07.19.07
LESSONS FROM …
Achievements:
Government
The ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; the introduction of a new penal code adopted in 2002 (ensuring, among other things, legal assistance for children under 18); a political strategy that includes a national survey on children living and working in the streets, greater access to formal and non-formal education opportunities, awareness campaigns on the street children phenomenon, improved
electricity and water services in rural areas, and increased financial support for NGOs working with children and towards sustainable development.
NGOs and Civil Society
NGOs specifically dedicated to helping street children have been formed and a network has been created to ensure communication and coordination of actors across the main urban centres of Morocco.
Several seminars and workshops have also taken place between 1996 and 1998 bringing together governmental agencies and NGOs to discuss the welfare of street living and street working children. In 2001, the NGO network proposed a National Plan of Action for street children, but this has unfortunately not been applied yet. However, a free helpline was set up in 2000 under the initiative of the ‘Observatoire National des Droits de l’Enfant’.
Constraints and challenges: Lack of national policies/strategies to stem the flow of rural to urban mass migration; lack of qualified social workers; poor quality service provision; lack of innovative strategies for the integration and rehabilitation of street children; lack of reliable data on children in the streets.
Lessons Learned: In 1995, the organisation BAYTI started the first programme specifically targeting street children, and has developed since then several guiding procedures, including:
- The need for a flexible and holistic approach to street children, incorporating psychosocial, participatory and individualised aspects
- A 4-step methodology, beginning with (1) identification of street children and analysis of their situation; (2) development of an individualised strategy/project plan; (3) implementation of the project/strategy; and (4) consolidation and follow up on the child’s progress after reintegration/rehabilitation.
- The need for an integrated approach that is based around coordination and cooperation between government institutions (e.g. police, judiciary) and ministries (e.g. health, education), the private sector (to enable job placement and skills training for street children) and the NGO sector.
- The need to exchange experience and lessons learned with regional and international agencies working on the same issues.
