Child Sponsorship Background from Imzouren, Morocco

SOS Children's Village Imzouren

SOS Children's Village Imzouren was built on six hectares of land in the north of the country, about 20 km from the provincial capital Al Hoceima and was officially opened on 9 March 1989.  It consists of ten family houses for a total of 90 children, a village director's house, an aunt's house and an administration and service area, in which there is also a reading room, a sickroom and a storeroom.  A small farm with chickens, sheep and cows helps to meet their needs.

Other SOS Projects in Imzouren

The SOS Youth Home that is located in SOS Children's Village Imzouren also has two flats, each with three bedrooms in the towns of Fès and Salé as well as a Youth Facility in Al Hoceima.  Since September 2001 30 young people have been encouraged become independent from their caregivers there.  Six young people can live in the "supervised home" in Imzouren itself.

SOS Children's Village Imzouren also has an SOS Nursery School and an SOS Primary School which are both attended by children from the neighbouring areas as well.  The SOS Nursery School (for 100 children) has been running since September 1988 and has four group rooms, a multi-purpose hall, a waiting room, a store, a canteen, a sanitary area and a small office.  A large playground gives the children the opportunity to play on climbing frames, swings, slides or simply to run around.

In the SOS Primary School which has been open since 1999, 150 children are taught in six classes.  In the building, near to an office, three work shops were also built which give young people the opportunity to do a crash course in woodcraft, metal work, textile work and domestic science.

Background to Imzouren

With a population of about 100,000, Imzouren is a large city in the north of Morocco.  It is nearer the larger and provincial city of Al Hoceima, in the Rif Mountains.  Most of the inhabitants in Imzouren are from the ethnic group Imazighen.  In February 2004, there was an earthquake near Imzouren that registered 6.7 on Richter scale where many people tragically died.