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With the support of Education International (EI), national education union SNE/FDT organised a series of activities between May and June 2024 in order to provide solidarity, psychological, educational, and material support to students and school communities affected by the devastating earthquake of 8 September 2023. Three key events were held in the provinces of Al Haouz and Taroudant, the epicentres of the disaster.

Taourirt school complex in Imgdal, Al Haouz province (19 May 2024)

Working in partnership with the Al-Manahil Association for Education, Culture and Art, the SNE/FDT hosted educational, recreational, and cultural activities for primary-level students from the Taourirt school complex, located at the centre of the devastation.

Ninety kilometres from Marrakech, the Taourirt school complex is in the heart of the High Atlas Mountains. It comprises three school units and employs eight teachers. The complex has no boundary wall and the classrooms were damaged during the earthquake. Reconstruction efforts were underway, but there were no sanitary facilities.

The event combined fun activities, such as games, dancing, sack races, drawing workshops and henna tattoo sessions, with a psychological support workshop for children and teaching staff, and eye screening. Meals were also served.

Orphaned children and the worst affected families received material support (clothing, school supplies, and sports equipment) in the run-up to Eid al-Adha.

The education centre also received a range of supplies (balls, sports kits, a sound system, books for a library, gardening tools, an irrigation system to set up a garden, and a school first aid kit).

The initiative was warmly welcomed by the teachers, parents, and the local community.

Ahrissan school complex in Tazart, Al Haouz province (2 June 2024)

A second event was held for pupils at the Ahrissan school complex, also in collaboration with the Al-Manahil Association. A rich programme of cultural and sporting activities, educational games, psychological support, and eye tests for all the children was offered.

To mark Eid al-Adha, new clothes were distributed to the pupils orphaned and affected by the earthquake. The school also received a range of educational, sports, and other materials (balls, flags, books, dictionaries, medical supplies, watering tools, and plants for a school garden).

At the same time, a special session was held with 25 teachers, to identify their needs and build their capacity to deal with crises. Trade unionists also painted murals on classroom walls, to help improve the learning environment.

Youssef Ben Tachfine school complex in Tizi N’Test, Taroudant province (9 June 2024)

A third event was carried out at the Akhfis school unit within the Youssef Ben Tachfine school complex in Tizi N’Test, which was particularly hard hit by the earthquake, with 48 students losing their lives. The municipality lost 456 inhabitants, which is half of the total death toll in the region.

The school complex covers approximately two-thirds of the municipality, with nine school units serving 20 of the 33 douars of Tizi N’Test. It has 30 teachers, six of whom work at the Akhfis school unit where the activity was organised. There were 106 students enrolled in this unit at the start of the school year in 2023, but 48 died in the earthquake. Two teachers were seriously injured. One of them lost her son and mother to the quake while the other lost his wife and daughter.

The event provided the children with an opportunity to take part in recreational, cultural and musical activities. Fifty-two pupils also had their eyes tested and around twenty of them were found to need glasses.

The school received fans, school furniture, educational supplies (stories, dictionaries, Korans), a 43-inch television, and USB sticks for teachers to use in their lessons.

Aprons were distributed to all students, as well as prizes for the winners of the competitions organised. A traditional meal was also offered to teachers and staff.

The event concluded with a meeting with senior educational and administrative staff, to discuss the pedagogical, psychological, and material challenges facing the institution, as well as the role of the union in social dialogue and improving teachers’ working conditions.

Restoring hope

Through these three events, the SNE/FDT helped restore a sense of hope among the children and school communities hardest hit by the earthquake of 8 September 2023. Combining psychological support, educational activities, and material assistance, these initiatives reflect the union’s commitment to public education, the dignity of teachers, and solidarity with disaster-stricken communities, in partnership with Education International and local associations.