This space constitutes, for these women, a haven of peace which offers them protection from the hazards of street life and helps them to overcome adversity and to integrate again into society through learning a a job that will allow them to earn a decent living.
If the story of each of the beneficiaries of this center is unique, the fact remains that this structure represents a successful model in terms of accommodation, training and support for these women and girls in difficult situations.
Some of them ended up on the streets after being forced to leave child protection or social assistance centers after reaching adulthood, while others became “single mothers.” without help or assistance, or they were pushed by extreme poverty to come to the economic capital to seek a better future before getting bogged down in precariousness.
At the beginning, the Darna center, whose management, training and support for beneficiaries is provided by the association “Miftah Wa Houloul” (Key and solutions), was only an abandoned educational establishment. With the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, local authorities carried out its restoration and equipment in 2020 for the temporary accommodation of people in street situations, including foreigners, before it was decided to re-equip it after the pandemic to accommodate women in difficult situations.
This center, which is now getting a facelift, includes dormitories dedicated to the temporary accommodation of women and girls in difficult situations and several rooms equipped with modern materials and equipment where training in traditional and modern sewing, hairdressing and beauty treatments, culinary arts and pastries, hand or digital embroidery, distillation of natural oils and digital printing.
For Ms. Rkia Boueddine, head of the Social Action Division at the Al Fida-Mers Sultan district prefecture, the said center, reserved for the accommodation of girls and women in difficult situations, is part of the the implementation of phase III of the INDH, in particular the program dedicated to the fight against precariousness.
This center was opened after the period of confinement that Morocco, like countries around the world, experienced due to the spread of Covid-19, and was reserved for the accommodation of people in street situations. during this difficult situation, with a view to protecting them against the pandemic and any other health problem, she recalled in a statement to M24, MAP’s continuous news channel.
Ms. Boueddine noted that after a territorial diagnosis using a participatory approach, it turned out that there are a large number of girls in street situations, women in difficult situations, “single mothers” or women in precarious situation in this area where a number of markets are concentrated, the Oulad Ziane bus station is located, considered a large gathering point for this category of women, or the Mohamed Bouafi hospital, where “single mothers” go to give birth, which explains the decision to keep this center open and reserve its services for these categories of women.
The center was fitted out and equipped for a financial envelope of nearly 3 million DH, she said, adding that a transport vehicle was also purchased due to the multiple trips of these women, both to the court or the public prosecutor’s office to resolve their legal situation or to attend certain hearings, particularly for certain women who are beaten or who are in divorce proceedings and have no place to sleep with their children.
For her part, Samira Bakkali, honorary president of the “Miftah Wa Houloul” association, responsible for managing this center, declared that in times of pandemic, the center was able to resolve major problems of women in situations difficult or street, accompanied by their children, adding that after the lifting of confinement, the center set about solving other problems, some of which concerned children in child protection centers, in particular girls who had reached the age of 18 and who were forced to leave these centers and face an uncertain future.
She stressed that since the spread of Covid-19 and until today, some 580 women and girls in difficult situations have benefited from professional training provided by the center, while 13 cooperatives each comprising between 5 and 7 women, were sponsored thanks to funding from the INDH.
In similar statements, several beneficiaries of the “Darna” center praised the efforts made by those in charge of the center as well as the support and accompaniment given to them to overcome their difficult situation and learn a profession which will allow them to be independent and earn their living with dignity.
In this sense, Ibtisam El Hassouni, a resident of the region, declared having benefited from training in computer embroidery and digital printing, adding that she aspires to create a cooperative bringing together residents of the center while employing other women and girls from outside.
For her part, Chaimae Rawan, a resident of the center, said she learned hairdressing, sewing and culinary arts. “I chose hairdressing as a career, which opened the doors to a women’s hairdressing and beauty center,” she rejoiced.
She also announced that she has started to teach hairdressing and beauty treatments to other girls benefiting from this training within the center.
2024-09-29 03:39:34