Morocco

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In Morocco, Handicap International's work revolves around:

• Rehabilitation and care of disabled people
• Social integration of people with disabilities
• Local urban development: accompaniment of local development dynamics in the city of Salé-Tabriquet aimed at improving living conditions for the inhabitants.

CONTEXT
According to the UNDP classification of human development indicators, Morocco regressed from 112th position in 2001 to 125th in 2004. The population, estimated at 30 million inhabitants, has tripled since independence in 1956. The economic and social situation has been deteriorating since the beginning of the 80s, and this has led the authorities to encourage movements of solidarity, which over the last decade has resulted in the development of associations. Despite efforts made, there are still problems of inequality between regions and between the population’s social categories in terms of access to care and to health and social cover. The first to suffer from this are the vulnerable populations, and notably disabled people. It is therefore essential to develop appropriate local capacity for care-management, rehabilitation and orthopaedics, and to promote the full social participation of people with disabilities.

BACKGROUND
1993: following a request from the Moroccan Ministry for Public Health, we carried out a mission that resulted in the implementation of a 3-year training course for orthoprosthetic technicians.
1993: in response to many requests from a dynamic, though still fragile, associative sector, we start supporting local disabled people's organisations, in particular those that had or were planning activities in the field of rehabilitation.
1999: the municipality of Salé-Tabriquet asked us to support a concerted community development project. Given our experience in local urban development, and within the context of its pluri-disciplinary activities, our organisation accepted.

ACTIVITIES
In Morocco, in support of activities undertaken by public institutions and Moroccan associations for the rehabilitation of the disabled, Handicap International assists in structuring organizations, provides advice and training to professionals and develops networks.

Handicap International also seeks to reinforce mechanisms for setting up of a national system for people with disabilities. In liaison with our programmes in Tunisia and Algeria, we hope to create forums for exchanges on professional practices in North Africa between rehabilitation professionals.

As part of the local urban development project, Handicap International supports existing initiatives, builds the capacity of local stakeholders, promotes collaboration between them and the social participation of disabled people in local development dynamics.

PUBLIC TARGETED
In Morocco, our vocation is not to act with disabled people directly. Rather than substituting for local stakeholders, we concentrate on developing their capacities. Consequently, Handicap International’s action reinforces the social system whilst requiring the political system to assume its responsibilities.

In the field of rehabilitation, the direct beneficiaries are disabled people's organisations and professionals from the rehabilitation centres supported by Handicap International. The end beneficiaries are disabled people and their families.

In the field of local urban development, the direct beneficiaries are associations and clubs involved in the different aspects of the project, people with personal projects and the municipality of Tabriquet. The end beneficiaries are the inhabitants of Salé-Tabriquet.

RESOURCES
In Morocco, Handicap International's team is made up of 6 Moroccan employees and four international staff.

CONTACTS
5, rue Figuig
Appt 3
10000 Rabat
Tel: + 212 (0) 37 66 03 67
Fax: + 212 (0) 37 66 03 21
E-mail: handicap@connectcom.net.ma