Sidi Moumen: Kick out the violence
Africa - Morocco
Socio-educational intervention for children, seeking to improve their educational career and prevent them dropping out of school
Type of project:
In Sidi Moumen, an enormous shantytown in Casablanca, over 300,000 people live in a state of economic, social and cultural poverty. Aims are to counteract violence, engender the social and cultural development of the local community and eradicate gender inequalities. The project involves the organisation of prevention and awareness-raising activities (medical consultations, social inclusion of women, involvement of the local community in social activities), activities to facilitate the networking of local associations working in the neighbourhood, and the creation of specific sporting events such as football and volleyball tournaments for children, making use of the educational and social potential of sport as a means of integration and to combat all forms of abuse and violence. The project will enjoy the collaboration of the local association El Massir and other civilian organisations involved in activities for children, and of Inter Futura and the Raja Club Athletic football team from Casablanca for educational and sporting activities.
City / Location:
Sidi Moumen shantytown, Casablanca
Direct beneficiaries:
800 boys, girls, parents, teachers, coaches, educators and volunteers
Local staff:
1
Starting date:
2008
Summary of the Project:
Since 2002 Soleterre has been working in Morocco in a cooperative intervention for the development of the region of the Beni Meskine (a poor tribal group) through education and health programmes for women and children, with the aim of improving their living conditions and ensuring schooling for youngsters. Since 2007 Soleterre has continued along the path of social marginalisation, bringing help to children and young people living in Sidi Moumen, the Casablanca shantytown sadly famous as the setting for the foiled bombings in March 2007, and as the birthplace of the terrorists who carried out the Casablanca and Madrid bombings of recent years.
The project includes:
- Social intervention in the form of awareness activities on issues of health, equality in general and active citizenship, educational activities and medical checks for women and children;
- Sports interventions in the form of activities for children (football for boys and volleyball for girls), technical training for coaches from the El Massir association, the project's main partner, provided by Inter Campus Estero and Raja Casablanca, aiming to use football as an educational tool;
- Training for four educators from the El Massir association and four voluntary teachers to strengthen the Outreach Centre opened at the Enmasr school, where the children involved in the project's activities come from;
- Group activities and informal meetings for local associations to enable them to form a network more easily, and training events organised by experts from the local Bouregreg association;
- Awareness-raising amongst institutions and local society on the problems related to a lack of decent living conditions both on a logistical level (lack of electricity, water and sewerage systems) and on a social level (e.g., unemployment, violence, lack of spaces and activities for the younger generations) for those living in Sidi Moumen.
Finally, amongst the sports activities there is also a microproject in support of the Renaissance de Settat Moroccan female football team, made up of girls from extremely poor families who have had to fight against the local culture, and even their own families to be able to get onto the football field and train ready for a real regional championship.
Co-financing bodies:
CSR Nike Italy