Why do we need to raise funds?

We know that mutual aid, participation and solidarity are strong values and that we cannot accomplish our objectives alone. By submitting our project on a crowdfunding platform, we put the odds on our side to secure the necessary funds.

Summary

The project aims to build entrepreneurship and soft skills through capacity building and mentorship focusing on young social entrepreneurs in the vulnerable neighborhoods of Meknes city in Morocco. The program’s goal is to increase youth employability and economic inclusion in the society and give a path out of poverty and unlawful conducts. 

Meknes is a city that has not historically received the proper attention from the Moroccan government and local politicians, which limited job opportunities for youth and increased the rate of drug use and immigration. 

Problem Statement

Many Traditional and Artisan Workers have the required skills to shape their products and handicrafts, but lack the capacity to develop and promote their work, and increase their market outreach. Moreover, they are considered as non-structured workers because of their business legal status; which is affecting their income. They are barely making their ends meet which makes them socially and economically unstable and dependent.

Strategic Goals:

The Program aims to improve employability skills of youth for those searching for a job, and for those who have a business idea that requires development in marginalized neighborhoods in Meknes, Morocco.

We believe that Morocco entrepreneurship is a way to increase youth employability and economic participation in the society. It gives them new hope in building their future.

The program will target 30 beneficiaries and will help them launch their own businesses, become economic contributors, and leaders in their communities. The program will provide the participants with a set of integrated and practical workshops and follow-up activities, and link them with professionals and business owners to benefit from their experiences.     

The program will also secure internships for the ones seeking a job and partnerships or launching  their own businesses.

Throughout the program, we intend to realize the following objectives:

1. Promote Entrepreneurship and Job Oriented Skills among Project Holders and Traditional and Artisan Workers:

We will provide our participants with many training and workshops to scale up their personal and professional skills in order to increase their opportunities in entrepreneurship, self-employment and job seeking. At the end of the program, participants will gain personal and professional skills.

1.1. Indicator: The number of participants who complete the training program.

1.2. Target: We target 50 participants during the program, 40 Project Holders, and 40 Traditional and Artisan Workers.

1.  Create peaceful business environment between future graduates, entrepreneurs (Artisans without diploma) and future entrepreneurs (Project holders): 

Our objective from creating this synergy and ecosystem is to give the chance for the 3 categories of participants to learn from each other and work together in common projects to consolidate their experiences and skills, and network for a better community. The participants will work on their projects and their business plans to be well designed to launch their ventures and look for investments and available loans in the market.

2.1. Indicator: The number of businesses created by the program 

2.2. Target: We target the creation/scaling of 20 businesses for our participants

2.3. Data Source: Business Registration or Investment.

1. Establish connections between the participants and successful entrepreneurs:

We will launch a professional networking and create links of employment and entrepreneurship opportunities between our participants and successful entrepreneurs. We will conduct meetings with business owners and investors and organize visits to successful companies to connect our participants with different actors who will collaborate with them, provide them with internship opportunities or partnerships in their businesses.

3.1. Indicator: The number of participants who will get internships or job opportunities and how much investment our participants will get from different project partners and stakeholders.

3.2. Target: We target ensuring internships and job opportunities for 20 participants and 1,000,000 MAD (100,000$) investments or loans for the startups.

3.3. Data Source: Internships reports and partnerships signed between our participants and their investors.

Project Approach

In the program, we will support Project Holders and Traditional and Artisan Workers who are willing to launch businesses in the following industries:

• Building Electricity
• Traditional Handicraft
• Plant Production

To implement our program, we will work on 3 different levels:

1. Each group will benefit from personal development workshops, job oriented training and business development training. Inviting speakers, trainers and professionals from different industries.
2. We will work closely with each category (Project Holders and Traditional and Artisan Workers) to develop their specific capacities by respecting the specificities of their background and their level of experience:

• Project Holders: To benefit properly from the program and scale up their businesses and projects, we will provide them with coaching and support in entrepreneurship, strengthen their soft skills, guide them to professionalize their networks and create direct links with market opportunities.
• Traditional and Artisan Workers: This category have long experience in the small market but they have a big lack of skills in terms of using new techniques and strategies; thus, we will work with them in terms of qualification of their know-how, structure and accelerate their businesses, strengthen their communication and technological skills and create links with market opportunities.

       3. We will conduct several meetings with business owners and investors and organize visits to successful companies to connect our participants with              different actors who will collaborate with them, provide them with internship opportunities or partnerships in their businesses

NB: If you are not able to donate with your Moroccan credit card, you can contact your local bank to activate international payments otherwise you can make a transfer to the below local bank account:

Attijariwafabanque agence khalid ibn loualid Meknes Morocco

Account number: 007480000304500030278254 

Swift Code: BCMAMAMC