Shelters for Morocco's street children are a drop in an ocean
2008-03-14
Morocco's street children live a difficult life, often filled with narcotics and crime. Efforts to reintegrate them into families and schools are small and somewhat successful but experts say the problem is large and its root lies in poverty and difficult social circumstances.
By Imane Belhaj for Magharebia from Casablanca -13/03/08
 [Imane Belhaj] Public places serve as beds for Morocco's street children, who leave home due to dire poverty. Morocco's government and civil society have begun efforts to reintegrate the children into families and schools. |
Othmane left his home and school at the age of 14 to live on the street. He no longer wanted to see his mother fight the daily battle to get bread for his five little siblings, struggle to lease a shantytown house and pay for his school expenses. "The street is not more merciful," Othmane says "This is a lie; but at least she will not have to think about my daily living. In the meantime, I may be able to help her." Othmane carries bags of vegetables and other purchases for customers at a nearby market. In this way, he earns a few dirhams a day, enough to bring a little money back home when he visits once a week and still be able to buy the cheap narcotics which help him endure his suffering.
Othmane is part of the growing number of street children in Morocco. These are the homeless and marginalized youths without identity or family. The sidewalks are their shelters and the bakeries' doorsteps are their pillows.
In Casablanca, these children's main "residences" are alleys in the old city, the port, the train station and the fruits and vegetables wholesale market. The port provides them with an opportunity to emigrate illegally. The wholesale market gives them the chance to work as porters and make money to buy drugs. At the train station, they can earn a bit from helping passengers or by begging for handouts from tourists.
According to the most recent statistics from Morocco's Secretariat of State for Family, Solidarity and Social Action, 7,000 street children live in Casablanca wilaya alone. 8,800 more live in other major cities such as Marrakech, Fez, and Meknes.
 [Imane Belhaj] Estimates are unreliable because homeless children move between neighborhoods and cities in search of temporary refuge. |
The figures are dated and unreliable, however, because homeless children do not stay in one place. They move between neighborhoods and cities in search of another temporary refuge. They are often fleeing dire poverty where six or 10 family members are crammed into a single room.
Moroccan civil society has adopted a strategy of building centres to shelter some of these street children and attempt to reintegrate them into schools and families, but the challenge is enormous. The number of children usually exceeds the centres' financial capabilities and many are turned away.
"We try to provide some assistance to these children. We don't claim that we will solve the problem once and for all," says Al Tahir Skali of the Casbah Association for Children in Difficult Situations.
His group is now building a homeless shelter for children in Mohammedia, as part of the National Initiative for Human Development. The shelter will provide accommodation, schooling, food and, eventually, socio-professional integration. But while there are thousands of these children in the city of Mohammedia alone, the centre will host no more than 100 of them. Even if the experiment succeeds, it will be just a tiny drop in the sea.
Skali acknowledges the difficulty of intervening in the fight against homelessness. "Drug addiction make a lot of people not respond to our initiatives," he says. "They usually flee to embrace the street again. This makes us feel that we have failed, except in very rare cases. However, we haven't lost hope, and we have adopted a policy of prevention. Today, we look for potential street children from very poor families. We call on these families to care about their children, shelter them in that centre and help them go back to school or continue their vocational training."
Hamid Tachfin, a social worker at the Bayti association, agrees that poverty has contributed to the epidemic of street children. Difficult social circumstances can push children onto the street and often, into the world of drugs and crime.
 [Imane Belhaj] Poverty, marital disputes and divorce are some of the root causes that drive children into the streets. |
"We have reached a conclusion that great sufferings are behind many of the cases," Tachfin says. "Family poverty, school failure, fear of family, parental divorce [and] marital disputes are the main causes that make them go out to the street and embrace a fate unknown."
Convincing street children to put their trust in the centres and associations designed to assist them is still difficult. The homeless youths have lost all confidence in society's ability to help them. They have lost confidence even in themselves. They often have no other desire than to run freely and live without adult control.
One success story, however, may be that of 12-year-old Noureddine. Other street children beat him harshly and regularly for the sake of amusement, but Bayti rescued him from the street.
"I have found a new haven and new friends here," he says. "The most important thing is that I returned to school, and I will never quit it, provided that Bayti support me all the way up to the end. This is an opportunity not available to everyone," the boy added.
Efforts by Morocco's few centres and associations dedicated to helping street children seem to be working, Bayti president Najat M'jid says. "When we look at the number of children whom we are able to reintegrate annually, whether with families or schools, we find out that we are progressing year after year."
M'jit adds, however, that in terms of addressing this phenomenon as a whole, much remains to be done. "We haven't yet drawn up a specific plan to address the real problems that breed street children: poverty, rural immigration, schooling and its quality, the rising rate of unemployment and youth's loss of hope in building their future in their country," she says.
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HOUSSIN Posted 2008-03-16
Look, people- find a solution.
riheade Posted 2008-03-16
And there you have it: Morocco’s poor population and poor children are suffering from poverty, disease, hunger and cold while King Mohamed VI buys arms and builds stadiums upon stadiums in Senegal and elsewhere in West Africa for billions of dollars. The poor Moroccan people are famished.
Anonymous Posted 2008-03-21
One of the victims of the enslaving Makhzen regime, may God make it last for you until Hassan 4000.
Mina Ait Ahmad Posted 2008-03-23
It breaks my heart to see Morocco’s children in poverty. We need to encourage this field of work and create institutions that can help these children, as they are suffering both physically and psychologically. We need to protect them against illnesses and offer them public places to play in order to keep them occupied.
ahga Posted 2008-04-04
No, my dear, Morocco is not dying of hunger. I am sorry, but be reasonable. Otherwise, do not bother making comments. Poverty exists, well and good, but leave M6 alone. Come see what is being done before speaking. Before, there was nothing, but opening Morocco to the world gave it problems of a phenomenal dimension. So, this is just in your hateful eyes. I know you represent the majority of Algerians. So, please, leave us alone and mind your own business. Thank you
Dune Posted 2008-04-04
I am a Moroccan. I feel powerless in the face of their suffering. What can we do when we are but simple citizens in France? How can we help these children or even their parents? We must fight against this poverty, because, as it has already been put so well, children are the future of our country. I hope that my children will eventually come to the aid of those in the greatest need. Our solidarity is important. So, let us act!
gol Posted 2008-04-05
Must we expect everything from the state? More and more, citizens have a marked tendency to rely on the state as soon as problems arise for them. On the other hand, the ones who unceasingly call on it to serve their particular interests are the same ones who criticise it for constraining them in so doing. Furthermore, we want perfectly efficient public services, while, at the same time, being reluctant to pay the price. In other words, we expect the state’s butter without paying the butter money. The contradiction is flagrant. To look at this in more depth, we can only note that, if they are not de facto dictatorships, then the states which have given themselves to mission of giving everything to their citizens are going to take a turn for the worse. Won’t expecting everything from the state drive it into deadlock? Would it not be better to affirm the individual’s responsibility and recognise the actions of civil society?
slim16 Posted 2008-04-05
To Ahga: Dear Brother of Morocco, If the opening up of our Maghreb countries to the world has to bring us misery of phenomenal proportions and, moreover, effect this so very important section of society— innocent children, that is— then I sincerely wonder why our governments do not change their politics. Are they consciously responsible for the insufficiency or the non-existence of their actions? If so, why don’t they redress this situation in an intelligent way? Do they have personal interests at hand? I think so!!! Bye from Algiers
jouhara Posted 2008-04-05
Misery is everywhere and it is because, whereas in Morocco everything is talked about, in Algeria everything happens in silence. But, what is unfortunate is certain Algerians’ spirit of hatred and arrogance. It is truly pathetic to see such moral impoverishment.
slim16 Posted 2008-04-08
To Djouhara: As far as I know, I think that the theme of this discussion is homeless children in Morocco, and not Algerians. Where are you talking about Algerians? Moreover, you are spouting nonsense... Moral misery, it is you who shows signs of this, not the Algerians. You know your country well, so tell us about the homeless children in Morocco, please!!! Thank you. Bye from Algiers
NEUTRE-16 Posted 2008-04-09
Here in Algeria it is way worse: they steal children here, harvest their eyes and kidneys and then throw them in the trash. So, please, everyone needs to keep watch over their children when they leave school.
DUNE Posted 2008-04-10
In fact, I agree that the children in question are suffering. This should concern everyone: this can happen to anyone in any social class. This is the truth. I have no answers to my questions, but I do have hope for the future. In any case, though I am referring to Morocco and the countries of the Orient, famine and suffering and poverty have unfortunately become universal.
Alain Posted 2008-04-21
I did a search on the Internet under the keywords “enfants des rues” (“street children”). My conclusions are that street children are the bitter fruit of adult poverty, of adults not only financially poor, but also culturally poor (ex. illiteracy). There have always been street children, but the difference now is that there has been an explosion in their numbers in the last 10 years. Globalisation, which increasingly endangers wage-earners, is aggravating things that would otherwise be limited by State social—not financial!—power. What remains is the poverty of our children, who are not as infantile as some think and who are more resilient than adults. For my part, I can do something that money cannot buy: help and love. Bye Moroccans!
slim16 Posted 2008-04-22
To Alain: I salute your humanitarian spirit! There are concepts that men, whomever they may be, should deeply soak into the depths of their souls and hearts, namely: to help, love, educate and inform. I think that men also need to develop all their true qualities in order to get elbow deep in bringing about positive designs for the human race, without any prejudices. This is why children should be the top priority for all systems and governments in the entire world. They should be part of the aims to be achieved in their policies. -From Algiers, bye
nadia Posted 2008-05-04
To Neutre-16: So far nothing has been proven. The kidnapping of children is a new phenomenon in Algeria, and it is above all else the work of paedophiles. But, this has nothing to do with what you are claiming. Certainly, children do suffer from criminal acts and this is inadmissible. All countries in the world must be vigilant in order to eradicate this scourge.
abd el halim Posted 2008-05-05
we are all very sorry for this very bad phenomenon. but still being sorry is not a solution. we need to stand by this issue .we have to create new associations fot these children and build new houses for them.. i hope that we can take away this bad issue ......
NEUTRE-16 Posted 2008-05-06
In Response to Nadia: I do not know where you live, but it there is no need to go running your mouth. These children are found without corneas or kidneys... We are helping to turn Algeria into a Colombia. We need to forcefully denounce this and try to minimize it, starting with our children. I hope that you understood... Okay
inconnu Posted 2008-10-23
It breaks my heart to see Morocco’s children in poverty. We need to encourage this field of work and create institutions that can help these children, as they are suffering both physically and psychologically. We need to protect them against illnesses and offer them public places to play in order to keep them away from delinquency.
mounaim Posted 2008-11-17
i think t change this life in the bad to the best
houda Posted 2008-11-23
I would like to say thank you to all of the organisations that protect street children in Morocco.
rime Posted 2008-12-02
My name is Rime. I live in Morocco. I am 14 years old. I am looking for reports on homeless children. –Thank you
Mohamed Abouhou Posted 2008-12-11
Hi, I'm Moroccan and I say that the problem is Moroccan's principles, there are no principles where everybody just think about himself and about stealing and getting corrupted. Responsibles, who do have to do something about this and about other humanitarian matters, are unfortunately busy collecting money for themselves. This generation is corrupt, I hope our kids will make a better one. King M6 is the only one who works hard, while others repaint things rather than replacing them. Taroudant
Laila Posted 2008-12-11
Hallo, I have recently moved to Morocco from Scotland where I worked in social housing where we had the aim of helping to resolve homelessness. Just some thoughts about what has been written here. Homelessness and poverty are universal issues that have complex causes and are difficult to prevent. An important first step is to recognise that there is a problem. That children and other people living on the street, begging, maybe stealing and sniffing glue are victims and not criminals, and are not to be blamed for their situation. So while I am sad to find that this misery exists in Morocco I am happy that it is being talked about. We cannot expect to find that one solution will help everyone - we are all different and will need help differently. My experience has also shown me that small, locally run projects often succeed far better than large nationally run organisations. Children who survive on the streets cannot then be treated like infants - give them credit for their successes and help them to find their own way back to "normal" lives.
مريم بن علال Posted 2008-12-13
I am writing my comment and I am weeping from poverty.
socrate Posted 2008-12-16
Salam. I don’t think that the solution to the problem of poverty is totally in the hands of officials. It is rather in our hands. We can stop poverty which is the main cause of street children. Instead of suggesting abstract solutions, we must stand up and work. We are firstly human beings and secondly Moroccans. The solution to the problem of street children is in our hands.
abou dhabi Posted 2008-12-23
In the name of God, most gracious most merciful. Peace and prayer be upon the master of messengers, our beloved Mohamed. In reply to many questions by the dear brothers, I tell you all without exception that the solution to many of our questions is in our hands. 1- I am Moroccan and I am proud to be Moroccan. I live in a village in the Middle Atlas. The village is subject to marginalisation and isolation like other regions in Morocco. Successive governments were scheming against us from independence to now and no one does anything. Now I live in a Gulf Arab state. I suggest to every Moroccan immigrant around the world, who is jealous for the sons of his country, loves them, wishes their good and wants to change the situation of many of them from bad to good, he should respond to this call. He should view things seriously and rely on God. God doesn’t waste the reward of do-gooders. Every immigrant should donate 500 dirhams per year to the people of his village or town. Six or eight trustworthy people should be chosen to collect this money and distribute it to the poor, orphans, needy such as buying sheep for Aid Al Adha, milk for babies, paying water and electricity bills, school books, taking care of an orphan, school books for the whole year. There should be coordination with associations in every country (France, Italy, Kuwait and other countries) to get aids for the sons of the country. Every immigrant should buy something (clothes, house furniture, electrical devices…) while he is on his way to Morocco and makes donations to people in his village. Please try hard to consider this seriously and determination. All categories should coordinate with each other. This idea should be disseminated among everyone. The present should inform the absent. Please, bring back the smile to faces which were drowned in wrinkles earlier. Please. I love the sons of my country.
Nilanka Jayasooriya Posted 2009-01-22
Many children are suffering all over the world....... find them... tell about them to the world...and..help them to bring more colour's to their lives.....
mimouna Posted 2009-01-28
Hello everyone- I would like to know what the government is doing for our children. I think that it would be a good if we were to give a little bit of money to a professional organisation that opened up places for them to sleep and be schooled. With a follow-up and story about each of the volunteers, there would be a lot of people who would give their time and money. Give us the name and email addresses where we can send it. Thank you, everyone.
samir Posted 2009-02-03
We Moroccans say that the Moroccan government helps world states with aid while the Moroccan people live in utter and dangerous poverty. Why don’t they help their people first and provide all necessities in all sectors such as hospitals? Look how patients suffer. (those who don’t have money die and no one would care). There is no power and no will but from God.
mounaim Posted 2009-02-16
it s bad its really bad for innocent children suffering this way because a few people from the country are taking advantage of the country's resources and are making fortunes without feeling mercy for these children. (laisser tombe le roi) un traiter
JJFaneuil Posted 2009-03-03
Find means, organise and administer. The means are the 1.8 million tourists. At two euros a tourist, this comes to 3.6 million euros per year. The government could organise within this same structure the nearly ten thousand street children, housing, clothing, medically caring for, feeding and establishing mandatory schooling for them. The aim would be to save the children and create jobs. –the Kenza Foundation Project
النعيم لطيفة Posted 2009-03-09
Peace and mercy of God be upon you. I am your sister a Moroccan woman who lives in Abu Dhabi. I have seen orphan kids, widows and needy people. I was sad. I ask you my immigrant brothers and sisters, who have feelings, to be merciful and help their needy brothers or collect funds for them from donors. Excuse me. May God reward you with paradise.
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