Relinquished NGOs in Algeria get the boost from the EU

Following a period of bloody cycle of violence in Algeria in the 1990s, a non–governmental initiative was launched in Algeria aiming at boosting the work of NGOs supporting orphans, abandoned women, environment and a lot more…

Basma Karasha – Algiers, Al Hayat

The European Union is offering financial aid to around 200 Algerian non-governmental organizations dedicated to offer care for orphans, education for minors, or diffusing awareness and improving environmental conditions in the country. In the framework of NGO II programme, reputable and national organizations as well as small local ones working with municipalities benefitted from the support which aims at providing care for people in need. The financial support unveiled a pit of intelligence, richness and creativity in the region long time buried for lack of means and negligence from local authorities and citizens.

“Our organization gained importance and became well renowned since we launched the project”, says Kamal Slini, head of the local charitable organization for orphans in the city of Bordj Bou Arreridj. The cost of the project totaled 5 million Algerian Dinars (the equivalent to 50,000 Euros), of which the EU donated 80%. The remaining 20% were handled by the organization. This aid enabled the organization, originally responsible for 500 orphans, to form a vocational and occupational training centre for orphans in the east side of Bordj Bou Arreridj city. Slini explained that the centre offers training in the following fields: electricity, cooking, hairdressing… He also highlighted that 20 students already graduated in the first session and another 20 will follow in the second session.

The organization’s graduates were followed up by professional trainers from the National Centre for Vocational Training thanks to a partnership between both bodies, the goal being to develop skilled workers. Due to this partnership, graduates receive an additional certificate from the National Training Centre accredited by the Ministry of Education, which constitutes a plus for them on the labor market. It is important to note that some highly qualified teachers were assigned for the training task. According to Slini, “the organization gained an excellent reputation and is acknowledged by the government. Official exams held in the framework of a campaign to promote literacy were organized in the headquarters of the organization”.

Another action in favor of women
In the northeastern part of Algeria, in the city of Skikda, “Ibtissama” organization got funded by 2 million Algerian Dinars (the equivalent to around 20,000 Euros). With this support, the organization inaugurated a reception centre for marginalized women and kids, and offered permanent jobs for 10 unemployed people. “What we are able of implementing nowadays is totally innovative in our city. I have always dreamt of executing it since the year 1989, but the lack of financial resources restricted all my dreams”, says Nassira Boujma, head of the organization.

In fact, what has been achieved is already appreciated, since the organization is working on gathering marginalized and abandoned women in the centre in an effort to educate them and train them to obtain some skills in cooking, hairdressing, sewing, and thus integrate them in society. Originally built to accommodate 110 women and children every year, the centre is today accommodating 200 women with 7 young age children.

According to the chief of project, the centre is today a refuge for unemployed women as well as divorced or abandoned ones and for children of unknown parents. One of the great achievements of the centre, highlights Mrs Boujma, is the effort that has been put to find the legal parents of two children sheltered in the centre. These children live today with their biological parents in the centre. The parents got married lately and, with the help of the local authorities, the kids have been legally registered under their names. Due to its outstanding success on the social level, the centre succeeded in gaining lots of merit among the people in the area and became an example of social coexistence.

Nature reserve
On the environmental level, and in the framework of the support for NGOs, the European Commission funded a Nature reserve project in Sfissifa, a municipality in Wilaya de Naama (Naama province), located on the western side of Algeria, on the Moroccan border. The Ministry of Youth and Sports also contributed in funding this project launched by the scientific association of youth “Discover Nature”. The idea behind this project was to create a Nature reserve in the area of Nefikha to preserve the fields where dinosaurs’ remains were found and to preserve the fossilized forest of Rouis – Edjir. The project kicked off a series of environmental awareness campaigns via TV, radio stations and written press to educate the population on the means of protecting and preserving nature’s wealth. Promotional campaigns were also organized to inform the population about the importance of the projects in the three remote areas of Algeria. 20 young men were trained for this purpose and an ecologic club of Sfissifa gathering dozens of students and volunteers worked on spreading awareness among the population.

Upgrading competence
Art and Creativity Association in the municipality of Metlili Chaamba in the eastern Wilaya of Algeria, Ghardaïa, benefitted from 5 million Algerian Dinars. These funds helped the association build a computer hall, a library, and a conference room and install other equipment. A postal address was also assigned to all associations working on the same project. Head of the association informed Al Hayat that “the initiative started with 17 associations, while 28 are currently involved”.

Head of the expert team at the European Commission Delegation in Algeria working on the NGO II project, Mrs Assia Harbi told Al-Hayat that this programme is helping 131 associations to upgrade their capacities and realize their goals. The programme aims at gradually improving the work of those associations as well as the competence of their administration to a professional level to meet the world standards. Harbi goes on to say that the civil society in Algeria have worked for a long time depending on the will and good faith of some volunteers, however, this work could have been more fruitful had it depended on more skillful capacities”. In fact, this is exactly the main focus of the European Commission programme that has allocated more than 10 million Euros to support the projects of those associations.