Samoumat Economic Independence Project

Location: Samoumat, Morocco

Background

Samoumat is a small, rural village located between Ouled Teima and Taroudant. The families who live in Samoumat are marginalized; because they live far from major city centers, they have little to no access to centers and services available to the families that live in more urbanized areas. Most girls in this community are unable to complete their formal education because schools are far and transportation options are very limited and unfriendly to girls and women. 

Project Description

The goal of the project is to provide the women's group in Samoumat tools that they can use to maintain their physical and emotional health in a productive, communal environment. The women's group currently meets regularly in a space provided to them by the Amal Association for Development and Social Work, where they study English, French and sewing theory. The group hopes to use the sewing machines and other materials that will be purchased through the grant in order to develop greater self-sufficiency in order to be able to make clothes for their own families, and also eventually to build a cooperative able to sell women's apparel to the broader Ouled Teima community. Additionally, they are very excited to have access to basic exercise equipment--such as yoga mats and weights--in order to be able to have access to a space where they can maintain their physical health more easily in a community that does not generally look favorably upon women exercising in public spaces. The design of the project is based on women's centers provided as public facilities funded by the National Initiative for Human Development and maintained by the Youth and Sports Ministry in larger urban areas.

Project Partner:

Horizons for Women and Children

News on Samoumat Economic Independence Project: