Casablanca

Action in cooperation with Groupe Développement

Project presentation

Beneficiaries : 600 children

Context : The disparity between rural and urban communities was the cause of the rural exodus in Morocco. Children who were an integral part of the whole community in rural areas, become a heavy burden for parents in towns and cities. Violence and bad treatment pushes children to leave their families.

Action : A night shelter and day centre has been created for Casablanca’s street children. Protection is provided for children having to fend for themselves in the streets by a group of emergency and education services: finding children in the streets, food aid, health awareness and medical help, cultural activities (sports, music, singing, gardening…), literacy programmes, educational material and awareness programmes.

Project life

November 2006 : Based on a meeting between the Bayti association and ïdgroup co-workers

We met Omar Saadoun for the first time. He is in charge of the Street Programme for Bayti («house» in English) and works for the association since it was created.
We went to see the children in the port. During the day, children work - mainly involving moving fish around. They get together in groups to spend the night together.
We then went to the beach. A football match had been organised by youth workers for the boys who wanted to play. These workshops are organised to create a positive environment enabling messages to be passed onto children (health, non-violence, drugs, returning to their families…). They also enable them to experience childhood activities. 
As we entered the station we met Youssef who monitors the station. His role is to watch over the platforms, observing children, counting them, tracking them down before starting to talk them a little in order to gain their trust. The Bayti workers are not looking to think for the children, nor impose anything on them (the trust would be broken and therefore the aim of “saving” them would be jeopardised).
Omar told us that he works in cooperation with other associations in Casablanca as well as with social workers who work with families and try to recreate links between the families and the children so that they return home.
Finally we visited the Bayti hostel. The hostel provides accommodation for 40 children. It is a temporary centre (between 1 and 2 months). After the hostel, they go home, to a farm or a flat. They can go to boarding school but some feel that they lose their freedom, are no longer listened to and don’t want to stay. Amina – the hostel manager – showed us round. The dormitories are clean and tidy. The children tidy and clean as well as serving meals. Their roles are set at the beginning of the week.



April 2007 : Based on a meeting between the Bayti association and ïdgroup co-workers

The last time we met with the Bayti association in November 2006, the children spoke about wanting to have football T-shirts so that they could create a real, identifiable team. Football Matches are also an opportunity to meet up with friends and to encounter new people while spending a great time together.
We therefore decided to offer them another surprise, and in partnership with one of our knitwear suppliers, we produced orange  football shirts. The children were really happy and proud of their new gear The children were really happy and proud of their new gear. The monitors even had a little difficulty explaining to the opposite team that they could not have the same T-shirt (all the children wanted one).

 Back to the actions in Morocco