(Prepared by: Noureddine Hazmi)
Casablanca – The National Initiative for Human Development in the Hay Hassani prefecture of Casablanca attaches great importance to the issues of women in difficult situations, through the programming and implementation of numerous development projects that aim to empower them and improve their conditions.
The Provincial Committee for Human Development in this prefecture continues its efforts aimed at implementing projects funded by the Initiative, which aim to improve the health status of mothers and children and bring services closer to women in difficult situations.
Among these development projects, to which the Initiative contributes, is the Insaf Sidi El Khadir centre, as a national institution that provides services for the benefit of women in difficult situations within the territory of this prefecture, and plays a key role in receiving and reintegrating these women and their children.
This centre, which is managed by the Insaf association, works to shelter women in vulnerable situations and their children, and to provide them with social, psychological, and legal support, in addition to providing vocational training in the fields of sewing, cooking, beauty and hairdressing, medical monitoring, and administrative assistance.
The contribution of the National Initiative for Human Development to this centre is represented through partnerships that bring together the Provincial Committee for Human Development, the Provincial Delegation for National Mutual Aid, and the National Foundation for Solidarity with Women in Difficult Situations, in preparing and equipping the centre, in order to receive and guide those who come to it, combat child labour, support mothers, and provide school assistance, as well as administrative and social accompaniment.
In this context, the head of the Social Action Division at the prefecture, Youssef Belabbas, said that on the occasion of celebrating International Women's Day and within the framework of the Initiative's accompaniment of women in vulnerable situations, the Provincial Committee continues its efforts to support and contribute to financing a number of development projects for the benefit of women at the level of this prefecture.
Mr. Belabbas added, in a statement to the Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) agency, that among these projects are the Insaf centre for accompanying women in difficult situations, as well as two projects concerning the contribution to protocols for the care of women in difficult situations and their children with a total amount estimated at one million dirhams for the years 2024 and 2025.
For her part, the Secretary General of the Insaf association, Amina Khaled, explained that the Sidi El Khadir centre in Hay Hassani receives many women in vulnerable situations to benefit from the services it provides, especially raising awareness among families about the importance of children's schooling, and their benefit from financial support for each child in order to meet their needs, in addition to raising awareness about administrative and legal aspects, and health accompaniment by specialised doctors.
She added that the centre also works to accompany children through a programme that aims to combat their exploitation in work and integrate them into schools or vocational training, by providing them with school supplies and academic and psychological support to help them succeed in their educational path.
For his part, the official in charge of the project to combat child labour at the association, Youssef Chawki, confirmed that the Insaf centre in the prefecture, which has received nearly one hundred children, works effectively to combat the exploitation of children in work by keeping these children away from forced labour and integrating them into schools or vocational training.
Mr. Chawki added, in a similar statement, that this centre works to raise awareness among families about the importance of their children continuing their studies, noting that the centre also provides financial support to each family to help it meet the children's needs, and block the path to working at an early age.
It should be noted that the Insaf Sidi El Khadir centre, which began providing its various services in 2006, also works to provide assistance in registering children in the civil registry, facilitating the acquisition of official documents (National ID card, family record book...), and facilitating access to social services.
According to a document from the Social Action Division at the prefecture, the Insaf centre has managed to save 200 children from early labour and integrate them into schools or vocational training, while between 200 and 300 families have been made aware of the importance of keeping their children in school, in addition to providing financial support through which each family receives 300 dirhams per month for each child to help it meet their needs without the need to send them to work.
Regarding basic supplies, medical glasses were distributed to needy children, as well as school supplies (school bags, books, notebooks...), clothes, and personal hygiene items, and academic and psychological support was provided to help children succeed in their academic path, in addition to sports, artistic, and recreational activities through organising recreational workshops to develop children's skills and boost their self-confidence.
The centre also works to train mothers and qualify them to practice income-generating professions, which contributes to the stability of their families and prevents children from returning to work, and about 30 children are registered annually in vocational training programmes.
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