The identification of the concept of poverty is not easy, arises where a great deal of controversy and disagreement about the appropriate definition of poverty, some researchers poverty is defined according to income or rather due to the lack of income, and other researchers emphasize that poverty should be measured by the inability of the individual to obtain the necessary social requirements, and accepted that poverty, can not be reduced only in the deprivation of financial resources that this concept be expanded to include other forms of human deprivation concept of poverty is defined from the perspective of social exclusion.

Has become a poverty problem in our country today is structurally stable and elusive and multifaceted, is the weakness of job opportunities available in the case of marginalization that are attacking large groups of society, which would be spared to take advantage of infrastructure and social services available to the rare and deprive them from participating in decision-making.
The failures associated with poverty, political, economic and social failure of many development schemes, defined by Morocco since independence, particularly on the program and the accompanying structural adjustment measures, have resulted in cases of austerity, unemployment and inflation and a wage freeze and tax pressure and the decline in purchasing power and extremely difficult to access social services, and an imbalance in the the distribution of income. Which led to the impoverishment of the poor and more wealth and prosperity for the majority of the rich few lucky ones.
In terms of figures about the number of poor people today in our country of 5 million people, according to the results of recent research on the standard of living of households, 4 million Moroccans live below the relative poverty threshold (an annual expenditure of less than 3235 DH in urban areas and 2989 DH in rural areas and so on) live 3 million of the total poor in the villages and one million in cities and about 25% of the Moroccan economic weakness large (annual expenditure is less than 4500 DH).
Thus, poverty is, in depth, a rural phenomenon, and this is confirmed by research and the first map of poverty carried out by the High Planning Commission and the World Bank recently.
On the other hand, poverty affects mainly women and young people and children.

AL-Amana was established in February 13, 1997, with support from "USAID" and the "Hassan II Fund" and received a license by the Ministry of Finance March 31, 2000, one of the largest micro-credit institutions in Morocco, where there are 437 agency covering all the national territory, and financial products provided by the AL-AMANA and, in particular, the loan of solidarity and individual loan and private loans to housing provided by the non-financial services such as counseling, guidance and marketing service, through a special program in this regard so-called " Taswik (Marketing)" which was launched in 2008, and interesting help craftsmen to market their products and Secretariat aims to contribute to the social and economic development through the revitalization of small businesses as well as contributing to social integration through the expansion of financial services to the poor include low-income and create income-generating activities.


In terms of funding,AL-AMANA to borrow from banks with preferential interest rates / low (internal funding), as well as its funding depends on the support and help of international institutions and organizations, either governmental or non-governmental Kolokulp-American Development (external funding). AL-AMANA of the Group engaged in the regional networks and international organizations concerned to microfinance and microcredit, including: Arabic Network for Microfinance "SANABEL" Carnegie exchange market information "MIX" and the network of microfinance "MEN" Microfinance Network and other institutions ...
At the national level, the Secretariat is available until late last year (2008), to 490 thousand active customers, my neighbor loans totaling 2.78 billion dirhams, distributed on main sectors as follows:
- Trade: 39.47%
- Agriculture: 29.55%
- Handicraft: 17.14%
- Services: 13.84%
Preview messages and through the monthly AL-AMANA "AMANEWS" shows that the individual loans and loans for housing in a steady rise, compared with loans of solidarity, so check out the Assembly's strategy for the development of these types of loans in response to the growing phenomenon of non-fulfillment of the payment of loans, which became known to the sector in recent In this regard, the number of customers of individual loans end of 2008, 95 thousand beneficiaries, compared to 35 thousand beneficiaries in 2007.

AL-AMANA website , click here

Provide microcredit associations in Morocco, two types of services:
financial services and non-financial services, the first one is divided into two main sections, namely:
A - solidarity loan: Also known as the loan group, known as the group solidarity apply the principle of solidarity among themselves, so that in case of failure to perform the due payment by an individual belongs to the same group is imperative for the rest of the group and Iwduha him. The group consists of 3 to 5 individuals - according to all the Assembly - and, in solidarity loan does not request any guarantees, but the only guarantee is the same group, ranging in value of loans granted between 1000 to 30000DHs period of time between 3 and 18 months, and is satisfied premiums loan on a semi-monthly or monthly.

B - individual loan : Go and this type of loan at the beginning of 2006 and the reverse loan solidarity must be having a specific guarantees to benefit from this type of loan and can generally distinguish between the inside two types:
- Individual loan-oriented small businesses :
Is a loan intended for small businesses and micro enterprises for the development of their projects and business plans and small loans range in value between 1000 to 50000 dirhams in the time period between 6 months to 5 years. This type of loan should provide specific guarantees one Calcgel commercial or personal guarantees (such as the monthly wage ...).
In terms of the special conditions that must be provided in the beneficiary: it is to be the holder of entrepreneurship, and to be the capital of the latter than the predecessor.
- The loan for housing:
Started work in recent years is directed to those who wanted to improve the residence, repair, or to link housing connected to drinking water, or electricity, ranging from the value of loans granted between 1000 to 50000 dirhams in the time period between 6 months and 7 years. The request is specific guarantees as collateral furniture for home or personal guarantees or to ensure a relative. These are the various financial services provided by micro-credit associations in Morocco, in addition to the specific safeguards that should be available to take advantage of individual loan, which is in the development in Morocco since its inception in 2006, and to reduce the hardness in the performance of their clients, and the risk of debt recovery as well as financial services, Association provides microcredit, Morocco, non-financial services in parallel to the beneficiaries, such as training programs, guidance and counseling them through the field agents who are tracking the project, in addition to marketing the products of customer service at the regional level or national level, through the establishment of special exhibitions in this regard, we note In this regard, the "TASWIK" of the AL-AMANA, which was launched in 2008, which helps more than 200 customers in the industry of traditional marketing to sell their products, contributing to poverty alleviation.

N.B:If you like this article ... Subscribe to our mailing list.

The idea that poverty and deprivation are transmitted from one generation to the next, thus creating a selfperpetuating system or vicious circle. The children of poor parents may receive little parental support and may be forced to attend inadequate schools. As a result, they leave school at the earliest possible opportunity and with few qualifications.


download here