My Nonprofit Reviews

Fruit for Thought at the Children’s Protection Center in Fes
The Fruit Tree Nursery at Abdelaziz Ben Driss, the Center for the Protection of Children in Fes as a Case Study

According to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Centers for Protection of Children in Morocco are those spaces that are responsible for the re-education of juvenile delinquents, who are referred by the judicial authorities in accordance with the requirements of the Criminal Procedure law. These centers also provide these young people’s educational services.
The number of such Youth Centers in Morocco is currently 20, with a capacity of 2075 young people, of which 15 centers are for males, five female centers and two social work clubs. The ages range from 12 to 18 years.
Environmental education plays a major role in establishing noble values within Moroccan society. From this point of view, we can observe that many young people are not aware of the importance of taking care of the environment that surrounds them. From here, we would like to share with you the experience of the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) in the Fes and Oujda regions, in implementing a sustainable development project in these areas
The Moroccan Kingdom’s current orientation, or what is called the national goal, is to achieve sustainable development in all its parts and involve all constituent groups of society. HAF has participated in many projects that places more importance on preserving the environment and supporting sustainable development, which is one of its most important goals. HAF is working with various partners to achieve such projects in different parts of Morocco.

HAF is trying to involve local communities in the success of development projects. They aim to help a single human being, cooperatives, associations, or entire communities take on responsibility to develop the capacity to contribute to their own and their community’s development, by being involved in the decision-making processes, determining goals and pursuing issues of importance to them. The model that we have today is evidence of the efforts of HAF in various parts of Morocco and its different sectors. It has been more than a year since the start of this project, which was begun in order to integrate a certain category of Moroccan society into the development process, and which the Moroccan state seeks to achieve by involving all development actors.
The High Atlas Foundation has partnered with a local association in Fez, the "Association of Volunteer Experts" in partnership with the Delegation of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Fez and Meknes, and funded by ECOSIA. ECOSIA is a German search engine company which helps to plant trees around the world. The objective of this partnership is to establish a fruit tree nursery that respects organic standards, producing different types of fruits that will be distributed to local communities in the Fez and Meknes region. The target of this project is not only to provide local communities with trees, but also to integrate the children who live in this center within the project, so that they can benefit from agriculture training and access more environmental education. Indeed, a group of these children have been involved in many workshops undertaken by HAF.
The project has received approval and support from the Center staff, including the director, who is keenly aware of the importance of the project within the Abdelaziz Ben Driss Center, mainly due to the positive effects on the children who live there. It will provide another activity in addition to the rest of the activities and workshops that they benefit from, such as the metal workshop, the non-formal education ‘’school’’, and some additional workshops, which are often fixed-term. Therefore, they did not hesitate to support this project by all the help available to them, and following the process of the project together with the members of HAF, represented by Said Bennani, the Project Manager in the Fes and Ifrane region, as well as Khalid Naji, who is in charge as a nursery caretaker.

The number of beneficiaries during the agricultural training sometimes reaches 15 children. Before they start the training, they are taught about agricultural skills and environmental issues. We introduced to them the role of this nursery in contributing to the development of some communities in their region, which are often dependent on agricultural activity as their primary source of income. The participation of the children from the center in this project allowed them to contribute to the development of their communities. The seeds we planted with them became seedlings that will be distributed to their families and their communities.
We are always coordinating with the staff from the Abdelaziz Ben Driss Center to involve children in this sustainable project, which produces fruit trees organically. When the children join us in the nursery, we seek to share new ideas and techniques that they can use in their future life. They are always happy to join us to check the situation of the seedlings and see what it is in need of attention, such as watering and weeding. Children ask questions about the reasons for using any method, and the purpose of each technique and other questions asked by them are answered by members of the High Atlas Foundation or the Center staff.
The children involved in the project are becoming happier, as noticed when someone visited the center. They are constantly excited to demonstrate the change that took place after months, whereby most of seeds and cuttings grew to become trees.
We often hear these words from them: "Look at the seeds and seedlings that we have planted, they have become big trees!’’.

The Abdelaziz Ben Driss Center hosts children from different regions and cities, some of them who have grown up in rural areas. This means that they already have experience with some agricultural activities, such as the planting of trees on their farmland. When they are in the nursery workshop, they share the names of the local plants that grow in the center, and they often talk to each other about these plants and trees, and how they use them as medicinal herbs or as food for the sheep.
As for those who attend the workshops and for whom it is their first experience with agricultural activities, it is sometimes difficult for them to understand what is happening in the fruit tree nursery. However, with more participation in the activities and workshops, it becomes clear to them the importance of each stage, that the seeds need to become trees.

In this photo, we are talking to a group of children who represent many ages and backgrounds. They were given the opportunity to learn from each other, in coordination with the High Atlas Foundation team and the Abdelaziz Ben Driss staff. Involving youth in different activities and in creating more workshops helps them to have the opportunity to grow and develop a personality that can become an engine of fulfillment in society. The more training and workshops we organise for children in this situation, the more we contribute to transferring capacities to improve their living conditions. In another words, this kind of project (the development of a fruit tree nursery) helps to create a more active youth in Moroccan communities.
Said El-Bennani is a HAF project manager in the Fes-Ifrane region.

Active Youth

By Said Bennani, HAF Project Manager

Here at the Abdelaziz Ben Driss Center for theProtection ofChildren, HAF’s team in Fes and the youth living atthe centerare appreciating all the visits of our partners from other places in Morocco. Not only visitors from Morocco come, but also people travel from far away, outside of the country. They have come to meet the children and see our work together.
The project is about a fruit tree nursery, which we started building May last year. When the kids receiveguests they feel happy and more encouraged about their work in the nursery, and to learn more about agriculture.

Mr. Jamal Mimouniwho is one of our partners from the Oujda region, is thatarea’s director‘’ANDZOA’’ - the National Agency for Oasis Zones Development and Argan. He came by the center one recent Friday afternoon. We visited together all the nursery parts and he expressed how he liked the idea of building a fruit tree nursery with youth.
We talked about how the children engage in the project and learn many skills and receive environmental education. Every day the kids join us in the nursery. Hetalked with the children. The children were happy to walk together to the nursery and showMr. Jamal all the trees we planted these past months. They were happy as they are all the time, when people come and visit the great work they are doing in the nursery!Some of them say: “Look at to the seeds and cuttings we planted together, they are now trees, they are growing very fast! We were with you that time, Mr. Said, do you remember that?”
Children from the Fes area and other cities are hosted at this center. Some people come are rural areas, which means they already have an idea about agriculture and work in farming and planting trees. Some of the children are very helpful with naming all the local plants, which grow in the nursery. All the time we hear the children talk to each other about the types of plants and trees, and whatthey are used for at their hometowns.For those who are having their first experience with an agricultural project, it is hard for them sometimes to understand what is going on in the nursery. But, with more time attending the activities, they learn more about the actions we implement here at the center. This collection of children of all ages and backgrounds allow them to learn from each other, coordinating with the HAF team in Fes and the Center staff.

Furthermore, we mentioned to Mr. Jamal our visitor that we are looking to work in the same way at the Oujda center,which we started to doin recent months,planting argan and carob seeds.
It seems like those activities with youth from different ages and environments can help build leaders for community development. With more training and workshopswe organize for the children, will transfer capacities to improve the way they live every day. In other words, this kind of this project is helping to have more active youth in Moroccan society.