Oued Noun Program to Boost Social Entrepreneurship in Southern Morocco

Rabat – The Moroccan Center for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (MCISE) and the Regional Council of Guelmim Oued Noun are keen to boost social entrepreneurship within local communities in Morocco’s southwestern region.

After launching several programs in the southern cities of Guelmim, Tan Tan, Sidi Ifni and Assa Zag, the organizers saw the participation of nearly 2,500 members, including 170 high school students and 35 local associations.

A total of 380 idea holders have also received support to develop their projects, while 40 other projects were incubated and nine limited liability companies (LLCs) were created.

LLCs are a type of business structure where the owners are called “members,” and the company possesses all the protection of a corporation, plus the ability to pass any business profits and losses to your personal income tax return.

The projects were supported through several programs such as Dare Inc, Mincom, Dar Space, Tanara, Chabaka, and Soar, in the different provinces of the region, the organizers said in a joint statement.

The blueprints are focused on several areas including education, food plants, sewing, and perfumery, with a goal to improve the life of local communities.

One of the projects that benefited from MCISE’s coaching is “SIG SORO.” Developed by two young women, Laila and Nassira, the project consists of an educational game that combines mental calculation tricks with games techniques known as SIG in the southern region of Morocco.

In the southwestern town of TanTan, a 28-year old woman named Aicha entered the field of sewing fishing nets, after observing that women who mastered sewing were often limited to traditional clothing.

Aicha now aims to further expand her project and include the production of fishing nets as well.

The support programs were developed by MCISE, who has 10 years of experience in the social entrepreneurship field, alongside its partners who helped work hand-in-hand with aspiring entrepreneurs and incubating promising projects.