Addressing societal challenges in the rural region of Essaouira

Afoulki is a Franco-Moroccan association that was founded in 2003. Afoulki works to address issues such as adult illiteracy and the lack of employment opportunities, in particular for women in the rural region of Essaouira.

In order to tackle these different societal challenges, the association is building a sociocultural centre with the involvement of the Air Liquide Foundation.

One of the objectives of the association is to train women and help them organize themselves collectively as cooperatives in order to improve their socio-economic situation.

• The following workshops are dispensed within the centre:
• literacy classes,
• training workshops for the transformation of local products: tapestry, sewing, soap making, jam and beekeeping.

The Centre may one day include a nursery, cultural centres: multimedia centre, library, cinema and a free clinic for better access to healthcare.

Afoulki also works to provide children - especially girls - in rural areas with access to education. The association renovated some thirty schools in the Essaouira province of Morocco. Five of these renovations were carried out with the support of the Air Liquide Foundation.