Since moving to Dar Khalifa, we have relied on two extraordinary people to show us the ropes, solve our problems, and endure endless questions.

Zohra and Osman.

They have both lived in the shantytown outside the Caliph’s House for as long as they can remember – Zohra (our housekeeper) with her two daughters; and Osman (our guardian) with his wife, children, and extended family.

Their homes have been little more than shacks crafted from third-hand breeze-blocks, corrugated iron, and scraps of wood and metal discarded by others. But change is coming. Descending like a storm cloud, it’s ravaging the community that’s endured for so long. In a country gripped by insatiable urban expansion, ‘bidonvilles’ are being cleared to make way for expensive apartment blocks.

Most of the shantytown has been razed to the ground, the shacks bulldozed, and the rubble cleared away.

The other day Zohra’s home was knocked down. Wiping a hand over her eyes to push away the tears, she told me what had happened: ‘They didn’t need a bulldozer on my house because it was too frail,’ she whispered. ‘Three men just pushed it over with their hands.’

Osman’s home lies in the middle of the last remaining outcrop of shacks. He just came to tell me that it’s due for demolition by the end of the month. Like everyone else, he places his trust in God. But his family’s sense of fear is palpable.

I have a dream…

It’s to raise funds to buy Zohra and Osman apartments to live in. Not shacks with leaky tin roofs, but fine homes with good furnishings, hot and cold water, and all other mod-cons.

A two-bedroom apartment in a modest area of Casablanca starts at about £25,000 ($32,000). That’s well out of reach of Zohra and Osman, even with a hefty contribution from me.

For this reason, I have decided to raise some extra funds, and provide Zohra and Osman with the kind of homes they deserve, but could never have dreamt of living in.

Thank you so much for your generosity, for which we are incredibly grateful.

Tahir Shah