Autism In Morocco : No Money ,Yes Cry

Oussama Hamama

I N T R O

In Morocco, Autism has not been the subject of interest it deserves from the state, despite the number of increasingly high families who suffer from it. Yasmina Baddou,the former Secretary of State for the Family,Children and Disabled Persons proclaimed "The Year of Autism" in 2005, but without much impact on people with Autism nor on their families. A study on the development of the national Autism strategy was also launched in 2010, but it didn't lead to any results.

It is only when the ‘Moroccan Collective for Autism’ scientific congress took place on 29th and 30th April 2014 (organized in partnership with the Ministry of Solidarity, Women,Family and Social Development, with the support of the National Council of Human Rights) that the Minister of Health El Houssaine Louardi announced the involvement of his department in developing an "Autism Plan".This advert hasn't been executed until now.

Generally speaking,there is a lack of official data,and with the absence of field studies,we rely on the global prevalence of autism which  is on average 1 case per 100 births (in some countries, the rate is as high as : 1 birth out of 80),considering the total number inhabitants of Morocco,there are approximately 300,000 to 350,000 people with Autism in Morocco.

Moving to education,it's crucial to note that the associations have always taken the initiative to open inclusive classes for Autistic students across Morocco. The Ministry of Education also opens integrated classes for students with disabilities,but Autistic children remain largely marginalized because of the misunderstanding of Autism as well as the weakness of technical and educational tools adapted by the teaching staff.

We'll shed light along the following lines,on financial problems facing Autistic kids families,and their deep negative influence on the usual course of kids inside and outside the house.

We'll also explore the heavy potency of IT,through the use of social media,to promote and ensure a smooth embrace of Autistic people by society.

Autism is pricey !

     Mrs.Soumia Amrani is one the biggest handicap militants in Morocco,she is the primary vice-president of Moroccan Collective for Promoting Handicap Rights and also the treasurer of Moroccan Collective forAutism.

Despite the fact that Mrs. Amrani works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Cooperation,the situation of Aya,her young daughter who was diagnosed with Autism by the age of 8,has given another dimension to her career,and has significantly encouraged her to step up and make a positive change,so that other newly diagnosed children don’t suffer as much as her daughter did.

Mrs. Amrani achieved most of her professional goals: a PhD degree,an honorable society position,but deep inside,she still feels concerned with the rest of Moroccan families who cannot afford providing proper schooling and treatment to their kids.

In the following interview,she’s confessing the story of her daughter Aya,her strongest motivation,and how hard it is to cover different expenses for a slight case amelioration.

     According to Mrs.Amrani,Autism is truly costly,and the living circumstances of families may even get worse,especially with the high rate of unemployment which increased from 9.10 percent in the second quarter of 2014,to 9.60 percent in the third quarter of the same year. Here you can have a look at statistics :

source: tradingeconomics.com

    The more surprising fact is that Autistic people status is almost the same even in a developed country like Turkey,where wages are higher,and both politics and economy are remarkably boosted.

      “The growth of income is not the only thing needed,if society doesn’t change its stereotypes,and if decision makers don’t get rid of their remote view towards Autism,the integration progress will remain slow.” (S.Erken)

      Mrs.Sedef Erken,a popular lawyer in Turkey,who has appeared in TV talk shows many times,to introduce and defend the case of her son Ozan,representing the case of many Turkish Autistic children prevented from having a proper education in public schools,explains the obstacles opposing Turkish families and their kids,through her own experience as a law & order servant,and a mother in first place :

Autism & Information Technology :  A Promising Future !

While the financial situation seems to be really tough,there is hope in the younger generations,who have stepped forward to make an affirmative alternation using the world’s most widespread trend: social media.

The number of internet users in Morocco reaches nearly 20,207,154 individuals,and the number is expected to go higher,this huge evolution in the IT sector,opens new opportunities for engaging social media in the process of promoting awareness about Autism,and finding partnership horizons outside Morocco.

For instance,the average age of Facebook users in Morocco is between 18-24,and that shows how active and engaged young people are into the most growing international social network.

Oussama Benhmida is one of the youth taking the lead online,his experience in the IT sector,crowdfunding and social work,has enabled him to launch Woussoul,a mobile handicap application,in which he sees a big potential in helping Autistic people.

In the next video,he’s simplifying how Woussoul works and how it can be utilized in favor of Autism :

Touria Benlafqih,the social entrepreneurship & economics addict,has agreed to share with us some of her views on Autism in Morocco since she will soon be launching  an Autism specialized social enterprise.In the interview below,she addresses different points like social media possibilities and integration… The exciting thing is,all she says revolves very much around her own experience :

Another worth-knowing story of an Autism hero,is Bouchra’s,the young Moroccan community manager,who has conducted a field research in Handicap International,and has worked on a major Autism project in Morocco,her experience enabled her to see different aspects of the issue.

We couldn’t miss interviewing her to tell us more about the promising future of IT regarding Autism,and the necessity of introducing a suitable content to the web community,in order to guarantee more audience engagement and positive feedback towards the matter.

Advanced countries like the US have developed a strong mechanism to support Autism mentally,scientifically and financially,just like the famous Autism advocacy organization : AutismSpeaks,or the professional autism social network : My Autism .

Morocco is still trying hard through the humble infrastructure and financial resources to establish real solutions to the issue.So far,Autism NGOs are the main pressure force and support providers defending the cause,and the map below indicates some famous organizations across the country.

While parents and kids will keep struggling to survive in an environment full of discrimination and lack of facilities,the questions remain : When will the government take serious steps forward to provide proper education and healthcare system to Autistic people? Will social media change the situation as it did during the Arab Spring?

This story is part of African Story Challenge project by AMI (African Media Initiative).