12.04.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:39 pm by nadia
The Moroccan lower chamber (house of representatives comprising 235 members) on Saturday night approved the 2008 state budget after about thirty amendments were made to a document tabled by the Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, nominated last October.
The budget, which will be later on submitted for the approval of the second chamber (upper chamber comprising 270 members), is eying a 6.8% growth rate and 2.4% budget deficit on the GDP, representing US$50 billion.
The bulk of the budget is dedicated to the social sector that absorbed over 50% of it for next year’s expenditure.
The government pledged to maintain inflation at 2%, to strengthen the competitiveness of the Moroccan economy and support basic production through a compensation fund, for which it earmarked over 20 billion dirham (about US$2.5 billion) as opposed to 15 billion dirham for 2007.
The government hopes to give a boost to social housing and complete the « ville sans bidonvilles » (city without slums) programme by 2010.
Therefore, a new product will be launched in 2008, consisting of entirely tax-free housing for the most underprivileged households.
Education (with 9.7% budget increase), and regional development are the other sectors considered as priorities, sources disclosed.
Public investments for 2008 are estimated at 36 billion dirham (about US$4.5 billion), representing 39% increase compared to the 2007 budget.
YB/ib/ovh/daj/APA 03-12-2007
© APA News
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11.30.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:51 pm by nadia
23/11/2007
An educational plan in central Morocco will teach young people about gender equality and women’s rights.
By Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Rabat – 23/11/07
A project to spread a culture of gender equality and combat violence against women began Tuesday (November 20th) in the central Morocco region of Fez-Boulmane. As part of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights, the EU-funded program will offer law, civic education and women’s rights workshops to some 4,620 middle school and high school students and 3,900 women in poor areas.
President of the Chourouk Association for Social Development, Lahcen Afkir, told Magharebia, “We have chosen young people who study in two middle schools located in the same area where our association headquarters is based, and also from two other middle schools located in villages on the outskirts of the city, where we’ve been operating since 2001. As for the women, they have been selected from some of the neighbourhoods where we’ve run programs to combat illiteracy.”
“We have created a methodology and identified our vision,” he added. “We have also drawn up an action plan extending to 2012 because we want to be more accurate and professional.”
The Chourouk Centre has been operating in the Fez region for seven years to enhance the status of women and young people. The centre started with combating illiteracy, Akfir explained, then moved on to legal and civic education.
“Our aspiration is to combat violence against women in a new way, not to wait until violence has taken place. We do this by spreading a culture of gender equality and promoting women’s rights. We have chosen the category of young people on purpose because we wanted to deal with the roots of the problem. We hope to eradicate the problem once and for all by educating young people to respect women from an early age.”
Akfir’s group also created a network of associations to shed light on the new family law and strengthen co-ordinated efforts in the Fez region. The centre receives contributions from the British embassy in Rabat and Oxfam-Québec, a Canadian non-governmental organisation working in the field of sustainable development.
The Cherouk Association contributes about 10.32% of funding for the 109,843-euro education project.
“The preparations for the project, which will extend over a three-year period, started last September by forming the project team, preparing workshops and attracting boosters,” Afkir added, saying that through a partnership with the Ministry of National Education, the group will be allowed to use school halls from 6:00 to 8:00 PM daily.
Fatiha Hassouni of the EC Mission in Rabat commented, “Since 2004, the EU has been funding several projects aimed at raising awareness about women’s rights and equal opportunities for women in political fields.”
“Moreover, gender equality is basically a part of human rights and represents a social justice issue.”
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11.21.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:47 pm by nadia
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- Donation for new school project to commemorate Jeep driving event in Morocco
- Brand new kindergarten constructed for remote village community
- Journalists from approximately 30 countries provide additional educational materials for school children
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| Imi Nizrane, Morocco, Nov 20, 2007 - As part of the international media driving program to mark the introduction of the new Jeep Cherokee 4×4, an important new educational project in Morocco has been completed.
In keeping with an established practice of leaving a charitable legacy behind at locations where it holds driving events, Jeep and some of its supplier companies have funded the construction of a new kindergarten in the village of Imi Nizrane, near Erfoud.
The new building, which is to be used by children up to six years old, was completed as over 300 journalists took part in a driving test program on roads, off-road trails and sand dunes in an area close to Imi Nizrane, a village with a population of 150.
“By way of saying thank you to the community for hosting our driving event, we wanted to give something back of lasting value that would benefit the children and the community in the future,” said Mike Manley, Executive Vice President – International Sales, Marketing and Business Development.
“While there is already a school for older children in Imi Nizrane, there is no educational facility for younger children and it was clear that there was a need for one in the village.”
“We feel this is an immediate and tangible way for us to show our gratitude to the community for allowing us to host such an important event in the area and to leave something lasting behind that will be in place long after our Jeep event is over,” he added.
Journalists attending the driving event in Morocco made donations of their own by bringing school supplies, such as pens, crayons and paper, from their own countries and donating them to the new school project.
“We have a primary school in our village but when the children first arrive here, we have problems because they have never had any pre-school education,” said Dawdi Nabil, a teacher in Imi Nizrane. “This new kindergarten is so important to our village because it will help the young children in our community take their first steps towards their education.”
The Jeep brand has previously supported local community projects to mark the brand’s annual Euro Camp Jeep event, in countries such as Italy, France, Austria and Croatia and also on the occasion of the media drive of the previous version of the Jeep Cherokee in Botswana. |
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| http://media.chrysler.com/newsrelease.do?id=7498&mid=1 |
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11.02.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 4:05 pm by nadia
RABAT, Morocco, Nov 01, 2007 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) — INTC | charts | news | PowerRating — In a country known for mesmerizing mystique and a multicultural history that dates back to at least 8,000 B.C., Intel Corporation is using computers and Internet technology to help bring Moroccos 33 million people into a modern digital age ripe with opportunity.”Morocco is at a crossroads in its economic development,” said Intel Chairman Craig Barrett, who unveiled several projects aimed at extending digital inclusion to all Moroccans during his first visit to the North African nation. “Technology can help accelerate the countrys economic prospects, and Intel is collaborating with Moroccos government and its people to help enable this transition.”
Barretts two days in Morocco conclude the Africa portion of a worldwide “Expanding Whats Possible” tour focused on digital accessibility and education. Intels announcements include a joint project with the Department of Telecommunications and Information Technology (D.E.P.T.I.) to develop public Internet access centers, and with the Ministry of Education to train thousands of teachers and donate computers to Moroccan schools.
Earlier this week, in his role as chairman of the United Nations Global Alliance for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Development, Barrett took part in the Connect Africa Summit in Rwanda to explore ways to bring the benefits of technology to people to the African continent.
Helping to Drive Access to Education Barrett also visited a classroom at one of two rural Moroccan schools benefiting from new computers and broadband Internet access.
“It was an extraordinary thing like we were connected to the exterior world,” said Asmae Wahabi, a French teacher at Saad Ibn Abi Al Ouakass school in Ain Aouda, where Intel installed 250 Intel-powered Classmate PCs and Internet connectivity and trained teachers on the effective use of technology to teach children. “The students, and especially the students that are from underprivileged families, had this occasion to access knowledge, so now nothing is holding them from pursuing progress to succeed. It is going to give them a chance for a better future.”
The computers are part of an agreement signed today with Moroccos Ministry of Education to donate 1,000 Intel-powered Classmate PCs for primary schools over the next few years. An affordable, full-featured laptop, the Classmate PC supports project-based learning by enabling teachers to share information and student work with the entire class. Intel and Moroccos Ministry of ICT also installed a new WiMAX network at Saad Ibn Abi Al Ouakass School. The long-range wireless technology is a cost-effective way to deliver high-speed Internet access to rural communities.
Barrett, a former university professor, also toured the Institut National Des Postes et Telecommunication, an engineering university in Rabat where Intel implemented a computer lab designed around multi-core processor technology.
The lab will enable hands-on training in the latest computing technologies to better prepare university students for entering the workforce.
Intel has trained 4,500 teachers in Morocco and aims to train 25, 000 by the end of next year through the Intel Teach program, which focuses on integrating technology in the curriculum to help teachers better educate children. The efforts coincide with the goals of the Ministry of Educations program called GENIE which is the French word for genius.
Intel also plans to launch an online version of the Intel Teach program in Morocco next year.
Using Technology as a Tool to Engage and Connect People Working with Moroccos new government, Intel launched an initiative today in Ain Aouda, a rural village about 30 km south of Rabat, dedicated to providing computers and Internet access for all Moroccans. It focuses on extending digital inclusion to underprivileged areas and creating new opportunities in a country where an estimated 46 percent of the population cant read and write. Intel and D.E.P.T.I. have started the initiative called Al Morchid (in English, “the advisor”) with a pilot of four shared-access centers.
The centers, patterned after Internet cafes, are models for the governments plan to build a national network of Al Morchid “e-spaces” where all Moroccans can easily take advantage of vital ICT resources, including high-speed Internet access, technology training and access to e-government services.
Morocco is one of a few countries in Africa to offer government services entirely online such as custom clearance and tax declarations.
Other participants in the Al Morchid initiative include Meditel, the local telecom operator providing the Internet connectivity; Post Maroc, a state-owned mail service provider that will offer its services through the centers; and Nortis, a telecom company that will be involved on an ongoing basis.
“This initiative will help us bridge the digital divide and allow low-income citizens to access e-government services while creating new opportunities for young entrepreneurs to launch their own businesses and create new jobs,” said Taieb Debbagh, general secretary of D.E.P.T.I.
Through its World Ahead Program, Intel strives to improve education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and government services in developing countries worldwide by accelerating access to computers, connectivity and localized Internet content. Additional information is available at www.intel.com/changingtheworld and www.intel.com/intel/worldahead.
About Intel
Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.
Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/773576/
Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized at 4:04 pm by nadia
RABAT, Morocco, Nov 01, 2007 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) — INTC | charts | news | PowerRating — In a country known for mesmerizing mystique and a multicultural history that dates back to at least 8,000 B.C., Intel Corporation is using computers and Internet technology to help bring Moroccos 33 million people into a modern digital age ripe with opportunity.”Morocco is at a crossroads in its economic development,” said Intel Chairman Craig Barrett, who unveiled several projects aimed at extending digital inclusion to all Moroccans during his first visit to the North African nation. “Technology can help accelerate the countrys economic prospects, and Intel is collaborating with Moroccos government and its people to help enable this transition.”
Barretts two days in Morocco conclude the Africa portion of a worldwide “Expanding Whats Possible” tour focused on digital accessibility and education. Intels announcements include a joint project with the Department of Telecommunications and Information Technology (D.E.P.T.I.) to develop public Internet access centers, and with the Ministry of Education to train thousands of teachers and donate computers to Moroccan schools.
Earlier this week, in his role as chairman of the United Nations Global Alliance for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Development, Barrett took part in the Connect Africa Summit in Rwanda to explore ways to bring the benefits of technology to people to the African continent.
Helping to Drive Access to Education Barrett also visited a classroom at one of two rural Moroccan schools benefiting from new computers and broadband Internet access.
“It was an extraordinary thing like we were connected to the exterior world,” said Asmae Wahabi, a French teacher at Saad Ibn Abi Al Ouakass school in Ain Aouda, where Intel installed 250 Intel-powered Classmate PCs and Internet connectivity and trained teachers on the effective use of technology to teach children. “The students, and especially the students that are from underprivileged families, had this occasion to access knowledge, so now nothing is holding them from pursuing progress to succeed. It is going to give them a chance for a better future.”
The computers are part of an agreement signed today with Moroccos Ministry of Education to donate 1,000 Intel-powered Classmate PCs for primary schools over the next few years. An affordable, full-featured laptop, the Classmate PC supports project-based learning by enabling teachers to share information and student work with the entire class. Intel and Moroccos Ministry of ICT also installed a new WiMAX network at Saad Ibn Abi Al Ouakass School. The long-range wireless technology is a cost-effective way to deliver high-speed Internet access to rural communities.
Barrett, a former university professor, also toured the Institut National Des Postes et Telecommunication, an engineering university in Rabat where Intel implemented a computer lab designed around multi-core processor technology.
The lab will enable hands-on training in the latest computing technologies to better prepare university students for entering the workforce.
Intel has trained 4,500 teachers in Morocco and aims to train 25, 000 by the end of next year through the Intel Teach program, which focuses on integrating technology in the curriculum to help teachers better educate children. The efforts coincide with the goals of the Ministry of Educations program called GENIE which is the French word for genius.
Intel also plans to launch an online version of the Intel Teach program in Morocco next year.
Using Technology as a Tool to Engage and Connect People Working with Moroccos new government, Intel launched an initiative today in Ain Aouda, a rural village about 30 km south of Rabat, dedicated to providing computers and Internet access for all Moroccans. It focuses on extending digital inclusion to underprivileged areas and creating new opportunities in a country where an estimated 46 percent of the population cant read and write. Intel and D.E.P.T.I. have started the initiative called Al Morchid (in English, “the advisor”) with a pilot of four shared-access centers.
The centers, patterned after Internet cafes, are models for the governments plan to build a national network of Al Morchid “e-spaces” where all Moroccans can easily take advantage of vital ICT resources, including high-speed Internet access, technology training and access to e-government services.
Morocco is one of a few countries in Africa to offer government services entirely online such as custom clearance and tax declarations.
Other participants in the Al Morchid initiative include Meditel, the local telecom operator providing the Internet connectivity; Post Maroc, a state-owned mail service provider that will offer its services through the centers; and Nortis, a telecom company that will be involved on an ongoing basis.
“This initiative will help us bridge the digital divide and allow low-income citizens to access e-government services while creating new opportunities for young entrepreneurs to launch their own businesses and create new jobs,” said Taieb Debbagh, general secretary of D.E.P.T.I.
Through its World Ahead Program, Intel strives to improve education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and government services in developing countries worldwide by accelerating access to computers, connectivity and localized Internet content. Additional information is available at www.intel.com/changingtheworld and www.intel.com/intel/worldahead.
About Intel
Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.
Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/773576/
Permalink
10.01.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 4:10 pm by nadia
27/05/2007
The Moroccan government has published the findings of the first comprehensive survey conducted on literacy in the country. Illiteracy levels have dropped from 43% in 2004 to 38.45% in 2006. El Habib Nadir tells Magharebia about the programme responsible for the progress.
Interview by Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 27/05/2007
Morocco released the results of its first nationwide survey on literacy recently, uncovering some positive results. Data indicate illiteracy levels have dropped from 43% in 2004 to 38.45% in 2006, an improvement that could boost Morocco’s placement in international rankings. El Habib Nadir is Director of the responsible agency, the National Campaign Against Illiteracy, a bureau under the Secretary of State for Literacy and Informal Education.
Magharebia: You recently (April 26th) carried out a significant national survey on literacy in Morocco. What makes it significant?
El Habib Nadir: The study is significant because it is the first of its kind. This is the first time that Morocco has carried out such an exhaustive survey on the illiteracy phenomenon in Morocco, as well as on school enrolment and participation.
The study had multiple objectives: to provide reliable data on the state of illiteracy, of non-schooling and reduced schooling; to identify the principal factors underpinning these phenomena; to create a profile and identify the needs of target groups in the fields of illiteracy and non-formal education; and finally, to gain insight into the negative impact on both adults and children of a lack of access to education by examining attitudes and behaviour.
The ultimate aim is to apply knowledge of the reality of the situation by setting up programmes and action plans which focus on our target groups.
Magharebia: What are the most salient findings of the survey?
Nadir: Several statistics have proved significant. The drop in the illiteracy rate in the population aged 10 years and older from 43% in 2004 to 38.45% in 2006 marks a decrease of 4.5% over two years. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the government’s strategy and approach. This outcome is due in part to the very widespread increase in the number of people receiving assistance from literacy programmes these past few years. To illustrate this point, the number of beneficiaries over the last 4 years (2002 to 2006) was more than 2 million, which is the same number of people who received support during the 20 years preceding 2002 (1981 to 2001)… the rate of change has greatly improved.
Another key statistic concerns non-schooling: today only 15% of children between 9 and 14 years old are entirely outside the school system. This situation has also been improved by government efforts to make schooling more generally available.
The drop in illiteracy rates has been more noticeable in women than in men.
[Also] notable are the illiteracy rates amongst workers and employees in certain fields of activity: 60% in agriculture, 30% in the trades, 27% in the service industry and 22% in public administration and the local community sector.
Magharebia: How does the government intend to eradicate illiteracy in light of the survey results?
Nadir: Bearing in mind these encouraging results, which show our present strategy and approach to be effective, current efforts should be pursued to consolidate the gains indicated and to increase the pace of concrete change. We must target specific populations and zones for intervention. One general direction suggested by the survey is that we need to carry out research in order to secure help from as great a number of partners as possible. The National Initiative for Human Development (NIHD, launched by the king in 2005) would also be an appropriate place to look for support in the development of an effective and integrated action plan.
Magharebia: What schemes are underway to combat these issues?
Nadir: Currently, we are working with 4 action plans in the field: a general programme, managed by staff working in national education; a public services programme, managed by various Ministries (Islamic Affairs, National Development, Fisheries, Justice, Agriculture, Youth); a civil society programme, run in partnership with NGOs; and a private enterprise programme targeting employees within that sector.
At present, more than 670,000 beneficiaries are enrolled in the various programmes across the country.
For more information you can consult our official website: www.alpha.gov.ma.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 4:07 pm by nadia
16/09/2007
Morocco rings in the new school year with new initiatives designed to increase civic knowledge and participation and to promote math and science in an effort to create “10,000 engineers”.
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 16/09/2007
Close to seven million Moroccan pupils returned to school on September 13th to kick off the 2007/2008 academic year, themed “family and school: working together to make good citizens”.
Teacher Majid Abdellaoui indicated that the goal behind this year’s theme is for students to develop critical thinking, socialisation, respect for democratic values and human rights and civic activities and education, as well as to teach students about rights and responsibilities to help them become responsible involved adults.
Family participation in schooling has also taken on a new dimension. In order to give parents a greater role of the success their children’s schooling, the Ministry for National Education plans to share educational concepts with them and to collect their expectations, suggestions and reactions.
According to the national education minister, the government has increased educational entitlements for the 2007/2008 academic year, particularly in state- and privately-funded pre-school education, which will see an increase of 9.5% compared with last year.
Primary enrolment is up 1.3 % over last year to 3,983,940 pupils. Lower-tier secondary (Junior High School) enrolments are up 6.4 % to 1,486,777 students and higher-tier secondary (High School) enrolments are up 9.5% to 733,555.
These increases have been made possible by a number of measures, particularly the construction of 51 new primary schools, 16 of which are in rural areas, 155 education units, 99 junior high schools of which 75 are in rural areas and 18 high schools of which four are in the countryside.
Meanwhile, curriculum managers have said that the beginning of the school year would be marked by the publication of new course books for the baccalaureate, the integration of the Amazigh language for the first time into the fifth year of primary education and the preparation of new teaching programmes for secondary education. The revision of the teaching structure is characterised by a desire to steer more pupils towards science and technology in order to meet the country’s need for more engineers and technicians.
As part of the “10,000 engineers” initiative, the national education ministry introduced the mathematics B stream into technical schools this year. Preparatory courses for the grandes écoles (higher education professional schools) have also been increased with the opening of three centres in Laâyoune, El Jadida and Taza, while existing centres will be launching 13 new preparatory courses, taking enrolment from 5,691 to 7,276 this year.
Elsewhere, high schools and junior high schools, along with 75% of primary schools, will benefit from additional IT equipment, provided under the “Génie” project, to which one billion dirhams was allocated for the purchase of 104,000 computers and for the training of 230,000 professionals.
Hind Benlhabib, who leads the information systems department at the education ministry, said that with the “Génie” project being launched and run by the prime minister’s office, teaching will take a real leap forward. “The project has three components: infrastructure, teaching content available on the machines, and human resources training in the use of new technologies,” she said.
A number of secondary education establishments will receive IT equipment this year, and nearly 2,000 multimedia room managers will be made available. These rooms will be set aside to train pupils in IT and information and communication sciences. They will also be used to introduce teaching staff to information technology.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 4:05 pm by nadia
30/09/2007
The number of people enrolling in Morocco’s institutions of higher learning is on the rise, benefitting from programmes to encourage students and to lessen their financial burdens.
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 30/09/2007
The number of university students in Morocco is up 8% year-on-year, with 289,000 students enrolled in higher education courses for the academic year 2007-2008 compared with 267,000 the previous year. The students attend a wide variety of universities, schools of higher education and technical colleges. Some 90,000 new baccalaureate holders opted to enrol in universities this year.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Scientific Research says the 2007-2008 academic year is seeing a number of new initiatives aimed at boosting higher education. The main focus is on building up infrastructure, with a new university in Beni Mellal and four new higher education institutions: two business and management schools in Fez and Mohammedia, a higher institute of technology in Berrechid and a school of engineering in Khouribga.
Another new feature is an increase in the number of courses, 47% of which are vocational. These include courses in social work run jointly by the Ministry of Social Development and the State Secretariat for Vocational Training. The number of places in medical schools has been increased by 66% over last year in an attempt to reach a training target of 3,300 doctors per year by 2020.
University professor Taoufik Guerradi told Magharebia that officials plan to raise standards in higher education to address the needs of the labour market with regard to social and economic affairs. “Take the teaching of economics, for example. Previously, private schools used to corner the market on specialist administration, management and marketing courses. Now, however, universities are offering courses in these areas and are competing with the private sector,” he said.
Measures being taken to improve social and cultural facilities for students include efforts to expand the capacity of university residence halls as part of the process of opening up the sector to private operators. Two construction projects are underway to alleviate the shortage of student accommodation. The number of students receiving grants will also rise by 5.5% this year.
Another key measure this year is the creation by the Central Guarantee Fund under a programme called Education Plus to underwrite bank loans given to students enrolled in private institutions and schools of higher education to fund part or all of their enrolment and tuition fees. In the past it has been nearly impossible for students to get funding from banks or loans for higher education. The director of training and higher education, Abdelhafid Debbagh, says that this innovation is part of the framework agreement signed on May 8th by the government and representatives of private academic and training institutions to open up access to student loans. All the country’s banks have a stake in the new fund. Loans, which must not exceed 100,000 dirhams ($12,500), can only go towards enrolment and/or tuition fees charged by private-sector institutes or schools of higher education.
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08.27.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:21 pm by nadia
Aïcha is an 11-year-old girl living in Morocco who has done something no other girl or woman in her family has accomplished. She is the first female member in her family to attend school. She is in the fourth grade.
Her sister Meryem, at 16, is one of the 60 per cent of girls in Morocco who, a decade ago, could not have imagined entering school.
Times are changing for Aïcha. Having enrolled at the age of seven, she is doing very well and has successfully passed every grade. Despite the expense of sending their daughter to school here in Morroco, Aïcha’s family has decided that illiteracy for their child would be far more costly.
It takes community to keep girls in classrooms
Aïcha goes to a school that was built in her village. The year she entered school, the community, with UNICEF assistance, installed village water sources. Having water closer to homes meant that women and girls spent less time carrying it. A young female facilitator of women’s literacy classes also encouraged the installation and use of modern household stoves, reducing the time spent collecting wood, and thus providing more time for classwork.
The school director helped Aïcha’s enrollment, accepting her into the school even though she did not have a birth certificate. He also helped her parents to get all their children officially registered.
The school provides meals through another government programme. At first the community distributed sandwiches in the dusty school yard. Later, it gave out more substantial meals. As a result, Aïcha’s stomach no longer rumbles and she remains alert and attentive in class.
Dreams and determination
Other factors threaten Aïcha’s education in spite of the child-friendly environment created in school. This year, the long-awaited rain fell to turn parched land into luscious fields of green. Lucky for Morocco. Worrisome for Aïcha.
Abundant fields mean that all family members need to help by working the land, caring for the house and minding the younger children. She has already seen many of her friends absent from class.
Aïcha may face many obstacles but she is determined to finish school, even if it means getting up earlier to help with daily chores. She wants a better life than her mother and elder sister who work from dawn to dusk. In Morocco, the legal age for a girl to marry is 15, but school has shown her a different way. Aïcha wants to delay marriage and become a teacher.
The primary school has given her much more than dreams. The reality is that her life, and the life of the community, has been enriched by coming together to make literacy and numeracy possible for girls and boys. By offering health services and adult literacy classes, the students and their parents are receiving the support they need for the future.
The teacher, trained in health care by UNICEF and the Moroccan health and education ministries, monitors the children’s hygiene, watches out for symptoms of illness and encourages parents to take their children to the health centre located about 20 kilometres away.
Aïcha has a long road to travel if she is to fulfil her dream of becoming a teacher, but she is not making the trip alone. Her family and community helped pave the way by joining the Moroccan Government, UNICEF and its other partners to build a learning environment for girls and boys.
The formula was simple: Erect a safe, clean building. Add education, water, sanitation and health care. Then top it off with children.
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/morocco_18015.html
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Posted in Uncategorized at 8:18 pm by nadia
A humanitarian group of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will finance over 100 open heart surgeries under a one-year program for treatment of Morocco’s needy cardiac patients, Emirates News Agency reported on Sunday.
The program was launched in accordance with an agreement between the Emirates World Heart Group (EWHG) sponsored by the UAE Red Crescent and Morocco’s Health Ministry and Sheikh Zayed Hospital.
Under the program, which gives Morocco a special attention this year, more than 100 open heart and catheterization surgeries will be conducted, while 500 patients will be screened and treated and 150 paramedics will be trained.
The one-year UAE-Morocco program will also involve prominent international cardiologists from the UAE, Morocco, France, Switzerland, Canada, the United States, Egypt and Argentine.
The nonprofit EWHG brings together some of the world’s high profile heart surgeons and provides a multiprogram in heart care to needy patients around the world.
Working with local and international medical staff under the sponsorship of the UAE Red Crescent, EWHG has conducted surgical and training programs in Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan and Bahrain.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6248308.html
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