MOROCCO > EDUCATION, TRAINING AND RESEARCH
Lunch at the training restaurant n
Chef Ibrahim Raji explains how to cook a couscous dish
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Thirty-two years ago, a group of parents of children with Down’s syndrome, doctors and people of goodwill founded the Moroccan Association for Support and Assistance to People with Down’s Syndrome (AMSAT). Their aim: to provide everyday support for families. Today, also thanks to the support of the European Union, a vocational training project is enabling 40 young people to train for careers in the catering trade. AMSAT firmly believes that work is a fundamental value, which ensures social integration and independence for young people with Down’s syndrome. A journalist from the EU Neighbourhood Info Centre ate a (delicious) meal at the association's training restaurant. He sent us this report. Text by: Safi Naciri Pictures by: AFP © EU / Neighbourhood Info Centre
RABAT - On a sunny day, down a quiet alleyway, not far from the city's railway station, I have come to the headquarters of the Moroccan Association for Support and Assistance to People with Down’s Syndrome, AMSAT. The building attracts passers-by due to the originality of its architecture. Everything blends harmoniously, the style and the colours. A harmony that makes you wonder who lives in this twostorey building. Mariam Nekkach is the project manager of the AMSAT Training Restaurant. She talks about the Association and its goals, before inviting me on a guided tour of the premises, enlivened by the friendly atmosphere of children with Down’s syndrome accompanied by their mothers. "It's a special day," says Mrs. Nekkach. When asked about the creation of AMSAT, the project leader looks back to 32 years ago, when the Association was This publication does founded on the initiative of a group of parents of children with Down’s syndrome, doctors and people of goodwill, not represent the and organisations from civil society. Then, they embarked on a long adventure. An act that founded a noble human official view of the EC mission. This long journey, which has brought so many experiences and or the EU institutions. contributed so many new skills, soon bore fruit with the establishment EU Neighbourhood Info Centre The EC accepts no of the training restaurant project. Feature no. 116 responsibility or This is a series of features on projects liability whatsoever funded by the EU, prepared by Work, a fundamental value with regard to its journalists and photographers on the The project is dear to the heart of Dr. Hassan Benkhlafa, a specialist in content. ground or the EU Neighbourhood physical medicine and rehabilitation, and a member of AMSAT's Board Info Centre. of Directors. "The idea of launching this vocational training project, © 2014 EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre tailored to children with Down’s syndrome, has been in our minds
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n Young people with Down’s
syndrome aged between 16 and 23 preparing lunch
n Osama Chahbi, in charge of educational activities
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Nihad Rhanem, project assistant
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Mariam Nekkach, project manager
n Within this friendly environment, work is a core value
throughout the experience gained by the association since the centre was started, right through to the implementation of this training, via the construction of the HRH Prince Moulay Rachid Centre," says Dr. Benkhlafa. He emphasizes, in passing, the important role of partnership with the European Union for the realization of the association's objectives. The European contribution funds the restaurant and the running of the training course, focusing on careers in catering to improve the situation of young people with Down’s syndrome. Here, within this friendly and courteous environment of children with Down’s syndrome and staff who are here to train them, work is a core value. In the culture of the centre, it provides social integration and independence for young people with Down’s syndrome. And based on this core value, the centre has launched training workshops in the fields of catering and gardening. Forty young people with Down’s syndrome are undergoing training, which will be completed in 2014. In addition, 30 specialized technical instructors are being trained at the centre. The various workshops provided for the children provide irrefutable evidence of the ability of young people with Down’s syndrome to adapt to these careers. The staff at the centre embrace their mission with great dynamism and belief. Kahdija, who runs the cookery workshop, Osama, who is responsible for educational activities, and Nihad, project assistant: a trio working hard for these young people, giving the best of themselves in this project focused on the human and social dimensions. At the end of 2014, the restaurant project will open to the public In the basement of the building, surrounded by eight young people with Down’s syndrome aged between 16 and 23, Khadija welcomes us with a smile in a friendly atmosphere. These young people demonstrate professionalism and hard work. They have to prepare meals for lunch in a few hours. The teaching restaurant offers around 40 dishes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, to which the staff of the centre and friends of AMSAT are invited. A full-scale exercise. But the result appears to be conclusive. A first taste of their dishes confirms the catering expertise of these young people with Down’s syndrome. "The teaching restaurant," confirms Mariam Nekkach, "will be operational by the end of 2014 and ready to open to the public. Four of the graduates of the centre will join the staff, and promises have been made by social enterprises to recruit other candidates trained by the centre. This bodes well for all of our graduates," the project manager concludes optimistically. The AMSAT centre is also the place where 30 young specialized technical instructors work, having been hired by the centre after a competition. Dynamic, committed young people, whose performance in training people with Down’s syndrome meets the expectations of the centre's managers. The instruction given here is a shortcoming of other such centres
"The idea of launching this vocational training project, which is tailored to children with Down’s syndrome, has been in our minds throughout the experience gained by the association since the centre was started, right through to the implementation of this training"
The teaching restaurant will be operational by the end of 2014 and ready to open to the public. Four graduates of the centre will join the staff"
n The teaching restaurant offers some 40 dishes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, to which the staff of the centre and friends of AMSAT are invited
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in Moroccan cities – hence the importance of training for human resources specialised in this field. It's a view echoed by Dr. Hassan Benkhlafa: this active association worker also insists on the legitimate rights of people with Down’s syndrome to education, specific training and access to employment through coaching. Dr. Benkhlafa highlights the stigma attached to the syndrome. "It is a real handicap that must be fought in order to enable people with Down’s syndrome to integrate into the life of society," he says. A delicious meal The centre of the Moroccan Association of Support and Assistance to People with Down’s Syndrome (AMSAT) n In the kitchen we find chef Ibrahim Raji, Safaa NMILA Anas LAMGHABER, Mariam NEKKACH, project looks like an anthill swarming with activity. It is a clean manager, Sami YAOUISS, Nihad RHANEM project assistant, Latifa LAGHLID, Osama CHAHBI, in charge of educational activities, Ayoub SALHI, Yassir BASRAOUI and chef Khadija SEBBAH and friendly place. The Association provides daily support for 40 families that have children or members "The problem of stigma? with Down’s syndrome. Sessions and services are provided to them by psychologists, speech It is a real handicap that therapists, physiotherapists, educators and technical instructors. must be fought in order And to combat the limitations and impaired capacity related to the disability, AMSAT offers to enable people with early sessions for groups of babies, and rehabilitation and specific monitoring as well as Down’s syndrome to educational workshops. Support is also provided on schooling in integrated classes. integrate into the life At lunchtime, I am invited to share the meal with the staff of the training restaurant. Each of us of society" pays for our meal voucher. It's a delicious meal. I am totally convinced by the talent of these young people Down’s syndrome who are potential future recruits to the catering trade. And now, I am proud to be counted among the friends of their training restaurant.
Creating a Teaching Restaurant and start-up of a vocational training curriculum focused on the catering trade to improve the situation of young people with Down’s syndrome http://www.amsat.ma/?Id=1&lang=fr The objective of the project is the training of 40 young people with Down’s syndrome for careers in catering, as well as the training of 30 technical instructors specializing in coaching young people with disabilities for careers in catering Project duration: 24 months Budget: 149,600 EUR
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