The National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), as part of its third phase, ensured to support cooperatives active in the province of Larache, promote the economic inclusion of young people and women, and develop the social and solidarity economy.
Cooperatives in both rural and urban areas are considered horizontal production units, distinguished by their ability to unite the efforts of their members and benefit from their experience, as well as the ability to concentrate resources to undertake long-term projects.
Under the third phase of the INDH in the province of Larache, 192 projects were funded as part of the “Improving income and economic inclusion of young people” program, with a total budget of 42 million dirhams (MDH) (26 million MDH as contribution from the initiative), including 60 projects within the framework of the axis related to the social and solidarity economy (26% in favor of women), which made it possible to generate approximately 278 direct jobs.
“INDH’s support is manifested through the financing of projects by specialized teams and pre- and post-construction support,” said El Masoudi Madani, from the Social Action Division (DAS) of the Larache province. “The leaders of the economy project benefit from this support as part of the income improvement and economic inclusion program for young people, particularly its axis related to the support of the ‘social and solidarity economy’.”
In this regard, he specified that cooperatives must meet the legal conditions required to be eligible for pre-construction support, in this case the presentation of project feasibility studies and market studies prior to the approval of the project by the governance committees, namely the Provincial Economic Development Committee (CPDE) and the Provincial Human Development Committee (CPDH), then offer post-construction support to the project to ensure its success and sustainability, and meet its needs in terms of technical assistance and training.
Examples of success
Projects supported by the initiative in the province of Larache include the Marouane sewing and innovation cooperative, which went from a simple workshop to a promising semi-industrial unit in Larache, making it possible to integrate many women in a difficult situation in the labor market.
The president of the cooperative, Mouna Marouane, stressed that thanks to the INDH, the cooperative benefited from financing for the acquisition of modern sewing machines, making it possible to increase production and create more jobs. He added that, in addition to a number of indirect jobs such as artisans, the cooperative currently employs 10 people, and that it often resorts to increasing the number of employees to meet growing demand.
The acquisition of new machines with a budget of around 200,000 dirhams, including 120,000 dirhams as a contribution from the INDH, allowed the cooperative to enter the wholesale production market, after increasing its manufacturing capacity, no longer continuing to serve customers through credit. And therefore move from the informal sector to the formal sector.
The president of the Marouane cooperative affirmed that the INDH contributed greatly to equipping the cooperative and increasing its production at a significant rate, allowing it to create more jobs, especially for women in difficult circumstances.
inclusive approach
It should be noted that all cooperatives that meet the legal conditions, whether they are in rural or urban municipalities, are eligible to benefit from the support, as long as they carry out a project in line with the regional studies carried out on promising production chains in the province of Larache.
In the rural commune of Tajarout, the Moulay Abdessalam Ben M’Chich cooperative for the production of traditional confectionery has decided to launch a project for the production and marketing of “nougat” from natural raw materials, such as dried fruit, seeds sesame and flax, and natural honey. Thanks to funding of 375,000 dirhams, including 225,000 dirhams mobilized by the INDH, the cooperative was equipped with modern production machines, making it possible to increase the quality of its production and improve its performance.
The chairman of the cooperative, El Amin El Wahaby, stressed that the INDH responded favorably to the cooperative’s request for financing for the purchase of new machines, opening up new perspectives for the members of the cooperative, which currently employs 14 young people in the area, in addition to many indirect jobs. He added that the support provided by the initiative allowed them to structure their project and modernize their production to meet health controls and modern production standards.
Through the support of cooperatives in Larache, the INDH works to boost the local economy and provide employment opportunities for young people in the province, an approach whose effectiveness is proven by the results achieved in previous years.
Sami Nemli with Agency/Les Inspirations ECO
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