Sunday Open House at Fez Medina Children's Library

You are invited to visit the Medina Children's Library in Fez at the Open House this Sunday, October 29 from 4 - 6 pm. Come and meet the local children, their parents, and the librarians who make this such a vibrant and fun little space

The Medina Children's Library has been open since January 2015, and since then children have made many thousands of visits to what has become a treasured community facility.

The local children are proud of their library, which is the only one for young people in Fez. On Sunday they will entertain their parents and visitors with story readings, songs, dances, and a short play. All the children who attend will receive a certificate of participation.

So if you are in Fez, please drop into the Medina Children's Library and share what promises to be an enjoyable celebration. We are at 41bis Swiqt ben Safi, Zkak Rouah, just off the Talaa Sghira. You can find us on Google Maps and Trip Advisor. 

If you aren't in Fez, and would like to know more about the Library and to offer your support, please see our website. CLICK HERE. 

Photos by Samia Bachraoui

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32% of the Moroccan population is still illiterate

The Head of Government, Abdelilah Benkirane, has called for raising the level of institutional coordination and joint action in order to succeed in the fight against illiteracy

Chairing the Board of Directors of the National Agency Against Illiteracy,  in Rabat, he noted that the illiteracy rate remains high in Morocco, affecting about 32% of the total population.

"Illiteracy is an obstacle that hinders the economic growth of our country and prevents us from taking advantage of real opportunities that can improve the indices of this growth. The scale of the problem goes beyond simple economic calculations to touch the development of intellectual capital based on the building rights, enabling target groups to benefit from their constitutional right of access to an education that guarantees social inclusion and a dignified life" - Abdelilah Benkirane

The number of beneficiaries of the struggle against illiteracy programs during 2014-2015 reached 747,000 people, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year.

The ongoing project aims to reduce average illiteracy to less than 5% by 2024, by eradicating illiteracy among young people aged 15 to 24 years and by improving the skills of the illiterate or semi-illiterate workforce.


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Morocco Keeps Up The Fight Against Illiteracy

About 10 million Moroccans still suffer from illiteracy,according to the National Fight Against Illiteracy Agency ( ANLCA). It is time, they say, to devote more resources to make illiteracy a thing of the past

"We must not forget that 10 million Moroccans still suffer from this scourge"

From 2014 to 2024 has been designated as the Arab Decade of Literacy.

"This alarming figure of 10 million requires not only increased efforts and acceleration of change, literacy must become everyone's business so that Morocco can achieve the goal of eradicating illiteracy by the year 2024,"says a spokesperson for the ANLCA in a statement on the occasion of the International Day of Literacy (8 September). This year's event was celebrated in Morocco under the theme "literacy for all, literacy is the business of everyone."

Morocco received an honourable mention in the UNESCO Confucius prize in 2012 for achievements in the fight against illiteracy, and the many programmes deployed in the field, "But we must not forget that 10 million Moroccans and Moroccan women still suffer from this scourge." says the ANLCA.

Data from the High Commission for Planning, including the national survey conducted in 2012, found that the illiteracy rate among the population aged 10 years and older was 28%, while 38% of the population aged 15 and over have insufficient alphabetic skills.

The ANLCA is urging all national and international actors to mobilise and pool their efforts "for a new impetus, through the multiplication and optimisation of human and financial resources, synergy of efforts and perseverance and the involvement and commitment of all."

“No entertainment is so inexpensive as reading nor any pleasure so lasting.”

The sad fact that reading is not seen as normal in many Moroccan families has also been commented upon. Writing recently for Morocco World News, Mohamed Lakdali observed that, "...the prevalence of illiteracy contributes by more than 40% to maintaining the status quo of low levels of reading in Morocco. What is more, those that are literate, such as pupils and students, are content with only studying their courses. This implies a lack of interest towards general reading. A great percentage of students from junior secondary school level to higher institutions have no interest in reading at all. They have concluded that reading is a hard job rather than a pleasurable one. The reason for this conclusion is thought to be a result of not taking reading as a daily routine since their early stages. If they had, they would have discovered that, “No entertainment is so inexpensive as reading nor any pleasure so lasting.”

The Medina Children's Library - making literacy fun

Morocco World News interviewed several individuals to comment on the reasons behind the low rate of reading in Moroccan society. Khalid, a BA student from Taounate said, “the educational system does not encourage reading books; the high rate of illiteracy in Morocco is one of the main reasons. Social conditions like poverty, crime, and unemployment distract literate people’s attention from reading.”

Asmae, an MA student from Tétouan stated, “Moroccans don’t read because they are not used to do so. In developed countries we find that parents read for their kids before going to sleep. People exchange books as gifts; some even write books about their lives. In these countries you find people reading on the bus, train, tramway etc… They are time-conscious. Maybe Moroccans don’t read because they are not time-conscious.”

Mustapha Ben Moussa, a BA student from Fez said, “We don’t read because the majority of children don’t see their parents read, don’t receive encouragement for reading either at school nor home.” Chaimaa, a student from Mohammadia said, “The low rate of reading in Moroccan society is due to the attractiveness of the internet…individuals prefer using the internet rather than reading a book.”

On a small scale, local initiatives have been applauded. The success of ventures like the Medina Children's Library in Fez are seen by locals as creating a love of books, storytelling and by example making literacy more attractive.

Hamid, a local business man, says that the Medina Children's Library is responsible for his children's increased interest in reading and his wife's decision to learn to read and write. He says, "The library is so small, who would have thought it could have such an impact?"

The Medina Children's Library of Fez is at 41 Zkak Rouah, off the Ta'laa Sghira - close to Riad Laaroussa, and at the top of the street from Resto 7.

Info: www.facebook.com/medinachildrenslibrary or medinachildrenslibrary.org
Phone: 06 60 12 44 40 or 06 77 31 39 04

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Children's Library in Fez Medina Opens its Doors

The Fez Medina Children's Library opened its doors yesterday and was immediately filled with children keen to read or be read to. 

It is a very positive sign for the library and hopefully the beginning of a renaissance of book reading in the Medina. The library urgently requires more books in Arabic, French and English. Please contact The View from Fez if you have books to donate.

The library will be open again today at 4pm. You can visit the library Facebook page HERE

The Medina Children's Library is a joint project of the Fes Association for the Children of the Medina and The View from Fez.

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Bibliotrams ~ Casablanca's Mobile Libraries

While the Fez folk are discussing the new Medina Children's Library, the travelling public in Casablanca are having a literary experience. Moroccan students from the University of Settat have turned the trams into mobile libraries or 'bibliotrams'.  The program is called 'Qra Tewsel' - read while waiting to get to your destination

Since December 8th, the Casablanca tramway is offering its passengers free libraries at ten stations along two lines. This is the second edition of the BiblioTram operation. The idea is simply to provide passengers books during their journey. Once they have finished their journey, users are obliged to leave the book on the tram for others to enjoy.

However, if a passenger wants to read more they can borrow a book but it must be in exchange for a book of their own. Users who fall in love with a book have the option to buy it.

The first time the library on a tram went into operation they experienced some problems, including the disappearance of books soon after the program began.  Casa Tram is better organised this time with agents on trams who will control the smooth running of the operation.

The books have been collected by students of the Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences at the Hassan 1st University of Settat (FSJES UH1).

While the project lasts only seven days, it is hoped travellers will be stimulated to read more. According to Casablanca Tramway spokesperson, Yassine Embarek, "Casablanca Tramway wants to position itself as a 'cultural vehicle' by providing the logistics for this initiative." He also points out that "the statistics on reading in Morocco are alarming".

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New Children's Library for Fez Medina

Local schoolgirl Iman, 5, says she plans to go regularly to the new library

The Medina Children's Library of Fez is set to open in late January. For 4 to 10 year olds, it aims to encourage literacy and a love of reading in the children of the Fez Medina community

"The library seeks to be a welcoming place where children have easy access to age and culturally appropriate books and resources," says committee member Kim Fritschi. "They can browse and read books at the library, participate in Story Time, where books are read aloud to a small group, as well as borrow books to take home to read and share with their families."

While literacy levels in Morocco as a whole are around 70%, in the Fez Medina the figure is considerably lower. Yet, despite their high internet and television use, many young Moroccans do understand the appeal of books. Student Rita Belamlih says "Reading gives me a break from the chaos of life. It's a time when you can create your world and you can understand yourself; your emotions and thoughts clearly."

The library will be located at 41 Zkak Raouah

Donations of children's books in Arabic, French, English and picture books are wanted for the new library. And it also needs a librarian - someone who speaks and writes Arabic and French, and can interact well with the local community.

A two room shop space has been rented at 41 Zkak Raouah, off the Ta'laa Seghira, and it is currently being converted. The main room will have carpet, cushions, and a variety of books.

"We are starting with a small space, and if the community supports it, we hope to expand later," says Cathy Bellafronto of Riad Laaroussa, who is one of the founding donors of the non-profit project, along with The View From Fez.

The regular Story Time sessions will be done by volunteers. "We've had lots of students offering to do this," says Suzanna Clarke of The View From Fez. "Particularly from the ALC Community Service Club. They really like the idea of reading to the children, and helping them to explore ideas."

The interior of the library is being extensively renovated 

The children's library will be open every day after school, and on Wednesday afternoons and all day on weekends. While access is free, borrowing is by subscription and it will cost 20 dirhams per year for a family to borrow two books for up to two weeks.

Other sponsors and sources of funds to keep the library going in the longer term are being sought.

"We also want to find others, particularly local Moroccans, to be involved in the organisational side, so we can gradually step back," said Cathy. "The idea is that it will be a space for the community, and will evolve according to need and the support we have."

"When you go into houses in the Medina, most people have television and many can access the internet on their phones, but they often don't have any books apart from the Koran. While the Koran is naturally an important book to have, reading skills are essential for success in the modern world. And while some parents may be illiterate themselves, they understand that reading is a skill that's vital for their children."

To donate or for more info on the librarian's position, email  medinachildrenslibrary@gmail.com

To keep up to date with progress, "Like" our Facebook page CLICK HERE

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Rural Literacy Education for Morocco's Women

Rural education offers Morocco's women the promise of a quiet revolution. Women in remote parts of Morocco are benefiting from a scheme that also teaches civil rights, numeracy and even beekeeping. Santorri Chamley, writing for The Guardian's Poverty Matters blog, reports from Beni Zuli.

Fatima Kadmire (left), one of the beneficiaries of the literacy programme for women in Beni Zuli Photograph: Santorri Chamley

In a tiny classroom at the Maison de Citoyenneté support centre for the education of rural girls and women in Beni Zuli, an isolated village in Zagora, deep in south-eastern Morocco's Draa Valley, Fatima Kadmire is describing how learning to read and write is transforming her life.

"The best thing is that I can now dial numbers and send text messages on my mobile phone without having to rely on others to do it for me," says Kadmire, 21, who is sitting at a small desk at the front of the class.

She is one of the beneficiaries of an accelerated literacy programme targeting rural women and girls in Zagora and other remote regions in Morocco as part of the national literacy strategy. The class she is enrolled in is run by the Association des Femmes pour le Développement et la Solidarité (Afdes).

Afdes is part of Réseau Associatif pour le Développement et la Démocratie (Razded), an umbrella group of associations and NGOs established in 2007. The organisation's aim is to strengthen the role of women in Zagora's economic development and democratic process, in partnership with the department for literacy.

As well as the 300 hours they have to acquire basic reading, writing and numeracy skills, beneficiaries are given lessons in social and civil rights, development, environment and income-generating activities such as weaving, baking and beekeeping.

The Maison de Citoyenneté, or Citizenship House – a peach-coloured building opposite the mosque on Beni Zuli's main thoroughfare – is one of the first adult education community support centres in Morocco. It was built to help address one of the biggest barriers to education facing rural women and girls: lack of access to learning centres and middle schools (attended by 12- to 16-year-olds), which are usually located very far from home.

Beni Zuli, which has 18,000 inhabitants, is a beautiful village with traditional mud-brick houses. Like the rest of the province, it is flanked by the imposing Atlas mountains; its arid landscape is punctuated by a string of lush palm groves and oases. The village is one of the most remote in Zamora, which itself is a two-and-a-half hour drive along a narrow mountain road from the nearest airport, in Ouarzazate. With more than 70% of its 280,000 population aged under 30, the province is among the programme's main target regions.

One of the main objectives of the programme, which is enabling Kadmire and other rural women and girls to overcome deep-rooted cultural and traditional constraints, is integrated social and economic development. Post-literacy training will enable them to consolidate the literacy skills they acquire, preparing them to run micro-projects.

Such help, which promises to lift rural women out of the cycle of illiteracy and poverty, is welcome. In 2004, King Mohammed VI pushed through landmark reforms to the Mudawana family code against tough opposition from religious conservatives in 2004. The measures attempted to address a range of issues including underage marriage, women's rights, domestic violence, forced child labour and sexual trafficking. Despite the reforms, however, many rural women remain second-class citizens.

Almost 20,000 women and girls have benefited from the accelerated, state-funded literacy programme since it was introduced in Zagora in 2007. Its grants cover course fees, teacher-training and learning tools such as textbooks and pens.

Story and photograph: Santorri Chamley

Read the full story here



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Meanwhile, deep in the Fez Medina...

A newspaper boy was standing on the corner of an alley near R'cif with a large pile of newspapers, shouting, "Read all about it. Twenty five people cheated. Twenty five people cheated."

Intrigued, Sidi Idriss walked over, bought a paper, and checked the front page.

What he saw was yesterday's paper.

Sidi Idriss said, "Hey, this is an old paper, where's the story about the big swindle?"

The newspaper boy ignored him and went on yelling out, "Read all about it. Twenty six people cheated."