporting rather than directing, and building relationships alongside houses.
Looking Ahead
The need in the High Atlas remains immense. Entire villages must be rebuilt, and the number of families still without permanent housing is high. Friends of the Rif expects to build many more homes in the coming years, at least as many as were built in the Rif after the 2004 quake, and possibly more.
The challenges are significant: identifying those most in need, coordinating with government requirements, transporting materials into remote areas, and raising the necessary funds. But Erickson remains committed to the work.
“Our long-term goal is to help as many people in that region as possible,” he said. “We’ve seen the difference a home can make—not just in providing shelter, but in restoring dignity and hope.”
How to Help
Friends of the Rif welcomes support from both donors and volunteers. For those willing to travel, the work requires no special skills—just determination and a willingness to help carry materials, mix cement, or lend a hand.
For those supporting from afar, even small contributions make a tangible difference. At a cost of $10,000 per home, donations can add up quickly to transform lives. For more information, visit friendsoftherif.org.
Continuing a Mission
From its beginnings in the Rif Mountains after the 2004 earthquake to its current work in the High Atlas, Friends of the Rif has remained focused on one mission: to step in where help is most needed and to provide safe, permanent housing for those who cannot rebuild on their own.
With Erickson at the helm—balancing his role as a builder in Gig Harbor with his work leading the nonprofit—the organization continues to connect two worlds. The homes and projects he builds in Washington support homes for families thousands of miles away in Morocco.
In the wake of devastation, Friends of the Rif is showing that rebuilding is not only possible but sustainable—one house, one family, and one community at a time.
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