KEEP 100 MOROCCAN CHILDREN AWAY FROM ABANDONMENT

It is a great pleasure to revert to you as the spring begins here in Morocco and I would like to focus on education and health, which are key in our Imzouren Family Strengthening Program.

On the path to success!

As we have previously informed you, a tutoring program was set up this year, to help the beneficiaries of Imzouren Family Strengthening Program overcome their academic difficulties and lead them to success. Aware of their important mission, the teachers adapted the academic support program to each level and to the identified gaps. The mothers were also sensitized to monitor their children at home through monthly educational meeting with the teachers, but also through awareness meetings with the Program coordinator. After six months of hard work, and thanks to this school support strategy, we are very proud to announce that our kids ‘grades have remarkably improved!

As part of the academic orientation, five students who will be passing the Baccalaureate certificate next June have participated in the second national SOS Children’s Village orientation workshop during last school holidays (at the end of January). They received a coaching session on job search techniques, on how to seize opportunities to find a job and on how to demonstrate a spirit of initiative. They also had the chance to have a guided visit to the central office of a Moroccan mobile phone company where they have learnt about all job opportunities this company can offer to those who work hard. This workshop lit the path of our 5 future graduates with great ambition!

At the local level, a second orientation workshop was organized for the benefit of 8 Imzouren youths who are currently in the last year of middle school.  Our young students attended an awareness session on time management in order to become better organized. This workshop took place in a very zeal atmosphere and was crowned by a guided tour to an institute specializing in Hospitality and Tourism, to the Village of craftsmen and to the regional academic orientation information center.

Still in the same context, thanks to a previously developed program with the national employment agency, 8 youths have received an awareness session about how to correctly write a curriculum vitae but also about the available services for internships and job search.

Health: focus on prevention

Health is a key priority, especially during the winter season, which was very rigorous this year. Our families and especially children benefited from medical visits to defeat the common cold, respiratory problems and sore throats.

Last quarter, emphasis was placed on prevention:

• A prevention session on breast cancer, framed by doctors from Imzouren hospital, enabled the mothers to learn about this atrocious disease.
• To sensitize mothers and young girls to AIDS, our program coordinator conducted a meeting to explain the causes of transmission and the required precautions to prevent against this scary disease, which is unfortunately spreading in Morocco.
• Finally, special attention was given to mothers whose children are suffering from mental illness, to make sure they are aware of the importance to follow up medical treatments and to be compliant with the dose prescribed by the doctor.

The program of activities devoted to mothers and children included prevention of violence against women: children and their mothers expressed their rejection of violence through role-plays and drawings. On the international disabled day, an educational workshop was also organized to teach children the respect for disabled persons.

Celebrations

To end on happy note, families have celebrated the feast of Lmawlid Nabawi Sharif with students in Imzouren SOS Children's Village: altogether, they sang religious songs and participated in educational and cultural competitions games.

March 8^th (international women day) was also an important celebration day, especially in a cultural context where gender approach still weighs heavy. Mothers of the Family Strengthening Program gathered to watch and comment (with great emotion) the movie “Androman”, which sheds light on the plight of rural women. On that occasion, all women received flowers and Fatima won the grand prize raffle (a hi fi system)!