Youth Empowerment Caravan in Tafraout and Ouarzazate 
January 27 - February 2, 2008

Civic Education workshop with a  group of Youth aged of 7 and 18  years old, in Tafraout, Jan-Feb 2008 Fulbrighter Nicole Matuska and Meryem Hajji in charge of Youth Programs after the soccer game with the young girls. The girls are happy. Jan-Feb. 2008.

The goal of the Youth Empowerment Caravan was to empower youth through sports, civic education, music, painting, English teaching and discussions about American culture, in this case Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

 

The Caravan took place from Jan. 27 – Feb. 2, 2008. The program is the first of three caravans undertaken as a joint effort between the US Embassy in Rabat, Jazz ¾ Association in Rabat, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The outreach program was a great success! Tafraout, in particular, was a wonderful place to start the project because it is tucked away in the mountains about three hours from Agadir and 7 from Ouarzazate. 

Our soccer clinics for almost 100 girls were perhaps the most popular part of the program.  The Caravan took place during school vacation, and the kids were delighted to have the opportunity to learn the sport and just play. In Ouarzazate, the thrill was even greater because the Embassy arranged to have a former Moroccan soccer star help with the workshop.  Perhaps the runner up in terms of popularity was the music class where all the participants (ages 6-10) got recorders and a lesson in the rudiments of playing.  

Press coverage of the Caravan was very positive with TV coverage by RTM and 2M. There was newspaper coverage in Aujourd’hui le Maroc  and L'Economiste.  Click here to read the article published by Aujourd'hui Le Maroc about the Youth Caravan.