KEEP 100 MOROCCAN CHILDREN AWAY FROM ABANDONMENT

Dear Global Giving supporter,

As the holy month of Ramadan is starting in Morocco, I am glad to give you an update about the project in Imzouren.

Thanks to your support, we are currently helping 73 children and youths and their 30 different families in the region of Imzouren.

As you know, our FSP officer Moulouda, regularly works with the mothers to follow schooling of children. She visits schools and maintain the contact with teacher, especially since most of the children encounter difficulties at school. During the past 3 months, we have reinforced after school tutoring classes for the pupils who are facing exams in the end of the year. 42 pupils benefit from tutoring classes, all levels included from primary school to high school. We wish them good luck for the end of the year and a lot of success !

We have also worked with the youths during the last semester, with the organization of two vocational guidance workshops with pupil from last year of secondary school to termination of high school (passing Baccalaureate certificate). The objectives were to give information about pathways to choose among studies at university or vocational trainings, to raise awareness about the necessity to focus on a relevant personal project to succeed in professional and social insertion and to give confidence to the youths and help them build their own future.

On top of thes workshops, 11 youths took part in the visit of Al Hoceima Marine Insitute and 3 other youths travelled all the way to Casablanca to participate in the National Youth Forum in partnership with two other NGOs. It was an amazing opportunity for them to know more about vocational trainings, studies at university and administrative procedures to get public grants. They could also meet with companies and talk with employees to know more about their pathways and experience. On top of this, it was a great adventure for them, since it was their first travel out of their region, to the big city of Casablanca.

In parallel, we keep working with the mothers to give them the means to raise their children in dignity. We plan that 5 families will be autonomous in July 2016, and we are currently working with 12 other mothers for them to set up cooking or sewing income generating activities. We will keep you informed about these projects in the coming months.

Our FSP officer finally aims at raising awareness about children’s rights in the whole community of this conservative region. She has called local schools’ directions to contribute into a mid-term action plan to raise awareness concerning auto protection of the child against sexual abuse and other forms of violence. The plan includes workshop with pupils and parents about Children's Rights through a support document: Guide “Thank you to respect my rights”. Moulouda has already organized workshops with one school for 40 children from the community and their parents.

To end with a joyful story, there has been a very special day in April: we managed to get free tickets for the local funfair in Imzouren. You should have hear the kids and their mothers laugh, the first time they got on a merry-go-round ! This was unique and precious. The children have a difficult past and background so it is even more important for them to live those happy childhood moments every child deserves!

I leave you with the smiles of the children and, on behalf of the families you help stick together, I wish you a serene and peaceful month of Ramadan!