Twelfth Board Meeting - Site Visits
|
From 11 to 13 December, delegations of the Board visited different sites in Morocco where AIDS prevention and treatment activities are conducted with Global Fund support. To learn more, download the document that was produced by the Ministry of Health (English version - version française) or scroll down this page and have a look at photos taken during those visits.
Bhalil Youth hostel
- see a photo gallery Activity partners: Secretariat of State for Youth and
LML-MST Place : Bhalil is a suburb of Sefrou, which is located 25 km from Fez. 15,000 people live in the village, of which 50 percent are under 24. Given that the community is mainly rural, the Bhalil youth hostel is the main location where young people to spend their leisure time. The Bhalil youth hostel opened its doors in 1983 under the name of “Mohamed Ben Yahia Bahlouli”. Since then it has dedicated its 1700 m2 to providing young people from the community with sporting, leisure and education activities. All activities are permanently supervised by leaders and educators. Description : Visitors spend one hour in the Bhalil youth hostel in order to experience the awareness activities about HIV/AIDS, where young people are educated in a fun manner. Art workshops are organized. Awareness sessions are led by young people from the health club of the youth hostel, using new technologies. The youth hostel works in collaboration with associations. In this context and given that education via theatre has proven its worth in the field of HIV/AIDS, one of the plays against STIs, produced by the Moroccan league association, will be given for the youths in the main hall. The play serves as a lively support and is followed by a group discussion in order to go over means of prevention and modes of transmission of HIV/AIDS. Global Fund Contribution :
Fez Youth Hostel
- see a photo
gallery Partner: OPALS, Secretariat of State for Youth Place : The “Mont Fleuri” youth hostel is one of a dozen hostels in the region of Fez. It offers a setting for young people to meet, centered around cultural, social and sporting activities. A large number of associations are developing a variety of activities. In partnership with the AZZOHOR association, OPALS FEZ has developed an extensive health awareness program for young people of both sexes. The idea to create a club to fight AIDS is shared by both associations and it will be possible to replicate the experience in other hostels. Description : The young people who attend the youth hostel will benefit from a participative session led by their peer educators, who are youths belonging to other partner associations and who have received training on techniques for participative communication. The session will start with a small introduction, followed by a showing of the film “AL WIKAYA ASSASS”, and will be followed by a discussion. Then the visitors can visit the room where computers have been installed to allow use of the CD-ROM that has been produced by OPALS to educate young people via questions and answers about AIDS/HIV. Global Fund Contribution :
Visit to médina in Fez - see
a photo gallery Description : Craftsmen from the El Attarine souk offer an uninterrupted performance. Firstly, these handicrafts are governed by ancestral corporations which are in fact one of the riches of the town. Secondly, each district specializes in their own trades: enameled products in blue cobalt, carpet, forged iron. The riches of the exceptional Moroccan art museum can be seen when leaving the souks, at the Boujeloud gate, with green and blue faience decoration. Last jewel: The Jamai palace was transformed into a luxury hotel in 1930 which is a building of incomparable elegance and renowned for the quality f its food. Prevention services for young people, OPALS headquarters (Rabat)
- see
a photo gallery Partner: Pan-African Organization for the Fight against AIDS (OPALS) Place : The walk-in treatment center of OPALS was inaugurated in November 1997. Activities are concentrated around awareness-building for women and children, screening services and treatment of STIs. The space has been refurbished and equipped with computers so as to welcome young people and educate them about HIV/AIDS. Description : The association offers several awareness activities for young people and women on the topics of STis and AIDS. Each area is furnished according to activity and aims to offer prevention and diagnostic services as well as treatment for STIs. Young people who receive educational sessions on HIV/AIDS use a CD-ROM adapted to their age group and are supervised by trained educators and doctors from the association, who are available to answer questions. Generally young people return to the association premises until they finish the training, whereupon they answer a series of 56 questions touching upon different subjects relating to STIs and AIDS (transmission, prevention, screening and treatment). Young people are also advised on HIV/AIDS tests in order to benefit voluntarily, anonymously and free of charge of HIV/AIDS screening. The CD-Rom is also used in schools and youth hostels as well as by other associations. Global Fund contribution :
Headquarters of the Moroccan Red Crescent Committee - see
a photo gallery Place : This takes place at the socio-professional
school located near the headquarters of the
Moroccan Red Crescent Committee in Rabat. The Moroccan Red Crescent
owns about ten
socio-professional schools that offer training workshops (needlework,
computer science, etc)
to the local population and particularly to women. The
70 existing headquarters throughout Morocco as well Description : This involves attending an interactive training session for peer educators. The latter will then use the knowledge acquired about HIV/AIDS in order to make their peers aware of the different training centers and socio-professional schools of the Moroccan Red Crescent. Those who train peer educators use the various national product guides produced by the Ministry of Health on peer education as well as didactic supports from other associations. An action plan is then elaborated for each peer educator in order to follow with them their education program among their peers. Global Fund Contribution :
Headquarters of the Committee of Imams in Rabat, Ministry of
Habbous and Islamic Affairs see
a photo gallery Partner: Moroccan League for the
Fight Against STDs, Ministry of Habbous
and Islamic Affair Place : The headquarters of the Committee of Imams in Rabat. This committee is part of the 30 existing regional committees throughout Morocco. It deals with all religious matters in the region of Rabat- Zemmour-Zaer. Description : This training workshop for imams enters
into the framework of the project to promote the role
of religious leaders in reducing HIV/AIDS
vulnerability, particularly amongst young people,
bringing the mosques into closer contact with their
communities. The project began by researching the Global Fund contribution :
Mausoleum, Hassan
Tower see a photo
gallery At the heart of the town lies the Hassan To w e r, which is the last vestige of an unfinished mosque. Behind the marble columns the mausoleum of Mohamed V inspires both respect and contemplation. Day hospital and department of infectious diseases (Casablanca) see
a photo gallery Partner: Ministry
of Health Place : The visit takes place within the department of infectious diseases in the Ibnou Rochd University hospital in Casablanca. The department was the first (and for a long time the only) clinic to provide care for HIV/AIDS patients. The department has had a day hospital to care for HIV/AIDS patients since 2002. The day hospital was inaugurated in November 2002 by His Majesty King Mohammed VI. It was built by the association for the fight against infectious diseases thanks to private funds and was equipped by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, presided over by His Majesty King Mohammed VI. Description : The hospital will explain the range of services provided
to people living with
AIDS (which are offered free of charge). The visit will begin with
the hospital endoscopy
unit (donation of Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity) and the
pharmacy which stocks Global Fund contribution :
Visit to Oukacha Prison (Casablanca) see
a photo gallery Partner: Ministry of Justice Place : The local prison of Oukacha is the largest prison in Morocco. It was inaugurated in 1991 and has more than 15,041m2 of space. It houses more than 6,500 prisoners, including 287 women. The penitentiary administration, in coordination with the prison director, is aware of the importance of the prevention of HIV/AIDS and has given the prison the goal of starting up education activities for prisoners involving innovative approaches adapted to the target population. Description : 500 prisoners from the local prison of Oukacha divided into 5 groups have benefited from initiation and awareness days on STIs and AIDS. These training sessions have enabled prisoners to gain essential knowledge about HIV/AIDS and STIs, their mode of transmission, their diagnosis and their treatment with an emphasis on the specificity of the prison environment with an emphasis on ethical and deontological aspects. About thirty peer educators among the prisoners were trained to contribute to ongoing training sessions on STIs and AIDS for other prisoners. This group has studied the topics indepth and has been given training on techniques for leading group discussions. The visitors will also be able to attend a theatrical play created by one of the inmates which will be enacted by a group of prisoners in a theater forum. A counseling center was recently set up at Oukacha prison. Doctors, psychologists, sociologists or members of NGOs welcome civil servants and prisoners in difficulty (drug addicts, homosexuals, AIDS patients, etc.). This center is also a distribution point for posters and folders. Visitors may interact with the different care teams and the beneficiary groups. Global Fund Contribution :
Headquarters of the Association for the
fight against AIDS (Casablanca) see
a photo gallery Partner: ALCS Place : Activity hall within ALCS headquarters in Casablanca. This is a space reserved exclusively for sessions organized for men having sexual relationships with men and men involved in prostitution. This room is halfway between the STD consultation room and the center for anonymous and free screening. The room is equipped in such a way that attendees can feel comfortable and use awareness tools developed specifically for this target group. Description : This involves attending sessions organized at the association headquarters for men having sexual relationships with men and men involved in prostitution. Sessions are organized once a week on Friday afternoon. The session will be exceptionally scheduled on a Tuesday for this visit. Leaders will use exercises adapted to the target group so that participants can establish relationships between their sexual practices (and others) and STIs/HIV/AIDS. They will then also reinforce the training by using specific educational tools on HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. Participants at the session may take advantage of the anonymous and free screening available during the awareness session. Global Fund contribution :
Hassan II mosque see
a photo gallery The
Hassan II mosque is the highest religious building on the planet. It
has what it takes to attract crowds of people: a minaret 200m tall (twice
the size of the towers at Chartres cathedral) and a magnificent interior
which groups together all aspects of Moroccan art. The two-storey building
sits on the Atlantic coast. The mosque has a beautiful nave with a
prayer room which can hold up to 25,000 believers and an |
