About us
Association Nour was established in 2012 with the aim of enhancing the exchange of scientific knowledge and practical expertise in the field of neurodevelopmental conditions in children.
Mission statement
Contributing to Global Mental Health through knowledge exchange in the field of care, education, and employment for children with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Vision and core values
At the heart of Association Nour’s work is empowerment: sharing knowledge to equip individuals with the tools to shape their own ideas and goals. This principle applies to parents, volunteers, students, professionals, as well as children and adults with neurodevelopmental conditions. We see knowledge sharing as a mutual process where we learn all with and from each other to develop, be inspired, ask questions and generate new ideas. Equality in knowledge exchange aligns with our mission and core values:
- Equality
- Harnessing the potential of parents
- Autonomy and the importance of independent local organizations
- Respect and interest in diverse cultural and regional perspectives on illness, health, and care
- Appreciation of volunteers
Association Nour
Association Nour is a small foundation with ambitious goals. We organize our knowledge exchange projects in a specific area, namely the south of Morocco, with Ouarzazate as our current base. We have been collaborating with Association el-Ibtisama for over 10 years. El-Ibtisama is a parent organization. They were supported by the local government and established a center for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their families.
Initiator
Association Nour was established by Maretha de Jonge, who has been dedicated to providing care for children with neurodevelopmental conditions as a clinical psychologist for numerous years. She completed her PhD thesis on endophenotypic markers of Autism Spectrum Disorders. She completed her professional training as a child- and educational clinical psychologist and a cognitive behavioural therapist at the child- and adolescent psychiatry department of the University Medical Centre Utrecht (the Netherlands). She specialized in the diagnostic assessment and the treatment of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions –specifically autism, anxiety problems and selective mutism – and supporting their families and teachers.
Following 25 years of service at the University Medical Centre, she was appointed as a professor at University Leiden. She combines research with teaching and clinical work at the University Leiden clinical center. Maretha translated and studied the ADI-R and ADOS-2 assessment instruments for autism in the Netherlands. She is one of the international trainers in these instruments. In addition, she participates in national and international research consortia. She published many articles in peer-reviewed international journals, as well as book chapters and has been invited to speak in international conferences.
She turned her focus to Morocco due to the strong connection she felt with Morocco and the people of Moroccan descent residing in the Netherlands. This laid the foundation for a close collaboration with Association el-Ibtisama in Ouarzazate Morocco. With the support of the board of association Nour and an enthusiastic team of volunteers and students, she organizes knowledge exchange projects.
