HIBAPRESS – Tetouan
In a step aimed at enhancing the economic and social integration of former prisoners, the Youth Platform Bab Soufli in the city of Tetouan witnessed, on Thursday, the handover of equipment and tools to nine beneficiaries, including two women, with the aim of helping them launch their own projects and achieve professional and financial independence.
This initiative falls within the framework of a partnership agreement between the Regional Committee for Human Development in the Tetouan Province and the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Reintegration of Prisoners, in the context of implementing the National Human Development Initiative program aimed at supporting vulnerable individuals and enhancing their opportunities for integration into economic and social life.
The handover ceremony was attended by the Governor of Tetouan Province, Abdel Razak El Mansouri, the Mayor of Tetouan, Mostafa El Bakouri, as well as the President of the Provincial Council and a number of elected officials and civil society and economic figures.
In this regard, Mohamed El Mokaddemi, the regional coordinator of the Support and Reintegration Center in Tangier, affiliated with the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Reintegration of Prisoners, explained that the financial envelope allocated to this operation amounted to 316,723 dirhams, which was directed towards acquiring the necessary equipment and tools for launching the beneficiaries' projects, according to the nature of the activities they intend to undertake.
These projects encompass diverse fields, including services, crafts, traditional industries, agriculture, and cooking, thereby providing beneficiaries with real opportunities to engage in the labor market and rely on their own capabilities to improve their social and financial situations.
El Mokaddemi added that this initiative is part of the strategy of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Reintegration of Prisoners, which seeks to provide the necessary support to this category and help them overcome difficulties they may face after their release, by encouraging individual initiative and supporting self-employment.
For her part, Mariam El Massoudi, representative of the Social Affairs Department in Tetouan Province, stated that the Regional Committee for Human Development, in partnership with the Foundation, approved a project dedicated to supporting released former prisoners residing in Tetouan Province, with a total financial envelope of 600,000 dirhams.
She explained that this amount includes approximately 269,000 dirhams allocated to the "Musalaha" (Reconciliation) program, while the remaining portion was allocated for the purchase of the necessary equipment and tools to enable beneficiaries to establish their income-generating projects.
This initiative embodies the importance of coordination between the various institutions concerned with reintegration, by providing financial support and social accompaniment for former prisoners, helping them regain their place in society and overcome the manifestations of vulnerability and exclusion.
This step also confirms that reintegration is not limited to the social aspect only, but also includes providing economic and professional opportunities that guarantee beneficiaries the ability to build a new path based on work, production, and independence, which enhances social stability and contributes to reducing the risks of returning to vulnerable situations.
