Guelmim, June 30, 2006I think my favorite place we visited on the trip was the town of Guelmim. It is known as the Door to the Sahara, and has the most ravishing scenery. We stayed in these mud huts in the middle of an oasis, surrounded by palm trees, a truly spectacular sight. In Guelmim we had three meetings, all very exciting and informative. We first me with the team of the local hospital who, after eight months, set up a pediatric ward and a N.I.C.U. We learned that before the staff arrived a majority of the births in the region we not under surveillance, meaning they took place in the homes with a type of midwife. Before the team came to the hospital, the birth wing was an open space, and thus the women felt they had no privacy and instead chose to give birth at home. However when the team arrived the wing was closed, and as post and pre natal care services were set up, ecographies available, and the number of women on the maternity staff increased, the number of births under surveillance rose from forty-six percent to sixty-four percent. Thus it is clear to see the successful work achieved by the hospital team. We then met with the Wali of Guelmim. The Wali is the appointed by the King of Morocco and is his representative for each province. My mother told us that UNICEF had previously done work in Guelmim, digging wells to distribute clean water through out the region. However UNICEF was interested in doing more work in Guelmim and the rest of the south and thus decided to meet with the Wali to discuss possible options. The Wali informed us that Guelmim had two major problems concerning children. There is a large number of abandoned/street children, and a great number of children being exploited. Some projects have already been set up by various associations yet more help is always needed. Thus it was concluded that UNICEF has many possible opportunities and areas where its help is needed. The Wali and UNICEF agreed to conduct a study to know the situation of children in the region. This will allow everyone to plan programs to deal with priorities regarding children. Our third and final visit of the trip was with the League Marocaine pour le Protection d’Enfance in Guelmim. This chapter we found was more similar to the one in Taroudant rather than the one in Tiznit. However in this chapter the volunteers work with women as well as children. Sewing and literacy classes were established for the women. In addition, a kitchen is made available where women from poorer neighborhoods can come and cook. Yet the association also works with abandoned children. However the League in Guelmim is facing a great problem of space, the most essential factor. The grounds are too small which prevents the volunteers and the program from achieving its utmost potential. If there were more space, the association could expand its work and be able to help even more women and children. Despite the lack of space, we were all impressed with the work that the association and the volunteers have done in helping the children and women of south Morocco.
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