The ISS Una Sonrisa Más Foundation recently entered into a collaborative agreement with the Women for Africa Foundation (FMxA) to promote the creation of dignified employment in Nador Province, Morocco. This initiative, part of the Origine Nador project, aims to drive socio-economic development in the region with a particular focus on women’s empowerment through training and support for 100 vulnerable women in establishing their businesses within the tourism sector.
Spanning two years, from 2024 to 2025, the initiative is supported by a €60,000 grant from the ISS Foundation. The grant from the foundation was made possible through voluntary contributions from ISS Spain staff. These employees donate out of their own pocket to round up their salary earnings to the nearest Euro.
The foundation’s funding will enable the participants to access training at the current technical, economic and managerial standards relevant to their activities, with the goal of making their businesses more profitable and improving their incomes. Beyond directly benefiting 100 women, the programme will also indirectly support around 2,000 individuals, including family members of the women involved and members of their wider community.
Eulalia Devesa, the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at ISS Spain, commented, "This project reflects ISS' employees commitment who donate the cents of their monthly payroll to continue enabling the creation of dignified and sustainable employment in developing countries, with a focus on women, by guiding and training those in the initiative to help develop the potential of their businesses."
Teresa Langle de Paz, General Director of the Women for Africa Foundation, stated, "Especially in a country like Morocco, with significant potential in international tourism, it is crucial to promote initiatives that lead to the establishment of profitable businesses which, beyond driving the area's economic development, also enable the empowerment of women as entrepreneurs."
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Craftsmanship oriented towards tourism
The programme is designed to boost the local economy by encouraging women in the Nador region to engage in entrepreneurial activities within the tourism sector. About 40% of the active population in Nador is employed in the craft industry, making it a significant economic sector.
The initiative includes creating a business incubator for 10 women to modernise crafts for tourism, as well as further training for 50 women in artisan cooperatives and providing business development advice to 40 women to maximise their market opportunities.
