Workcamp in Casablanca ben msik

The aim of this project is to contribute to the improvement of a residence of students with less opportunities.

Whilst Casablanca is known as cosmopolitan and vibrant city, poor areas like Sbata BEN MSIK do not have parcs where children can play. In order to prevent them playing in the streets and being opposed to criminality and cars, CSM invented the environmental program where volunteers do gardening work in public parcs. Moreover, they also take care of public schools in terms of gardening and re-construction, to offer children a good environment to learn

Apart from being in charge of keeping the school in good conditions, cleaning it, building green spaces and painting the walls, in a creative way when possible, those young people can participate also in various activities. The volunteers have the possibility to get in contact with the local people, take part in the Moroccan habitudes and way of life. 

The general organization and responsibility of the workcamp lies in a camp leader who may as well prepare an animation program for the participants, including the proposition of spare-time activities in the surrounding area, although the volunteers can also take initiative on this and propose other activities.

This workcamp is also for national volunteers so the ones coming from abroad will appreciate their everyday  life habits and culture through practical and social involvement. They will get in touch with national volunteers and social workers in the school so that they can get involved in the community, not only inside the center but also outside, when they finish their work.
Casablanca, in Arabic Dar El Baida, is the biggest city in Morocco and actually in Magheb region. Is the economic and business center in Morocco. Casablanca is one of the most important ones in Africa, demographically and economically, being one of the largest financial centers in the continent.

Its port is one of the largest artificial ports in the world and the primary naval base of the Moroccan Navy. Completed in 1993 after many years in construction, the Hassan II Mosque is among Africa's largest, with one of the world's tallest minarets to boot. Thanks to its location on the waterfront, and the laser atop the minaret that beams toward Mecca, it’s one of Morocco's most striking buildings. It’s also one of the only mosques that permits non-Muslim visitors into its halls.

Casablanca’s central market is small and manageable. White-walled stalls with green clay tile roofs dotted with foliage make for all the Instagrammable backgrounds you’ll ever need. Vendors sell produce, nuts and dates and, in one stand, argan oil, the traditional Moroccan elixir for most everything. Linger long enough and eventually you will see the vendors line up for the call to prayer, and then join them in a quick tagine lunch, served at outdoor tables.

The Aïn-Diab coast, the seaside annex of the city, is the traditional spot for inhabitants of Casablanca going out for the evening, especially at weekends. Trendy restaurants and popular pubs abound along the seafront. Some of these establishments, with or without seawater swimming pools, are there since the thirties, like an unusual restaurant built on piles.

The volunteers are not required to have any previous experience. We are looking for enthusiastic, positive and respectful people, who are willing to work close with people from other nationalities to learn new skills and develop new relationships in ways that they choose and at a pace they feel comfortable with.

-Painting the school, both just as a basic maintenance and also in a creative way. The camp leaders will make a program to paint frescoes but the volunteers can also propose ideas.

- Cleaning the center as a part of its maintenance while the children are on holidays.

- “Green activities”. The volunteers will help creating green spaces, planting trees or shrubbery for example.

- Cooking in teams with other volunteers, both national and international.

- Some extra activities will be organized by the association like animation with children.

The male volunteers will be accommodating in the school and the female will be living in the host family. We have an agreement with the Ministry of Education and we are allowed to use the classrooms for the volunteers to stay there. We will set up the place with mats and blankets although it is highly recommended for the volunteers to bring their sleeping bags just in case.

The volunteers will work five days per week and get tow free days can be the weekend or other days it’s depend of the work plan.

Volunteers they will work six hours per day. We need to highlight a couple of things that might be a bit difficult for the volunteers, given the past experiences with them. In Morocco, is rare to find the toilets that they are used to have in Europe. In this country, the toilet is normally a typical turkish bath.

Also, as they will be living in the center, there will be no normal shower but a hose that they can use to clean themselves. However, CASABLANCA in summer can reach the 32 degrees, so the water comes out warm anyway.

International volunteers can also ask the national ones to take them to hammam, the public baths. Its a nice experience that they will enjoy, while relaxing and enjoying the hot water and the steam, good for the skin.

school jamal eddine alfghani darab friha ben msik

Casablanca voyaeur train station. A big number of airports have international flights to Casablanca. If you happen to fly to any other city, you will have trains very often, and you can check them online in ONCF website: http://www.oncf.ma/Pages/Accueil.aspx

You can also get a bus very easily, transports to Casablanca run very often because is the bigges city in Morocco, but not all bus companies have website. The most popular and efficient is CTM: http://www.ctm.ma/

You can easily catch a train to casa voyageur  train station. It costs around  3 euro and half . You can only in local currency so please don’t forget to change money inside the airtport  Check the time table and prices of tickets here. You can also take a taxi direct to Casablanca it will cost 20 or 30euro.The info sheet will be send 3 weeks before the project starts