Hassnae Aourez became a widow the same day her youngest daughter was born, 13 years ago. Her son is 15. She found herself alone taking care of two children and the laws of Morocco deprived her of her husband’s inheritance. Without family support, she had to turn to charity. She found her in the Al Amal association. For years she has received assistance, but now she has decided to take a step forward and train to one day establish her own business. At 36 years old, she studies traditional Moroccan cooking and pastries at the vocational training center that the group has in the city of Tetouan, in the north of the country. “My neighborhood is far away, but I don’t mind walking to class. My dream is to one day have my own pastry shop and thus not depend on anyone to pay for my children’s studies and take care of them,” she says.
There are many women in vulnerable situations who come to the association. This offers them psychological, legal, and economic support and encourages them to train to break their dependency situation. In 2010, they decided to begin vocational training courses to help victims of gender violence, divorced or widowed, to find a means of subsistence, and with it, freedom and independence. In recent times, they have also opened up to young people to offer them the same opportunities.
“The situation of women in Morocco needs to improve,” says Lamia Maazi, president of Al Amal, on a visit to the center in early April. The 2011 Constitution stipulated gender equality for the first time, but the laws have not yet been adapted. King Mohamed VI is promoting a reform of the Family Code (the Mudawna), to accommodate the new social reality of the country, which has generated controversy and has not yet been carried out. Discrimination when receiving inheritance, difficulties in accessing a job, the high rate of female illiteracy (almost 36%, according to UNESCO) and very patriarchal cultural patterns weigh on them.
My dream is to one day have my own pastry shop and thus not depend on anyone to pay for my children’s studies.
Hassnae Aourez, 36-year-old widow
In the hairdressing, sewing or makeup and body care classrooms, adult women and young people mix. Together they learn these specialties in the hope of finding employment. They also offer electricity and plumbing courses for men. But the star of the center are the cooking classes, both traditional and Western. French pastries and bakeries are the most requested.
On the top floor of the building is the pastry workshop. Today they learn how to make cheesecake. About twenty girls and boys, in white uniforms, surround a long stainless steel table. At one end, the teacher explains the steps to follow. She shows the ingredients. She weighs them. She adds them one by one to a bowl and beats them. The students take notes in their notebooks. Some of those in the background come closer to see the process better before returning to their position.
“We have opened the center to these young people because in this region we have a strong problem of school dropouts and unemployment,” continues Maazi. “It is very sad to see boys and girls of 14, 15 or 16 years old with nothing to do, spending the day on the street. His only dream is to cross to the other side of the sea, go to Spain, go to Europe. I tell them: ‘You have to learn a trade that will help you find work.’
Many of those who complete their studies at the center find employment in the tourism sector, which is experiencing strong growth in the area but is not able to absorb everyone. Morocco has a youth unemployment rate of 38.2%. The center strives to find alternatives that help its graduates find work, such as promoting entrepreneurship and forming cooperatives. Mohamed Akassri, project area manager for CODESPA (Spanish NGO that supports the Al Amal association), emphasizes the importance of vocational training to stop the migration of young people, but stresses that more jobs must be created. “Otherwise, they will soon become frustrated and cross the sea with their diplomas. It is very difficult to get a job. That’s why we insist on training, so they have more opportunities.”
Four applications per place
In recent years, the demand for vocational training places has grown significantly. This year, the national application rate has been 435%, that is, more than four applications for each place, according to data from the Office of Training and Promotion of Vocational Labor Training (OFPPT). He Moroccan government has placed vocational training as one of its priorities, and makes significant investments in this sector. During the 2023-2024 academic year, 13 new vocational training centers have been opened in six regions, according to the OFPPT. In total, the public system offers 410,000 places (up from less than 100,000 at the beginning of the century)of which 262,000 are for first-year students.
Youssra Elfahssi, 23, studied Sociology at the University of Tetouan, but could not find a job. She decided to take the French pastry course and is now employed in a bakery. She continues to go to class to learn Moroccan cuisine. “I have found a job opportunity that allows me to be independent. What the university did not give me, vocational training has offered me,” she says.
In 2018, Al Amal launched the Moltaka Rayahin bakery with the aim of offering protected employment to women, victims of gender violence or in vulnerable situations. Located in a popular neighborhood, on Kabul Avenue, between Sevilla and Córdoba streets, it offers a wide variety of traditional Moroccan sweets and savory dishes: from the delicious pastela to meat or vegetable pies; pizzas and other modern delicacies accompanied by coffee or soft drinks. On the upper floor there is a room where men have restricted access, to promote the privacy of women. Five people continuously serve customers. Many buy to take away.
It started as a cooperative of six women and has recently become a social enterprise employing 19 people. In addition, it offers internships to students at the Al Amal center. The business has grown so much that they have had to establish a workshop separate from the pastry shop. It also has several vans and drivers who deliver orders. In this expansion, CODESPA has provided technical advice (with funding from the program Best Africa of the Santander Bank Foundationwhich financed this trip) to improve the offer, look for new sales channels and strengthen the management team.
Asme Salai, 57, one of the women who started the business, points out what it took for them to get here: “In the beginning, the six founders worked up to 12 hours a day. It was a great sacrifice, because we didn’t have money to pay more people. However, it was our project, the first time we had something for ourselves. So we try hard. Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit and we almost had to close. But, thank Allah, we are fine now and look at the number of young people who work with us. Even some men. Who would have told us when we started?”
Salai explains that they are considering expanding the business. Maybe open one more pastry shop. “This way we could give work to many more people, especially women with problems, so that they have the same opportunities that we had. But that requires a large investment. Plus, everything is very expensive now. We use top quality products: olive oil, almonds, sugar, honey. Every time you go to the market everything has gone up. This means that we now have fewer profits, because we cannot increase the price of our products much. But I am sure that, with the help of Allah, we will continue to grow and employ more people.”
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