Books were prominently featured at several summer camp centers across Morocco this season, thanks to the “National Reading Program in Summer Camps” initiative. This program is organized by the “Moroccan Reading Network” in coordination with the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication and the “National Camping Federation.”
In a statement to Hespress, Aicha Chafii, the national coordinator of the program, explained that the program aims to promote a culture of reading among children, youth, and educational staff, raising awareness of its importance and fostering a refined aesthetic taste.
“This is a national project now in its seventh edition,” Chafii said. “It was launched by the Moroccan Reading Network in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication, which oversees the ‘Vacation for All’ program, and the National Camping Federation, which brings together all local, national, and scouting associations involved in camping.”
She further explained, “This summer, we targeted 15 camping centers in ten regions across the country, following preliminary coordination with the central administration of the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication regarding the centers we could visit and work with their staff.”
Chafii highlighted that the Moroccan Reading Network contributes by providing “staff who raise awareness about the importance of reading and conduct reading workshops within the camps, with the intention that the impact of these workshops extends beyond the camp. The network also provides books and participation certificates.”
These certificates, though symbolic, have a significant impact on many child readers. Chafii shared an example: “This year, at a camp in Saidia, we met an educational supervisor who participated in the program as a child in 2015 and still keeps the certificate he received back then.”
Regarding the slogan “Reading is a Journey and a Pleasure,” which underpins these programs encouraging reading among children and youth, Chafii mentioned that it reflects the Moroccan Reading Network’s effort to “challenge the perception among children that reading is confined to school. By showing that reading can be a source of pleasure and an opportunity for travel, the program highlights how books can transport readers.”
The Moroccan Reading Network has been involved for years in various civil initiatives and official collaborations to encourage reading among young people in Morocco. These efforts include establishing reading clubs in schools, high schools, and universities, organizing national reading competitions where young readers are recognized for their favorite literary works, promoting Moroccan literature, encouraging reading in multiple languages, and fostering openness to the literature of the Arab region, Africa, and the broader world. The network’s programs and competitions also encourage both reading and writing.
