Abc Soleterre at school
Africa - Morocco
Support for the education system by monitoring and intervening to reduce illiteracy and support educational and social/recreational activities in needy and marginalised areas.
Type of project:
Social and educational intervention within schools
City / Location:
22 schools in the Beni Meskine education district
Direct beneficiaries:
1600 children between 6 and 14 years of age
Local staff:
1
Starting date:
January 2003
Summary of the Project:
In rural areas of Morocco, the main reasons for the difficult conditions in which children find themselves, and for the high rate of children dropping out of school, can be found in the poverty of families (who often have to remove their children from school to help look after their livestock) and of school facilities (which lack classrooms, electricity, running water and the possibility to provide proper meals). The rate of illiteracy is as high as 90% for females and 70% for males. Soleterre's support in the Chaouia-Ouardigha region began with the creation of a community cultural promotion centre within the Lakchachna school complex. Its aim was to offer the pupils educational support, social and educational tutoring; recreational activities for the young; training and refresher courses for teachers and educators. In the following years, Soleterre contributed to the establishment of a teachers' association for the organisation of educational activities with the pupils, as well as carrying out important renovation work to the school itself (canteen, toilets, classrooms, etc.) and connecting schools to the water and electricity mains where needed; it has provided extra food for primary school pupils and organised sports, cultural activities and awareness campaigns in order to improve the children's educational career, thanks also to the involvement of Intercampus. The project is ongoing, with various monitoring activities, and periodical recreational events and awareness work within schools in collaboration with the local community, and with structural intervention to facilitate access to light and water whenever collaborations arise with organisations from Italy and elsewhere who wish to contribute to improving the educational conditions of children living in rural areas of the province of Settat.