Locations
Morocco
Bringing school back to children
purchase of mobile computer devices (tablets) with Internet connectivity so the children in Morocco could pursue their education remotely amidst the COVID-19 outbreak
When COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, lockdowns were established, and millions of children were affected as schools closed their doors to continue with online lessons. Children in underprivileged areas in Morocco weren´t able to access to education because they didn´t have the technology necessary to connect to their classes. A crowdfunding campaign was launched to support the purchase of mobile computer devices (tablets) with Internet connectivity so the children in Morocco could pursue their education remotely amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. The devices were funded through an online crowdfunding campaign entitled ‘Bringing school back to children’ that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education, and Scientific Research.
The campaign was part of UNDP’s ‘Solidarity Against COVID-19: Together we are one!’ initiative, which aimed to engage communities in supporting local solutions to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak in seven countries in the Arab States region that were hard hit by the pandemic.
In its pilot phase, the campaign provided tablets preloaded with educational material and an internet connection to over 1600 students. The amount of money collected through the online crowdfunding platform complemented resources already provided by the Kingdom of Norway, a partner of UNDP, which had agreed to reorient a great part of its support to the Ministry of Education to provide tablets to some 700 boys and girls across the country.
To ensure that students could continue their education under conditions of confinement imposed by the government as a preventive measure to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Ministry of Education launched a distance learning initiative through a dedicated website, supported by airing lessons through television channels.
However, an entire generation of children in remote rural areas was at risk of being left behind due to the lack of adequate digital access. Limited digital literacy, access to digital devices and internet connectivity present real impediments for children in those areas to avail themselves of the opportunity of online learning, the only alternative available under confinement. The campaign was the first step to address that need. It raised more than USD $151K and helped provide students with a tablet and an Internet connection to complete their education online.