Capital: Rabat
Area: 446,550 km²
Population: 32.7 million (July 2005)
Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber
Official language(s): Arabic
Religion(s): Islam
Currency: 1 Moroccan dirham = 100 centimes
SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country
It was on the initiative of the Moroccan Ministry for Trade and Social Welfare that SOS-Kinderdorf International started operating in this country in 1980. A government agreement was signed the same year. Hermann Gmeiner's idea of giving a home and a family to orphaned and abandoned children was realised when the first SOS Children's Village in the country went into operation in Ait Ourir, 40 km south of Marrakech in 1985. One year later, the Moroccan SOS Children's Village Association was founded as the legal body for the SOS Children's Village work in the country. More SOS Children's Villages and attached facilities were built over the following years, in order to fulfil the needs of the children and youths. Thus, SOS Children's Village Imzouren near Al Hoceima, in the north of the country was built in 1988. Work with the youths started in Marrakech in 1993. Here they are cared for in a youth house and are helped to prepare themselves for living on their own.
SOS Children's Village mothers and co-workers have been trained in the SOS Vocational Training Centre Dar Bouazza, in a suburb of Casablanca since September 1999. The following year, the third SOS Children's Village went into operation on the same site. The SOS Kindergartens attached to the SOS Children's Villages and the middle schools, which were built at a later date and serve mainly children with special learning needs, offer the SOS Children's Village children and children from the neighbourhood a complete education. The children learn how to work with nature and its resources by working in the fruit and vegetable gardens belonging to the SOS Children's Villages and by tending livestock.
An SOS Social Centre was built in Dar Bouazza in 2001, which is especially for youths and adults with special needs. They have suitable living quarters here, are well looked-after and are able to work at farming tasks.
On 24 February 2004 a terrible earthquake occurred in the region El Hoceima, north of Morocco. More than 600 people died and thousands of people lost their houses. SOS Children’s Village Imzouren in cooperation with local authorities launched quickly an emergency relief programme and provided shelter in the SOS facilities as well as food, blankets, medicaments etc. were given out. Due to the earthquake many children lost their parents and thus found a new home in the SOS Children’s Village Imzouren. As space was limited it has been decided to extend the SOS Children’s Village Imzouren by three more family houses.
In autumn 2004 two family strengthening programmes were started. One is in Casablanca which aims at supporting poor students (mostly young people who do not have parents anymore) to start and continue their studies. The other one is located in the poor surroundings of Dar Bouazza where the education of children and the professional training of poor parents are supported. In the beginning of 2007 one more family strengthening programme was introduced in Casablanca. These programmes enable children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. To achieve this, SOS Children’s Villages Morocco works directly with families and communities to empower them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers.
In summer 2005 the construction of the fourth SOS Children's Village in started in El Jadida and the first children could already move in in August 2006. This SOS Children’s Village is different to the other villages because it is situated in the city centre of El Jadida and consists of apartment houses. A SOS Youth Facility is annexed.
The fifth SOS Children’s Village in Agadir is of the same concept as the SOS Children’s Village El Jadida which means it is in well integrated in an urban setting. Construction of SOS Children’s Village Agadir started in August 2007 and was finished in autumn 2008.
At present there are in Morocco five SOS Children’s Villages, two SOS Youth Facilities, three SOS Kindergartens, two SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools, one SOS Vocational Training Centre and four SOS Social Centres.
Website of SOS Children's Villages Morocco
(available in French)