Rabat – Children in underprivileged areas in Morocco will receive mobile computer devices (tablets) with Internet connectivity to be able to pursue their education remotely amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. The devices will be funded through an online crowdfunding campaign entitled ‘Bringing school back to children’ that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched today in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research.

The campaign is part of UNDP’s ‘Solidarity Against COVID-19: Together we are one!’ initiative, which aims 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 have been hard hit by the pandemic.

In its pilot phase, the campaign will provide tablets preloaded with educational material and internet connection to over 1600 students. The amount of money collected through the online crowdfunding platform will be complement resources already provided by the Kingdom of Norway, a partner of UNDP, which agreed to reorient a generous part of its support to the Ministry of Education, to provide tablets to some 700 boys and girls across the country.

“I strongly support the Bringing School back to children crowdfunding campaign. The rationale is simple: Education begins the moment we recognise girls and boys as innately wise and capable individuals. Only then we can recognise the importance of further investing today in their education, and by doing so we can be enriched by learning to play along in their world.” said Edward Christow, UNDP Resident representative in Morocco.

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 is 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 is a first step to address that need.

For further information on the campaign and means to donate, please visit the campaign platform (www.togetherasone.co ) or contact registry.ma@undp.org.