News from CEI Newsletter from the Comité D’Entraide Internationale

News from CEI Newsletter from the Comité d’Entraide Internationale,

Diaconal Ministry of the Protestant Church in Morocco N° 03/February 2014 03/February N°

Editorial 2012-2013 None of these little ones should perish ! CEI : the Year in

Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. retrospect (Matt 18,14)

But who are those little ones that God refuses to lose one? In our minds, little ones are particularly vulnerable people, those in situations of weakness, lessened and diminished. Most of us believe that it is our role as Christians to help people in need, so Christians are often committed to work together toward this goal. This is why the EEAM created the CEI (International Mutual Assistance Committee) -- in order to assist those among us in great need. Generally, in our minds, these little ones are others, those who are not like us. It is rare for us to recognize ourselves in this category. Little ones are other people who need help, who need the gospel. So in our church many people believe that the CEI is only meant for migrants. Often, we don’t want to be put in the same category as migrants in need. Often, church members who go through difficult times are ashamed to come like migrants, and, indeed, with to present their needs. But ... Do we really understand what Jesus is trying to teach us? “And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple--truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward." (Matt 10: 42).” Is a disciple a little one The CEI works in four principal according to Jesus? "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in ways : me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.”(Matt 18: 6). And he insists few verses later: "Take care that you do not  Emergency assistance despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.” In other words, do not demean  Professional training these small ones, do not despise them, do not see yourselves superior to them: they have a great, amazing privilege to look into God’s face  Microprojects continually!!

And Jesus drives the point home: “It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that even one of these  Student scholarships little ones be lost!” They are protected, set apart, P. 2-3 recipients of eternal life by the will of God who does not want to lose anyone! The little one is therefore not who we think he is. For Jesus, he’s a disciple, someone who believes in ●New migration policy CEI Calendar Him. Little one, this is not another; this is us. We must completely change our perspective and reformat Reality or Façade ? P. 3 ● March 24-27, 2014 the way we see ourselves before going to try to proclaim the gospel or engage in CEI. Visit of German Delegation ● A Revamped Scholarship ● (continued on page 6) May 17, 2014 Selection Process P. 6 Gala Dinner Casablanca PAGE 2 National CEI ●

CEI 2012-2013 : The

medical cases and burials, scholarships for students who helping 48 people with a budget had lost support and risked of 65,000 dirhams. In all of these having to abandon their studies ; cases costing over 500 dirhams, there were 250 applicatants for the CEI worked with other these 67 scholarships, applying partners who contributed as well, for the first time through a most often CARITAS. standardized process on line.

- A number of our teams took ►Professional Training their role in spiritual accompaniment very seriously, The CEI continued to provide praying with migrants, providing professional training for three Bibles, and speaking a word of months to migrants desiring to encouragement from scripture to develop a skill that will offer him/ them. her income. These were done working in internship settings ● Unusual cases most of the time so that those in

- The Oujda team was very the program received professional Tent in Oujda invovled in the case of a baby ezperience.

abandoned by migrants on the At the end of 2012, 13 persons has four principal assistance. This year we chose universiy campus. The team finished the training: 4 in CEI avenues of work : to give priority to the degree of collaborated with migrant hairdressing, 5 in sewing, 2 in emergency aid, professional vulnerability, with minors, communities and local authorities mechanics, and 2 in upholstery. training, microprojects, and pregnant women, injured and until the child was, finally, taken In the first half of 2013, 21 student scholarships. CEI has sick persons, and persons into care by a local association. persons completed training teams working in Oujda, Fes, completely without resources at - The Rabat team helped a programs: 9 in hairstyling in Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, the top of our list. The local student who had fallen into illegal Rabat, 7 in hairstyling in Tangier, and Adagir. team in Rabat set up criteria for status and was put in jail. KBF Casablanca, 2 in a bakery in

evaluating vulnerability. Teams made a significant contribution Rabat, 2 more as pastry chefs in ►CEI Staff Activities are using adapted forms to keep toward paying her endebtedness Rabat, and one in Agadir.

track of beneficiaries. so she could receive her diploma.

● Participation in the World - In Oujda, at least one food ►Microprojects Social Form organized by - During the summer, a young Bread for the World in Tunis in distribution took place each Nigerian woman victim of human Microprojects of 2000 dirhams March, 2013. month. The definitive departure trafficking was brought to Rabat each were financed in the of MSF in March 2013 created from Oujda by a human rights following cities: extra work for our team and left a ● Training of Local Team worker (AMDH). Working in - In Rabat : telephone repair, a great gap in capability to address Members collaboration with Caritas, jewelry cooperative with four medical issues in Oujda. UNHCR, and IOM, she was - January 2012 in Kenitra : women, an african restaurant, and - Fes held a day of free medical lodged through the end of the Presentation of CEI values and two shoe repairmen. The jewelry consultation for migrants in May. year (and beyond) in a women’s cooperative did not succeed, but training in listening to folks in shelter. (The team continues to - In Agadir, the local team the others have worked well. need. intervene with her to explore assisted persons forcibly - April 2012 in Rabat : training in options for her future). - In Marrakesh, three hair cutting transported to the south of listening to migrants in need and projects were started, but none on migrants’ rights Morocco, creating some “heavy ►Scholarships have worked well. cases).  We were able to provide 67 ● Revising By-Laws - Tanger began its work in September with emergency aid ►Managing Financial and microproject funding.

Resources - Casablanca continued to use

The CEI finances its work doctors from the congregation to through the generosity of offer free medical advice and international donors (KBF, HBC, asisstance with prescriptions, CEVAA, EKIR, Kirchenkreis including offering some Jüllich, CBF, les paroisses medications to migrants for free. allemandes). This year we put a - In Rabat and in Marrakech, new accounting and finance doctors from the congregation system in place with the help of saw migrants without charge by Miora Andriatsimalia’s appointment. professional expertise. - In virtually all the cities where

CEI is present we were able to ►Emergency aid pay for prescription medicine for We continued to provide those who were sick and injured clothing, food, and medical aid and to offer blankets in winter. and, in some cases, shelter - We also intervened in “heavy” Upholstery workshop in Rabat

National CEI PAGE 3 ● year in retrospect

- In Fez, a hair cutting project - A German intern put together a Forest Day" with migrants and was started but did not work ● Special Projects lovely collection of lullabies church members. well. However, a clothing re- sung by migrant women on a CD ►Local partners sale project worked very well. - A Bible School for 46 English- called "Merceuses". (Mama- Our local teams are working on speaking women and 32 children lullabies). The CD has been sold - In Casablanca, a hair-cutting collaborative efforts with other took place October 11-13, 2012 with a lot of success. project was started which did not in Rabat, thanks to the Kentucky partners. Here is a parial list : succeed. An African restaurant Baptist Fellowship-EEAM - A group of German partners Rabat: ALCS (fight against project is planned to begin soon. partnership, with volunteers visited CEI programs all over AIDS), Fondation Orient-

from Kentucky and EEAM Morocco March 12-16, 2013. Occident, GADEM (migrants At the end of the year, we send team members from Tangier, volunteers staffing the Bible - Gala Banquet: Casablanca rights), and CARITAS (Catholic School. organized a gala dinner May 17, Charities). Rabat and Casablanca to a training program specifically - Two psychotherapists from 2013, that raised 14000 dirhams. Oujda: AMDH (human rights association) and Medecins du about microprojects which has Germany put on a training - The Oujda team organized a Monde (Doctors of the World). left us hopeful for future program for CEI personnel, football match for migrant young Casablanca: CARITAS. projects. teaching on dealing with persons people, aged 14-18. The team with PTSD. also sponsored a " Clean Up the

Analyse New migration policy : Reality or Facade?

fter 2012, a year marked years of common life; by successive dramatic - be a child from a couple in one of events, an upsurge in the situations above; A repression, police - have a contract of employment for violence and acts of overt racism, a period of at least two years; the year 2013 marked a true turning - be able to prove five continuous point in Morocco migration policy. years of presence on Moroccan territory; On June 7, 2013, Morocco and the - be suffering from a serious illness. EU signed a "Mobility Partnership Agreement" articulated around four Of course, many people have not axes: visa facilitation, fight against been able to be legally married irregular migration and human simply because one of the couple trafficking, and re-admission does not have legal status in agreements and asylum. Following Morocco. And the children of these this agreement, Morocco submitted couples would likewise not be a report to the United Nations in eligible. Geneva on the implementation of Applicants for legal status in Morocco (AFP photo) the International Convention on the This release was immediately children of “Sahel and sub-Saharan In addition, it is extremely difficult Protection of Rights of Migrant followed by the establishment of an Africa countries”. This seemed to prove five continuous years of Workers and their Families. This ad hoc Committee to review the 853 truly to indicate “a new vision of presence in Morocco, which is sparked an alternative report of a records of refugees already national migrant policy”. simply not the case for the vast group of associations active in the recognized by UNHCR by a newly majority. field of migration pointing all the reopened Moroccan Office of Without casting aspersion on human rights violations still too Morocco's willingness to write a And only a very few will be able to Refugees and Stateless Persons, show a contract of employment, frequent. At the same time, inactive since 2006, as well as the new page in its history, we must Morocco's National Human Rights admit that many shadow areas since virtually all migrants work in establishment of two the " informal" sector. Council - CNDH published a report interdepartmental committees remain, raising questions and entitled "Foreigners and human responsible for upgrading the legal concerns, particularly as regards to As to the notion of 'serious illness', rights in Morocco: Toward a the unique regularization operation it is not defined and ambiguity and institutional framework of nd radically new immigration and asylum and the fight against human which began on 2 January this leaves room for subjectivity and asylum policy." trafficking. Finally, a unique year in 83 offices opened across refusal. Morocco. Immediately after the submission of operation of regularization of To date (June 2014), 1150 persons this report, King Mohammed VI 'certain categories of foreigners in To hope be qualified for have been regularized through this reiterated his conviction "that the an irregular administrative situation' regularization, one must meet one program out of 15,500 applications, migration problem... must be from January 1 to December 31, of these criteria: a 92.6% rejection rate. The vast viewed with a global approach and 2014 was announced. - be spouse of a Moroccan sharing majority of those approved are not with humanism, according to Then on October 9, the Minister of migrants, but spouses of Moroccans international law and within the at least 2 years of common life; National Education issued a circular - be spouse of a foreigner legally in or legal permanent residents. framework of renewed multilateral giving access to primary school to cooperation". Morocco having shared at least 4

PAGE 4 Local CEI ● Battling Winter in Oujda

wood and plastic sheeting and Happy New Year to share them, as there are not enough materials to allow each person to Migrants in Oujda have his/her own. On Sunday, January 5, 2013, a group of students organized a This winter, (after our blanket reception to wish a happy and good distribution in the fall) CEI Oujda new year to our brothers and decided to help them insulate their sisters migrants in Oujda. In shelters by providing another layer attendance that day along with 150 of plastic sheeting. We purchased 1500 meters of extra-thick plastic migrants were Rev. Carlos Funk sheeting for them to put over their (Pastor of CEI), Yacouba Doumbia existing shelters and to build new (Secretary General of the Circle of ones. This was distributed as South of Sahara Africans Students evenly as possible among the in Oujda "CETASSO"), the team of Team of volunteers in Oujda communities, which we had CEI-Oujda accompanied by their surveyed in advance to determine friends, some chairmen of MSANR inter is synonymous in your warmest clothing. But a population and numbers of existing communities in Oujda, with suffering for question occurs to you: If it’s this shelters. Moroccan friends, and some sub- W many people in cold for those of us who have Saharan African students who Morocco, especially Subsaharan housing, beds, blankets, warm But of course, even with an contributed so that unity was a Africans. While it is not colder clothes, and heat, how bad is it for improvement in shelter, the fight major theme of the day. Everyone here than in Europe, there are those who don’t have these things? against cold was not won. Several shared chicken and turkey environmental and personal limits How do they bear it? days after the distribution of sandwiches, soft drinks, oranges to individuals’ capacities to deal plastic sheeting, we handed out and cookies.  with the shock of the cold, in Because we asked ourselves these “cold kits” (a knitted cap, gloves, particular when they are not used questions, CEI Oujda has made and socks) to 500 persons. And, to it. commitments to those in our area of course, we continued to do food Distribution of 500 who are in need, especially distributions at least once monthly. In Oujda, the cold breaks into migrants who have no legal We know that our efforts are not blankets in Oujda dwelling places without a “by your standing here. In Oujda, many leave” via doors and windows. Subsaharan African migrants live sufficient; far from it. But we To meet the intense needs of Cold climbs into your bed, passing in the forest and on the university continue to try to do the best we migrants living around Oujda, the through the two or three layers of campus exposed to the elements, can with the means we have. local team worked with the blankets you’ve crawled under. without even blankets to stay Christian Community of Ifrane on The local office of the CEI Oujda You turn on a little heat and sleep warm. They make shelters out of November 16, to distribute more than 500 blankets for all the camps in the Oujda area.

What CEI Rabat Has Done Since July Tangier ●July last week of each month. We got during November and December. In July, the Rabat church was open the word out in the migrant During the same period, we First micro-projects communities about the possibility of distributed warm clothing. for three « permanences » (times of Meet Alassane, one of the first reception of migrants, once per participating in professional training programs, coordinated by the CEI Rabat continued to give out 60 recipients of a micro-project grant week during the first three weeks of national CEI team. The hair-styling food basket per month and offer in Tangier. Alassane lives in a the month. During these times of training program took place on site medical assistance during the fall/ neighborhood where a young reception, we spent time listening to at the church, with a room dedicated winter. In addition, CEI Rabat paid Cameroonian was killed having those who came and offered help to toward that purpose. for lodging for those living on the been thrown from an upper-level those in the greatest need. We street who requested help. apartment building by police. distributed 60 food baskets, and In two sessions in October and Alassane, though, feels like things paid for numerous medical November, Jonah, Rabat CEI team On December 8, CEI Rabat had its are better now. He is an electrician procedures, accompanying the leader, took a short course offered second special offering of « end of and CEI has helped him purchase recipients to health facilities. In by CARITAS on “Income year generosity ». This gives the materials so that he can ply his addition, we distributed clothing to Generating Activities”, which we church members the opportunity to generally refer to as trade in homes and businesses. all who were in need of it. participate in the benevolence “microprojects”. The goal was to While he used to live in Fez, ministry of the church. Having ensure that microprojects would be Alassane feels more hopeful about ●August received gifts in kind and cash, we better supervised and more his situation in Tangier, thanks to While August is « vacation month » were collected 2500 dirhams worth profitable. Since November, CEI the microproject venture that is for CEI with no « permanences », of donations. We used 1500 of this has been receiving microproject allowing him to earn a living. we still offered medical assistance money to buy blankets for migrants funding requests. The local Rabat and accompaniment, including one in January because there was a high In addtion to Alassane, two women, team is currently working with critically ill patient who had to be demand for them (given how cold mothers respectively of one and national CEI leaders to choose hospitalized, costing us 1600 the winter was. three children have received dirhams ($200). projects that we will fund. microproject grants to make and sell

●October – Décember doughnuts door to door. So far, ●September - present they have not experienced fear of As temperatures fell, the local team The team reestablished the practice being arrested. of « permanences » for all but the bought 50 blanktets to distribute

Local CEI PAGE 5 ● Agadir : Dignity and Hope restored

Ines after hairdressing equipment purchases

Fifi with his binder in front of his school Simon demonstrating his sewing skills

ince November of 2013, CEI officially has that each time we’ve done something for one of January 2014. Each time we see Fifi, she greets a team working in Agadir. This is in these “little ones”l we’ve done it for the Lord. us with a smile and an enthusiastic recital of what response to a request by local church The local team in Agadir is involved in she did in school that day. S leaders who saw an increase in the number of supervising two professional training participants migrants in the region of Souss Massa Drâa over in sewing, one micro-project in hair styling, and As we encounter and share the reality of these the last two years. These massive influx has getting one child in school. Brice, Simon, and brothers and sisters dubbed migrants, we are forced the local church in Agadir to put structures Agnes, the beneficiaries of these programs, thank challenged to take our faith and our calling in in place to deal with cases brought to their the CEI for having “restored (to them) dignity and Christ seriously. It is by faith strengthening us attention and to organize ministry and activities. hope”. In addition, thanks to a decree from the that we are able to accomplish the work God has Ministry of Education issued in October 2013, given us to do for the glory of his name.■ The Lord has touched the hearts of those who Fifi, the six-year-old daughter of a migrant The local office of the CEI Agadir have gotten involved in this ministry; we believe couple, was able to be enrolled in school, starting

Testimonies from Fes Casablanca Housing

give thanks to God for the help that God Christmas and New Years Eve, we provided Assistance I gives in this ministry, for we recognize that food baskets with extra food items, to mark it’s not for men that we work, but for God. I this season of joy. Also in Fes, we have six The announcement last fall that migrants would have would also like to that all the donors for the scholarship recipients to whom we minister. the chance to legalize their status in the country has generosity that God gives them that they may actually created a housing crisis in Casablanca as support his work . May God bless your giving. migrants come to the center of the city to deal with The case of a young migrant In Fes, our team consists of three people : 1 their cases. person in charge of medical assistance, one Recently, a young migrant man, having person for emergency aid, and one person who understood that happiness is not necessarily Housing aid is one of the principal services that CEI is in charge of the team. Every Saturday at just in Europe but in the presence of God, Casablanca provides, but it would be impossible to 1:00 PM, we receive migrants at the church, decided to return to his country of origin. His find individual lodging for all those seeking help. and we distribute food baskets. In addition, one request was that CEI pay for him to take a Therefore, the Casa team decided to find rooms for our team is available by telephone throughout computer training course in Fes so that he groups of three persons, grouping assistance-seekers the week to migrants in urgent situations. For would have a marketable skill when he with others who share a common ethnicity, returned home. We thought this was a nationality, or native language. This was still not The case of a young student good thing and paid for his course, easy, given the reluctance of renters and limited which cost 1000 dirhams ($120). funding. We decided we would pay 800 dirhams

A young woman studying law at the university in Fes lost After completing his course of about 80 euros or($100) for the groups of three. Our her passport and learned from her Embassy that they training, he received God’s grace in team members scouted out rooms available in were incapable of issuing a new one to her here. the form of a job in Fes that has communities where sub-Saharan Africans currently allowed him to make some money and live. These are not always in great neighborhoods, The only solution was for her to return to her country lead a more normal life here. but they keep folks from having to sleep outdoors in (with an Embassy “laissez-passer”), have her passport However, it is still impossible for him made, and come back here. Her parents could only in appropriate and unsafe places. to have legal status in Morocco (as he scrape up half of the money needed to bring her home. doesn’t meet the criteria. Fortunately, the CEI had received a grant from Europe to We don’t have sheets or mattresses (even mats) to allow us to help any undocumented person return to his/ His desire now is to return to his offer to folks. They are generally on their own after her home country, so we were able to assist her with county, get his papers in order, then we find housing for them. During wintertime 5000 dirhams. She left on December 11 and returned on come back to Morocco and continue especially, but also summertime, the risk of disease is April 12, delighted to be able to re-do her residency and his work here. We are grateful that we high. university papers and continue her studies. have been able to help him take charge of his life, even if we can’t do Her situation has reminded us that any of us foreigners We are currently in the process of reflecting with anything about his legal status. He, in could become “undocumented aliens” by a twist of fate. CARITAS as to how we might offer better turn, has been a great help to the CEI. We are deeply grateful to donors who bring joy into these coordinated and more efficient aid.■ young people’s lives. Marcelle, head of the CEI Fes team Various PAGE 6 ● A Revamped Scholarship Selection Process In the Press

n November, 66 students were chosen to ● Morocco to build I receive CEI scholarships for the academic Based on this information, students were year 2013-2014, after going through a invited to come to interviews. For the first blade-topped wall around revamped selection process. time, these interviews were held locally with an interview committee composed of members of Mellilla Thanks to the support of Bread for the World, the local church and representatives of the the scholarship program underwent a National Board. The committee asked http:// thoroughgoing evaluation and audit. We were questions evaluating the motivation and able to identify and address weaknesses in the commitment of each applicant. www.moroccoworldnews.com/2014/0 current system and came up with an improved 5/130447/morocco-to-build-blade- process. This way, the CEI was able to go to the applicants rather than requiring them to come topped-wall-at-melilla-border/ First of all, all those asking for scholarship to a central location (a hardship on many which assistance were asked to submit a request sometimes caused them to miss classes or ● online through our website: assignments). The interviews only took place NGOs in Morocco in cities where we have an EEAM church, but speak out for migrants (EEAM, http://protestantsaumaroc.com/ students from other cities were contacted by index.php/envoyés/cei/bourses). telephone. http://news.yahoo.com/ngos- The online form gathered information about the After this, the national bureau compiled the individual, his/her family, his/her university lists established by the local committees to condemn-morocco-silence-over-migrant and his/her financial situation. Each person make final decisions. We know the process is -crisis-warning-141444724.html requesting aid was also asked to send proof of still certainly not perfect, but we were pleased enrollment, a transcript of grades, residency overall with the results and intend to continue ● permit, and an attestation that s/he was not this procedure in the future. Migrants storming the currently receiving scholarship aid to an email border address dedicated solely to the scholarship program: ([email protected]). http://www.presstv.com/ detail/2014/05/03/361112/spain -struggles-with-migrants-in-ceuta/ Editorial (continued) http:// None of these little ones should perish ! www.thelocal.es/20140528/1000- … Jesus wants us to know that we are not to manipulation or seduction. This creates migrants-storm-spains-north-african- go out to proclaim the gospel or work with fanatics who go off on crusade or jihad, in the border migrants holding within our hearts a feeling of name of God or Allah Whether by coercion, superiority over others, because, in our eyes, seduction or by manipulation, these strategies they are poor, undocumented, and homeless, of “evangelizing” merely betray the or because we believe that they are in sin superiority complex of one who thinks he is because they do not have a good life. We not more important than he is in reality. There is a to be smug thinking we are the chosen and word for this: proselytism. It is not only saved ones, we who know Jesus personally; is prohibited by Moroccan law but it also comes this very different from the from a serious spiritual error, a disciples who wanted to know who serious sin. It is laden with was the greatest in the kingdom of … Jesus calls us violence and betrays the gospel. heaven? If we see ourselves above to become like In contrast, Jesus calls us to others, then inevitably, we will become like little ones, even as the seek to dominate those we think little ones, even « least of these”. This is to be a below us, less than us. If we think as the « least disciple of Jesus who was born in we are superior to the other, we of these” the manger among the most will try to convince them that we vulnerable and died on the cross are right and they are wrong. We among sinners. We need a genuine conversion, will be trying to prove by our unfailing logic a change of heart, to understand the meaning that our religion is the best and that theirs is of Christmas that we celebrate in December.  false. Or we will you will try to win them over by seduction and manipulation. Pastor Samuel Amédro Another strategy of those who see themselves superior to the others consists in coercing them when we don’t win by persuasion,

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