Ever since its creation, the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity has taken special interest in the protection of orphans and abandoned or underprivileged children.

In 1999, the Foundation carried out a major initiative for the construction and renovation of 260 charity centers for children across Morocco.

These centers, which are run by associations, offer free accommodation and food to deprived children and orphans, aged 6 to 18 years.

Through this action, the Foundation intended to upgrade the services offered to deprived children through an overhaul of the structures concerned.

Besides the renovation of the facilities, the Foundation regularly redistributes in-kind donations, food supply, clothes and school supplies.

The Foundation also carried out several activities for the benefit of children, namely through backing up associations working in the field. Thus, material and financial assistance is provided by the Foundation to many organizations, particularly the Moroccan League for Child Protection, the National Observatory for Child Rights, Children’s Cancer Association, Bayti Association, Al Mawada oua Al Ikhlas Association in Tetouan, Darna Association, the Association for the Future …

The construction of accommodation centers for abandoned children and street children, like those of Fez and Oujda, has consolidated the Foundation’s action to support and help children for a better integration in family, social, school and economic life.

Child protection also requires reliable schooling.

The Foundation invested extensively in school support programs, spending more than MAD 100 million. It has also provided support to children in areas characterized by harsh climate conditions, especially in winter (Sanabil Program). Likewise, the Foundation carried out a program to set up accommodation centers for girls and boys. A total of 70 centers have been built. They provide accommodation to youngsters from rural areas, as well as supervision for successful schooling, both for high school and university level (student accommodation centers).

Schooling:

In accordance with instructions from His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God Assist Him, the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity carried out, over three successive years, and in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, Family and Solidarity, and the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Promotion of Social works, Education and Training, and with the support of the Ministry of Education, a program to promote schooling and fight school drop-out phenomenon.

This is a national program involving the distribution of school books and school bags to underprivileged children in the first year of primary education, and to girls in the first year of secondary school.

Priority is given to rural areas, peri-urban areas and old medinas.

The operation aims to:

• Encourage  child schooling
• Help reduce drop-out rates, and
• Foster solidarity with needy families.

The program falls within the framework of a three-year partnership signed, in 2004, by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity and the Ministry for Social Development, Family and Solidarity, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Social Works, Education and Training, and the Ministry of National Education.

Annual Data:

Budget: 13.3 million MAD

• The Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity: 6,300,000 MAD
• The Government, represented by the Ministry for Social Development, Family and Solidarity: 6,000,000 MAD
• The Mohammed VI Foundation for the Promotion of Social works, Education and Training: 1,000,000 MAD 

Distribution:

• 807.739 school books of first year of primary school; and 207,385 school books of the first year of secondary school, for a total of MAD 11,4 million .
• 100,000 school bags at 1.9 million MAD.

More than million books have been distributed..

Selecting beneficiaries: 

The operation targets:

• First-year needy primary education pupils to encourage their schooling;
• Needy young girls, particularly in rural areas, who are starting the first year of secondary school, to support them with their schooling.

To make sure that the operation is fully transparent and that support actually goes to needy children, the Ministry of National Education drew up a list of beneficiaries based on the number of students enrolled in primary and secondary schools, seeing to it that selection criteria are fully transparent.

Beneficiaries:

• 230,000 primary school students, among whom 184,984 in rural areas receive school book kits (4 books).
• 100,000 of them receive schoolbags.
• 35,000 young girls, among whom 20,142 in rural areas in the first year of secondary school receive school book kits (4 to 5 basic education books).

School Books and Bags:

The school book list is drawn up by school principals in light of the curricula used.

School bags are made of waterproof canvas: 100,000 school bags containing school books are distributed.

Delivery of school books and bags:

School books and bags are directly provided by the publishers and manufacturers concerned to the Ministry of National Education’s regional offices.

The shipping of school books and bags from the regional offices of the Ministry of National Education to the schools concerned is ensured by the national electricity authority and the national drinking water authority.

Each delivery phase is carried out in conformity with a rigorous control procedure.

School book kit assembly is carried out at regional offices thanks to the contribution of delegates from National Mutual Assistance organization.

Distribution: 

Actual school books and bags distribution is carried out under the supervision of a distribution committee made up of the school principal, the president of the school parents association, and a teachers’ representative.

Other persons may join the committee, namely:

• A delegate or representative of the Ministry of National Education;
• Local government’s representative;
• A representative of local authorities;
• A delegate or representative of the National Mutual Assistance organization;
• A representative of the region’s NGOs.

A written report is drawn up following each operation.

Reports concern thousands of schools, falling within the scope of competence of 70 regional offices and 16 academies.