Association AFAQ 2010 was founded in 1997 by Ahmed Bougtya. He wanted to contribute something to his community so he rented a small apartment in a densely populated area of Casablanca . His first goal was to teach literacy to young maids and women who'd never been to school. Soon he was given some sewing machines by the Ministry of Labor so he combined sewing with the literacy classes. He and members of the association went door to door to find students and soon the premises were too small. AFAQ was lent a four story building nearby and was able to start a real school with sections for Cooking, Hairdressing and Beauty, Languages, Computers and Restaurant Work. Younger children can use the main room for study after school as many live in cramped apartments with their big families. Another center was opened and then another. There are presently 4 centres, with 800 students (not all full-tme). The students in these schools pay what they can (usually from $6 - $11 US per month) but over 1/3 pay nothing at all as they come from orphanages and associations for street children. In view of their educational level at entry, the students learn the rudiments of their trades and are able to find jobs where they can improve their skills. AFAQ keeps young people off the streets, gives them hope and a future. They take pride in their communities and in the opportunities they find here thanks to AFAQ 2010! AIWC of Casablanca has given them the equivalent of $4750 US in 2007 to purchase an industrial stove and to help furnish a new computer room. Address: 4 Hay Salama 3 bloc, groupe 9 - 158 rue Ahmed Bikri - Derb Omar 3 ème étage Telephone: 022.59.64.13 / 02244.28.76 - E-mail: afaq_aecs@hotmail.com

This recently formed association aims to encourage blind or visually impaired people to become full members of the community, by helping them compensate for their handicap. There are many ways of compensating for a visual handicap. For example, blind people can be trained to use specially equipped computers. (Among other things, the computer is fitted with a voice synthesizer so that the blind person can "hear" the screen, rather than see it.) Cash dispensers already have the keypad in Braille and some experiments have been done in Casablanca with "talking" cash dispensers (which are also helpful for illiterate people.) There are now specially adapted mobile phones. Braille is not as widely used in Morocco as it could be, so a lot needs to be done to teach Braille and then produce books in Braille.

This is a school for deaf children. The director is very dedicated and works hard to improve the school. The school was begun in 1976 with 10 students and now has almost 300! At present there are almost 200 young children at the larger school taking regular classes with signing as well as speaking and writing.

At the separate Centre Formation Professionnelle school, there are 65 older students. They are taking 4eme, 5eme and 6eme classes or enrolled in a 3 year program for a certificate in hairdressing, sewing or shoe making. There is a plan in place to expand the present school another 2 storeys, so that all the students would be in one facility, and to make extra classrooms to accommodate the over 100 children on the waiting list.

In the meantime, the present facility has been painted, and they have begun to buy new desks and storage cabinets for student records, part of which was from AIWCC funds.

AMH was founded by Donna Sebti and a former student of hers, Mohamed El Khadiri after his accident. It took 10 years to get it off the ground, from 1982-1992. Then, thanks to the telethons he organized and hard work, the AMH built the Centre Noor.

The Association Al Ihssane is the only orphanage recognised by the Wilaya of Casablanca which takes abandoned babies from birth to six years old. Today they have 240 babies and infants plus 64 handicaped children. The Association Al Ihssane is run by a non profit, state recognized organisation. Since its creation, the orphanage has welcomed 2,041 children. They always needs diapers, yoghourts, detergents, clothing, medecine, food such as rice, noodles, cookies, cheese, meat, fish, vegetables and fruit... This year, the AIWCC gave the Association 10.000 Dh and we sponsor 5 children a year (grannies' children). The Association works with a staff of 175 people, of whom 120 work in three eight-hour shift teams, all year around to help directly with the children's follow-up. The other 55 employees work eight hours a day with the medical, administrative, managerial, maintenance and surveillance services.

OAPAM (Organisation Alaouite pour la Protection des Aveugles du Maroc) is presided by HH Princess Lamia Solh and recognized of public utility by Royal Decree.