In remote, rural areas of Morocco, girls face many obstacles to access education, making illiteracy levels as high as 70%. The covid pandemic has brought about new challenges, as school closures forced girls back to their villages, unable to access any education due to not being able to afford devices or internet costs. Education For All (EFA) will equip rural girls with distance education tools so they can keep learning in these uncertain times and not lose their right to access an education.
Education in Morocco continues to be disrupted as they respond to the civid pandemic. School time has been reduced and future lockdowns are predicted. This affects the beneficiaries of EFA's project, as they have no access to online learning tools in their villages. Devices are unaffordable and internet connection is too expensive for their families. The digital divide risks many girls missing out on an education and returning to a cycle of illiteracy, poverty and early marriage.
We believe that every young person has a right to keep learning in spite of future lockdowns and school closures. By providing our beneficiaries with devices and internet sims cards, we can ensure that they continue learning so they can realise their potential in life. Being online means they can follow the curriculum, connect with their teachers and peers for study support and stay in touch with their EFA mentors and volunteers to stay motivated and complete their education.
The lockdowns won't last forever, but this time of covid is shaping the future of education in Morocco. As well as being a lifeline during periods of lockdown, the devices will be useful in the EFA houses, giving more girls a point of access for self-study in place of gaps in lesson time. Having a device also supports girls from rural areas to develop essential IT skills for their personal development and accessing employment opportunities in the 21st Century.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).