For children of low-income families in Morocco, education is the best if not only path out of poverty. Unfortunately, graduation rates are low, and in rural areas there are additional challenges such as lack of local high schools, travel, and costs associated with schooling. For girls in these communities that do attend school, the journey poses a risk to their safety, an intimidating barrier. As a result, less than 30% of rural women in Morocco have completed secondary education.
This situation negatively impacts communities in three ways. First, with fewer students completing education, poverty cycles continue. Second, without enough female students completing their education, many jobs traditionally worked by educated women are left unfilled. Third, women without an education are wholly dependent on others for income, which sends the family into poverty when their spouse leaves or becomes unable to provide for the family.
The Barzilai Foundation is partnering with RifCom to remove these barriers, break these cycles, and move more girls towards completing their baccalaureate education. RifCom is a non-profit organisation dedicated to making positive impacts in the Rif Mountain region of Morocco. Run entirely by volunteers from Gibraltar and Spain, RifCom partners with local authorities and councils to conduct collaborative projects that provide up-skilling that local residents would otherwise be unable to receive.
Through this partnership, the Barzilai Foundation will be sponsoring the costs for 30 girls to complete their secondary education and attain their baccalaureate certificates. RifCom will establish two separate classes in Chefchaouen to host 15 students in each class. These classes, staffed with specialised teachers, will provide a positive learning environment that builds students’ confidence
In addition, the Barzilai Foundation and RifCom will be following students’ progress and coordinating with local government to secure job placements where appropriate. We will also be monitoring the cohort to identify those students who should consider continuing on to university education.
“For these girls, barriers they face now at a young age end up limiting their entire lives,” said Brandon Sosa, CEO of the Barzilai Foundation. “Improving the conditions of these girls’ education will directly translate to improvements for their households, their future families, and the community as a whole. We are proud to play a part in a program with that kind of potential.”
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