MEDA supporters from Texas to Ontario recently witnessed Morocco’s past, present and future as part of a tour organized with TourMagination. On the 12-day tour, they met some of the 9,000 youth who are cultivating hope for their own future through MEDA Youth Invest’s 100 Hours to Success training project.100 Hours provides basic life skills plus an understanding of finance and business – how to start and run a business, budgeting, marketing and access to financial services to encourage savings and the wise use of credit.
In a country with a population of 34 million and a median age of only 25, 60% of the country’s unemployed are young people. YouthInvest is helping to address this huge social problem.
The group had the opportunity to see how 100 Hours really can change a life – meeting young people in business – all with youthful enthusiasm fuelled by a new self-confidence and new skills learned in the program.
“The hope came through loud and clear,” note Agnes and Frank DeFehr of Winnipeg, MB.
“What we saw was powerful,” said Yvonne Miller of Chicago, IL. “My favourite part of the trip was getting outside the city to see what real life is like and how real people are benefiting from the project. I am very grateful for the opportunity to see this work.”
Bev and Jane DeKay of London, ON, met “one young woman who had set up a real estate office – created herself a job – and had several family members involved – so the project is not just helping her, but her whole family.”
Visiting a training session in a small town east of the Atlas Mountains, Agnes and Frank said, “The students were very excited about what they were learning – money management and access to loans.” Bev and Jane were impressed by the instructor and the youth. “We couldn’t understand the language, but we thoroughly enjoyed the class.”
Agnes and Frank liked “the combination of seeing the MEDA project and sightseeing, too, to get the history, culture and how people actually live.”
An estimated 50,000 youth will build economic prosperity through the five-year project, which is funded by The MasterCard Foundation and MEDA supporters. “You see lots of young people everywhere,” says MEDA’s Bob Kroeker, who co-led the tour with Audrey Voth Petkau of TourMagination. “It really underscores the need for our work there.”
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Agnes and Frank DeFehr, Winnipeg, MB: "YouthInvest inspires hope for youth"
Agnes and Frank DeFehr of Winnipeg, MB, were part of a joint MEDA/TourMagination tour to visit Morocco Mar 25-Apr 5, 2011. The group saw how MEDA’s YouthInvest program is helping thousands of youth find new hope and peace. Here are their impressions of the tour:“We started the tour at the MEDA office, meeting project staff, including field director Adil Sadoq, who gave us a passionate introduction to the program and staff.
“We visited a classroom in a small town east of the Atlas Mountains being held in a community centre. There were about 25 students, and they were very excited about what they were learning about money management and getting access to loans.
“We especially enjoyed going into villages, where we met a young shop keeper who is doing quite well selling small appliances, and we were pleasantly surprised at the quality of goods he had in stock. We also visited young women making carpets and sewing beautiful garments for weddings and other occasions, as well as every-day clothing. They were very proud of what they were doing, and the seamstress was especially proud of the sewing machine she had bought with her earnings.
“Morocco has some spectacular scenery – the mountains, the sea coast – it was beautiful: the greenery, red soil and the architecture of the mosques and other buildings – all crafted out of wood, plaster and tiles. At a casbah (citadel or fortress) high up on a hill, we stopped to enjoy tea while overlooking the valley. We liked the combination of seeing the MEDA project and sightseeing, too – you get glimpses of the country’s history and culture, yet also see the grassroots and how people actually live.
“YouthInvest inspires hope for youth – the hope came through loud and clear.”
Bev and Jane DeKay of London, ON, pictured here with Yvonne Miller of Chicago, IL, also were on the Morocco tour:
“This was our first time in Morocco and TourMagination did a good job of showing us the sights and sounds of Morocco, with a good cross section of the country. The traffic in the cities is something else: The roads are crowded with push carts, carts being pulled by donkeys, bikes, cars, taxis, buses and people – it’s something to see. You have to be careful when walking.
“Field director Adil Sadoq was very enthusiastic in explaining how the project worked. We visited a classroom with young people eager to learn how to present themselves to help get started in work. Their teacher was doing an excellent job of encouraging class participation. We couldn’t understand the language, but we thoroughly enjoyed the class.
“At most Moroccan banks you need $100 to open an account, but through project partners, YouthInvest participants can now open an account with just $10. This is important to encourage savings and help young people to be able to provide for themselves.
“Youth in the project are very optimistic and happy with how things are going. One young woman had set up a real estate office, creating herself a job. She had several family members involved – so the project is not just helping her, but her whole family. Another student’s father was helping her set up a bed and breakfast business.
“We were excited to get right into local homes, and found the people are quite friendly and immediately want to serve tea to their guests. The hospitality was first rate!”
Yvonne Miller of Chicago, IL:
“This was my first time to Morocco or on MEDA tour, although I have been to Egypt. I loved visiting the MEDA staff and clients and seeing how microloans work.
“We met a store owner who took the 100 Hours to Success training. He felt it had helped him set up a successful kitchen wares store – he learned how to run a business and how to relate to customers.
“In one village we saw students in a YouthInvest classroom full of enthusiasm and interest. It was inspiring to see how they want to learn, to make a difference in their communities; it was a very powerful experience.
“My favourite part of trip was seeing real people benefit. We had a nice balance of seeing Morocco’s urban and rural areas and saw what real life is like. I came home thinking a lot about the young women we met and wondering how they will apply what they have learned.
“We went into the homes of young women who have obtained loans through the project. One was knotting carpets; another was sewing with a knitting machine and a sewing machine. She was making traditional garments and fine wedding garments. It was a family enterprise – dad takes her wares to the souk (market) to sell and her mother contributes by making wool throws and carpets.
“What we saw was powerful. MEDA’s field director, Adil Sadoq, did a good job of explaining the program and how it works. We clearly saw the impact and enthusiasm for what was being offered. I am very grateful for opportunity to have seen this work.”
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