Morocco

Morocco: Reclaiming Childhood in the Margins of Progress

Explore Morocco:

Behind its modern cities and cultural pride, many children still live with silence, labor, and limited opportunity. Meet the changemakers working to build a more inclusive future — one child at a time.

The Situation for Children in Morocco

Morocco is often praised as a model of growth and stability — but for children in rural areas, inner-city neighborhoods, and undocumented communities, daily life remains defined by hardship. These are the three most urgent challenges:

Child Domestic Labor and Gender-Based Exploitation

Thousands of girls — some as young as eight — are employed as domestic workers under exploitative or abusive conditions. Many never attend school and suffer long-term trauma in silence.

Education Gaps in Rural and Marginalized Communities

While enrollment has improved, school infrastructure, transportation, and teacher availability remain poor in remote areas. Children with disabilities and Amazigh-speaking youth often face systemic exclusion.

Lack of Legal Protection for Abandoned and Street-Connected Children

Street children, orphans, and undocumented youth face discrimination, violence, and arrest. Legal identity, guardianship systems, and access to care remain weak or inaccessible.

Despite these challenges, Morocco’s children remain full of hope, dreaming of education, health, and opportunities for a better tomorrow.

Key Contributor #1: INSAF (Institution Nationale de Solidarité Avec les Femmes en détresse)

Rescuing Girl Domestic Workers and Reuniting Families

INSAF works to end child domestic labor in Morocco by rescuing young girls from abusive households, reuniting them with families, and supporting their reintegration into school. They also offer family aid, legal support, and education programs in rural areas to prevent future exploitation.

Through care centers in Casablanca and outreach across rural provinces, INSAF protects the childhoods of girls who had once been silenced and hidden.

They turn labor into learning — and shame into strength.

Key Contributor #2: Bayti Association

Supporting Street-Connected and Abandoned Children With Shelter and Hope

Bayti has served Morocco’s street children for over two decades, offering housing, psychological care, legal aid, and long-term reintegration support. Their drop-in centers and mobile teams meet children where they are — in markets, alleys, and parks — with no judgment.

They also run educational workshops and advocate for national policy change to protect abandoned and undocumented youth.

Bayti’s shelters aren’t just places to sleep — they’re places to start again.

Key Event #1: Back to School Caravan – High Atlas Mountains

Reaching Rural Children With Supplies, Support, and Teachers

In 2023, INSAF organized a Back to School Caravan, traveling to remote Amazigh villages with school kits, trained educators, and mobile health workers. The team distributed hundreds of backpacks, enrolled out-of-school children, and conducted vision checks and learning assessments.

Parents were invited to workshops on girls’ education and early marriage prevention, while children attended storytelling and creative arts sessions.

The caravan brought more than pencils — it brought possibility.

Key Event #2: Youth Identity Workshop – Casablanca Shelter Network

Helping Undocumented Street Youth Reclaim Their Legal Rights

In early 2024, Bayti launched the Youth Identity Workshop, helping street-connected children access birth registration and documentation. Legal teams partnered with local officials to verify names, locate families, and file paperwork.

Many participants — some in their teens — received their first legal ID. For others, the workshop marked the first time they’d been called by their full name.

The event gave forgotten youth more than papers — it gave them place.

Top Grassroot Nonprofits Across Morocco