This project, which was inaugurated by the Wali and National Coordinator of the National Initiative for Human Development, Mohamed Dardouri, accompanied by the Governor of the Taza province, Mustapha El Maaza, and the Director General of the Agency for the Promotion and Economic and Social Development of the Prefectures and Provinces of the North of the Kingdom, Mounir El Bouyousfi, was completed within the framework of the programme to support people in vulnerable situations – the category of people with special needs, as part of the third phase of the National Initiative for Human Development.
This facility aims to improve the conditions for caring for people with disabilities, develop cognitive, professional, and life skills, as well as provide educational, medical, and paramedical services for the benefit of people with disabilities.
The services of this centre, to which the National Initiative for Human Development contributed at a cost of 4 million dirhams allocated for its preparation, equipment, and management, benefit 120 people from the targeted social categories, namely children, youth, and children with mild disabilities.
The centre, which was built on a total area of 2,552 square metres, includes an administrative wing, in addition to an educational wing comprising 10 classrooms for specialised education (two rooms for autism patients, 3 rooms for cerebral palsy, 5 rooms for intellectual disabilities), and a professional and paramedical wing including two rooms for physiotherapy (kinetic and electrical).
It also includes two rooms for psychomotor therapy, two rooms for speech therapy, in addition to vocational training rooms (computing – carpentry – pastry – sewing).
The National Initiative for Human Development fund contributed 4 million dirhams to the completion of this project, the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family contributed 2 million dirhams, while the Agency for the Promotion and Economic and Social Development of the Prefectures and Provinces of the North of the Kingdom contributed 360,000 dirhams. The Regional Directorate of National Mutual Aid contributed to equipping the centre, while the Association of Parents and Guardians of People with Special Needs in Taza took charge of managing this facility.
In a statement to the Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP), the Head of the Social Action Division at the Taza prefecture, Azzedine Loukili, confirmed that the inauguration of this centre is part of the special attention that the National Initiative for Human Development, in its third phase, has given to promoting the human capital of the rising generations and supporting people in vulnerable situations and youth in accordance with the High Royal Directives.
He added that the centre offers many services that will improve the learning and training conditions for the category of people with special needs, with advanced, next-generation services.
For his part, the President of the Association of Parents and Guardians of Children with Special Needs in Taza, Mohamed Karami, stated that the centre will enable the economic and social integration of children with special needs for certain disabilities (intellectual – cerebral palsy – paralysis) through progression from primary classes until vocational training, where the beneficiary becomes capable of production.
For her part, the Director of the Al-Amal Centre for People with Special Needs in Taza, Siham Belghit, explained that a next-generation centre has been opened that will provide a range of services for children with special needs: educational – rehabilitative – functional.
She added that the centre will contribute to promoting the rights of an important segment of society and enabling them to access education, training, and integration, whether at the educational level or at the rehabilitative training level, until they become qualified to enter the labour market.
