MOROCCO – the Department of International Cooperation is continuing its partnership with the Zakoura Education Foundation

The Prince's Government's Department of International Cooperation, which has been a partner of the Zakoura Education Foundation since 2008, is reaffirming its trust in the Foundation's work by supporting its integrated programmes to strengthen local communities.  These programmes benefit more than 1,600 disadvantaged people in remote areas of the Atlas and South Moroccan regions.

This new two-year partnership will be implemented in 12 douars* in the regions of Marrakesh-Tensift-Al Haouz and Souss Massa Draâ, which have school dropout rates and levels of illiteracy and poverty that are among the highest in the country, well above the national average.

More specifically, it will provide schooling for more than 1,000 children aged from 4 to 16, will introduce 90 young adults to a trade and offer literacy classes to around 100 women.  In parallel, communities of villagers will be organised into associations and will receive training to enable them to set up projects and obtain public funding.

As a reminder, for more than 18 years, the Zakoura Foundation has been working to promote human development by providing education for children and training for young people and encouraging women's autonomy.  More than 400 schools offering informal education have been established by the Foundation in Morocco, which has made it possible to provide schooling for more than 20,000 children outside the State system.

To find out more, see:  www.fondationzakoura.or

*small rural village or hamlet