Project Topic:
Scholar support for children
Partnership Agreement
This project is the fruit of a partnership between CSM, the Ministry of Education and other non-profit organizations that work with disadvantaged children.
Relevance of the project:
In Morocco’s public schools, the deliverance of language classes is compromised by many factors such as crowded classrooms and lack of trained teacher due to an overall low education level especially when it comes to English. Private summer lessons are of course available but too expansive for most families. This is where you can play your part. Indeed, volunteers coming from abroad remain the best option to deliver these children a good quality and free service and we believe that you and them will gain from this international experience.
Aims of the project:
The aim of this work camp is to reinforce the language competences of children and young adults with few opportunities. We would like to gather both Moroccans and international volunteers so that not only the students but also the teachers benefit from the intercultural exchange.
hese children a good quality and free service and we believe that you and them will gain from this international experience.
Volunteers Duties:
• Five days of work per week and two days off, not necessarily on week ends depending on the work schedule.
• 4 hours of work per day in the morning.
• Teaching of English or French or both according to their capacities.
• The association will organize some extra activities such as animation with the kids.
General Context of the project:
The children the volunteers will teach come from families with low economic resources therefore the volunteers will be able to observe and appreciate their everyday life habits and culture through practical and social involvement and feel like they are actually making a change for these kids as they will pass on to them important skills for their future on a personal and academic perspective. Moreover, by working with national volunteers, they will have the chance to get involved in the Moroccan community not only at the youth center but also outside of work.
Essaouira is a tourist friendly town on the oceanfront of the region of “Marrakech-Safi”, the atmosphere is cool and multicultural and it is very easy to find your way around. The transportation network of the city and its surroundings is quite developed which makes it easy to visit all the places of interest of the area.
The association will organize some extra activities such as animation with the kids.
Its medina has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001 and the city is also well known for its fish and spices market. Of course, you will find plenty options of accommodation, restaurant, refreshments, etc. Tourism also led to the development of beach sports as windsurfing and kite surfing, or even horse and camel riding… Just walking along its nice coastline is already nice and relaxing.
Volunteers Requirements:
• No previous working experience required although pedagogical skills would give extra quality to the project.
• Enthusiastic, positive and respectful people needed.
• Patience and reliability required to work efficiently with children.
• Willingness to develop ties with other nationalities and learn new things, of course we encourage everyone to follow the pace they feel comfortable with.
Camp address:
PRIMARY SCHOOL DAR DAHAB
Arrival possibilities and Meeting point:
Essaouira Bus Station is the ideal meeting point.
Essaouira has its own airport, so the best option is to flight directly there. Otherwise, you can get a flight to any other city and then it will be easy to arrive by train and/or bus. There are direct bus combinations but no direct trains.
Casablanca's airport is the first international airport of the country and the easiest to reach from most European, North American, and Asian main cities.
As for trains, you can check the ONCF website: http://www.oncf.ma/Pages/Accueil.aspx
Most bus companies don't have a website, however if you go to the bus station you will find several connections to Essaouira. The most popular and efficient company is CTM http://www.ctm.ma/
Our central office in Rabat can help you find the best combination for you once you know in which city you arrive.
If you fly into Marrakech airport, the connection to Essaouria is very easy. The bus ride takes about 2 hours and a half. We recommend you CTM or Supratours - both have comfortable busses, and both have several terminals in Marrakech, easy to find.
Once you have your flights details please pass them by e-mail to your CSM interlocutor so we can arrange with someone of our section in Essaouira to pick you up at the meeting point.
The info sheet will be send to you by e-mail 3 weeks prior departure.
Accommodation Details:
Volunteers will be accommodated in a host family and will receive 3 meals per day. The host families’ houses will be located in a 10 min walking distance of the work place.
Important highlight: Toilets in Morocco are usually Turkish bath style. We prefer to warn you because we learned from previous volunteers experiences.
International volunteers can also ask the national ones to show them the Hammam (public baths). Actually, you should try it once at least; it is indeed a very relaxing and enjoyable experience and has many virtues for the skin.