Ahead of schedule, Education for All has completed the construction of the girls' boarding house at Asni and 10 girls have moved in. Explore's local agent, Mohamed Imharken, attended the opening ceremony on our behalf.

As you may know from our last newsletter, this new project in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco was established to help girls access secondary education. Many girls from the mountain villages don't continue to secondary education simply because the school is too far away and there is nowhere suitable for them to stay. Providing boarding for these girls is a simple solution to the problem and Explore are paying subsistence for 3 of the 10 girls.

Primary education in Morocco is for 6 years from age 6 to 12 and basic secondary education 3 years from 12 to 15. In 1963, education became compulsory for Moroccan children between the ages of 7 to 13, however enrolment is only at about 85% and this is much lower in rural areas. Now, 10 more girls have been given the opportunity to benefit from secondary education. They will be joined in September by another 8 girls and a further 8 in September 2009: 8 from each of the three year groups of secondary education. Now settled in their comfortable house and ably looked after by Latifa, the House Mother, the future bears much hope for these girls. After all, educate a girl and you educate the next generation. http://www.educationforallmorocco.org/index.html

Join our volunteer tour to the High Atlas and support rural communities.