Morocco

Bringing school back to children

purchase of mobile computer devices (tablets) with Internet connectivity so the children in Morocco could pursue their education remotely amidst the COVID-19 outbreak

When COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, lockdowns were established, and millions of children were affected as schools closed their doors to continue with online lessons. Children in underprivileged areas in Morocco weren´t able to access to education because they didn´t have the technology necessary to connect to their classes. A crowdfunding campaign was launched to support the purchase of mobile computer devices (tablets) with Internet connectivity so the children in Morocco could pursue their education remotely amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. The devices were funded through an online crowdfunding campaign entitled ‘Bringing school back to children’ that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education, and Scientific Research.

 

The campaign was part of UNDP’s ‘Solidarity Against COVID-19: Together we are one!’ initiative, which aimed to engage communities in supporting local solutions to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak in seven countries in the Arab States region that were hard hit by the pandemic.

In its pilot phase, the campaign provided tablets preloaded with educational material and an internet connection to over 1600 students. The amount of money collected through the online crowdfunding platform complemented resources already provided by the Kingdom of Norway, a partner of UNDP, which had agreed to reorient a great part of its support to the Ministry of Education to provide tablets to some 700 boys and girls across the country.