The Bernard Mejean Fund for Girls' Education

The “Self-Empowerment" workshop was organized as an outcome of the partnership between the High Atlas Foundation and the European Union. It targeted the Douar of Tachdirt, Asni Commune, in the Al Haouz Province. Attended by 18 women, the workshop focused on developing women’s capabilities through individual and group practical exercises, including themes that will help women develop themselves within the society they live in.

The workshop adopted a standard learning method among the participants based on understanding and focusing on their knowledge. On the first day, the participants were introduced to the meaning of self-empowerment. It is noticeable that these participants, at their young age, showed an apparent discrepancy in their level of understanding despite them dropping out of school. The participants realized that, as much as they were able to do so, they could increase their confidence and strength to set realistic goals for their self-fulfillment.

After the prayer break, we explored the motives of their development and conducted an exercise called the Internal Soil Test. Amina presented the inhibited convictions of women, emphasizing that they can be stronger, emphasizing that they should be changed.

The second day began with a general assessment reflecting on the first day, which was successful due to the outstanding participation of the women in evaluating the experience. This day’s activities included identifying and searching for sources of personal strength through a room-visualization exercise, followed by a tunnel exercise to free emotions. This exercise aims to help us understand and acknowledge our feelings, which helps us eliminate the issue of mixed internal emotions.

The day was concluded with the exercise of self-love, where the participants were asked about their achievements in their lives. One woman said she had been able to climb the top of the Likemt Summit above the Tachdirt village. Another mentioned that she had been able to climb to the top of Okaimeden Mountain, while another said she was constantly cleaning the mosque. The women were also asked about the most courageous work they had done. One participant stated that she had been able to save her nephew and called an ambulance. During Eid, they also used to prepare desserts free of charge for their neighbors, and they gave other heart-warming answers.

The third day was like the other workshop days. The women of Tachdirt were asked what they had learned the previous day of the workshop. After this, we focused on two crucial axes of human life, starting with the body. The facilitator explained a body dialogue exercise consisting of questions to ask one’s body in order to better understand what it feels most. Through participant responses, the women were encouraged to give comfort and attention to their bodies, which is unusual for women in villages. We ended our last day by discussing the work, with Amina linking it to the cooperative project they aim to establish.

On the last day, we focused on analyzing and discussing the remaining axes. The first was money. This workshop was finished with an assessment executed by the participants on this day.

At the end of the workshop, the participants expressed gratitude, remarking that this workshop would be an essential step to fulfilling their wishes. We concluded the workshop by distributing the certificates in an atmosphere that showed how close we had become to each other during the workshop.