Education For All Morocco

Who we are

WHY EDUCATION FOR ALL?

Very few girls from the rural Moroccoget have the opportunity of continuing their education beyond primary school. Secondary schools, mostly several kilometres away in larger towns, are not accessible to them for a variety of reasons.om home.

WHY EDUCATE GIRLS?

Most of us have come from countries where we have been fortunate enough to take the lifelong gift of education for granted. Despite the Moroccan Government’s support of education policy and women’s rights, half of the country is not literate, and in rural areas, up to 60% of women are illiterate. We believe investing in girls’ education is essential, as an educated girl educates her family and whole community.

t present, few girls from rural communities in Morocco continue their education after primary school. Secondary education is not accessible to them, mainly because they live too far away from the few schools that are near main towns and cities. Their families cannot afford transport fees or the available boarding facilities.

Since we were established in 2007, we have worked tirelessly with our projects to transform the lives of young girls, giving them full access to education and additional support thanks to a well-resourced learning and living environment. Many have now successfully broken out of generations of poverty and illiteracy and are getting university degrees and even postgraduate degrees! They have become independent leaders and role models, inspiring other young women to follow in their footsteps and break the cycle of limited opportunities.

This story begins high in the Atlas Mountains, hearing about the genesis of the EFA. Young children who were unable to cross rivers and rocky slopes to reach classrooms struggled to access even primary school education. Fifteen years ago, the owners of Kasbah du Toubkal and Riad Siwan rented a safe home for a few girls to stay nearer a school, employing a caring housemother to look after them during the school week. This was the start of both our organisation as well as the in-country association.

Many students have mothers who never learned to read or write and were married as young as 12. These girls were offered a chance to break with this vicious cycle of illiteracy and poverty. Marriage is postponed to after they finish studying and they tend to have less children when they do. Some of this new generation have completed their Masters and have qualified as science teachers. One student has started a PhD program in Public Law proofing the power of education can be revolutionising.