Moroccan children carve out playgrounds in the streets

The Moroccan Youth Ministry plans to provide better playground facilities for youngsters, as the lack of parks force many children to amuse themselves on busy arteries.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 07/05/10

In working-class districts across Morocco, community sports facilities where young people can play and thrive are virtually absent. Kids are forced to play in the streets instead, disrupting drivers and risking injury with improvised football pitches.

Drivers generally do not protest against the behavior, acknowledging the shortage of social and sports venues in their neighborhoods.

"The street that leads to my house is often cut off by young people playing football," said Temara resident Omar Chtibi. "I've learned to take a different route to allow them to play in peace."

Chtibi – a father of two teenagers – said the blame lies with the state, "which has failed to provide suitable areas for them".

His son Hicham stopped playing ball long enough to talk about the lack of proper places to play. "Why didn't officials think about including facilities for young people in their development plans, as happens in many countries around the world?" he asked.

"We're really suffering. If it weren't for the tolerance of passers-by and residents who have children like us, we'd be at risk of getting involved in crime due to a lack of funds. Our families don't have the money to pay the subscription fees for us to join clubs", he said with disappointment.

Sociologist Hicham Khouzama said that the problem has existed for a long time, but has worsened in recent years due to the breakneck pace of urbanization. Many previously empty areas are now taken over by construction.

"One is left with the impression that residential districts are just blocks of concrete with a woeful lack of green spaces and leisure centers," he said. "It's time we did something to change this situation, which could have a terrible effect on our children."

Khouzama added that community venues are an important tool in the fight against juvenile delinquency and explains that fewer playgrounds can encourage crime or fundamentalism. "For lack of adequate facilities, young people seek to fill the gap by other means, which can set them on the path to crime", he said.

According to the youth and sports ministry, efforts are being made to turn the situation around.

The ministry has set a goal to build 1,000 social and sports centers by 2016, to boost sports in several cities and to improve the lives of young people. To this end, King Mohammed VI in March laid the foundation stone of a combined community social and sports center in the district of Ain Sbaa in Casablanca.

The ministry and local authorities signed agreements in Rabat in March to tackle the lack of facilities in the capital region. Ten centers are to be built there by 2012, with two opening this year in the working-class districts of Yaacoub El Mansour and Youssoufia.

Hassan Amrani, governor of the Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer region, said the projects will benefit more than 30,000 children.

Student Hamza Labied hopes that officials follow through on this pledge, and on the agreed timeline. "The promises must become a reality on the ground. We're fed up with empty talk," he said.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/05/07/feature-01.