The Wafa centre, a place of social gathering for youths

Literacy, vocational training and career guidance. These are the three strategic objectives of the activities that the Italian NGO Cesvi (www.cesvi.org) has initiated in northern Morocco to support local development. The project, which is being realised in partnership with ECODEL, a local NGO, aims to improve the living conditions of the most disadvantaged part of the population who lives in a poor neighborhood in the city of Larache (Region of Tangier – Tetouan). This is achieved through social and economic activities that address slum dwellers, illiterate and unemployed women as well as unemployed youths.
In this part of Morocco, the illiteracy rate reaches up to 54 per cent, peaking at 67.9 per cent among women and it is here in Larache where, thanks to the support of Italian Cooperation, Cesvi has built the Wafa centre which hosts training and literacy activities, also supported by Lombardy Region.
The Wafa centre quickly became a place of social gathering for youths – during the past three years over 960 people have been involved. A full 45 per cent of these people are women learning computer science, cooking, baking, tailoring, waitressing and hairdressing. The men, on the other hand, take part in vocational courses in carpentry, working iron, electronics, plumbing and bricklaying. The training is followed by three to six month-long internships. Over 50 per cent of the participants were employed at the end of the internship, whilst 76 per cent found work within the same sector of the training received: of these 71 per cent as employees and 14.3 per cent went into self-employment, possible in part thanks to the help of a micro-credit fund, managed by Fondep, a Moroccan microfinance institution.