Morocco: Non-Sectarian Programs

Since their inception, JDC’s non-sectarian efforts in the form of the International Development Program (JDC-IDP) have been carried out in more than 60 countries by offering humanitarian aid to those who have suffered from man-made and natural disasters such as earthquakes, famine, extreme poverty, political instability, and war.

JDC-IDP addresses victims’ emergency needs and then provides longer-term rehabilitation and development assistance. Training is an essential part of those efforts, as JDC-IDP works to enhance the abilities of local partners and to ensure that the projects continue even after JDC’s involvement has ended.

Need: The vast majority of Moroccans with disabilities live in absolute poverty (earning less than $1 per day) and have no access to any kind of social welfare. Rural areas of the country show an increased risk of disability due to illiteracy; lack of preventive health care; childbirth accidents; and high rates of diabetes, cerebral palsy, and genetically transmissible diseases.

Response: Through its Outreach Mobile Team for Orthopedic Supplies program, JDC-IDP is able to reach disabled persons living in the poorest, most remote areas of Morocco. Mobile Team staff is equipped with two vehicles acquired by JDC-IDP: one is a mobile workshop with all necessary equipment for measurement, maintenance, and repair of assistive devices; storage for the raw material; and an elevator/ramp to insure accessibility for physically challenged people. The second is a mobile home, equipped for patients’ medical consultations as well as for the team’s accommodation while in the field.

In addition, in partnership with Amicale Marocaine Handicapes (AMH), a local Muslim organization that focuses on the needs of the handicapped, and the local Jewish community, JDC-IDP distributes wheelchairs to hundreds of people suffering from disabilities, offering them a chance at mobile independence, often for the first time. 

Learn about other JDC-IDP programs.