Development is often told through numbers: businesses supported, people trained, jobs created or partnerships established. But numbers tell only part of the story.
From 25 to 31 October, members of the Swisscontact Foundation Council travelled across Morocco to meet the people who bring these results to life. From Casablanca to the mountains of Béni Mellal-Khénifra and on to Salé, the journey offered a first-hand look at what sustainable development means in people’s everyday lives.
The journey began in Casablanca with the SIPPO programme. Swisscontact works with Moroccan business support organisations, including AMITH, ASMEX and Morocco Foodex, to strengthen the services they provide to local businesses.
The objective is clear: to help Moroccan companies better understand international requirements and prepare to access European and Swiss markets. By strengthening local organisations rather than replacing them, this approach helps build expertise that remains in Morocco and can benefit more businesses over time
In the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region, the journey took on another dimension. Through the Sustainable Tourism Switzerland-Morocco project, the delegation visited the M’Goun Geopark, the Azilal Dinosaur Museum, Espace Terroir and several villages in the Aït Bouguemez Valley.
Here, mountains, traditions, local products and cultural heritage are much more than tourist attractions. When local actors have the skills and services they need, these assets can also become sources of income and economic opportunity.
Stays in guesthouses rehabilitated through the project, including La Montagne au Pluriel, Flilou, Kasbah Aït Bouguemez and Dar Sanad, provided tangible examples of how quality tourism can showcase local assets, attract visitors and create economic opportunities for communities.
In Béni Mellal, discussions continued around entrepreneurship and skills development.
Through DAPP YIEP and Youth & Business, Swisscontact and the Association Qualification des Jeunes support young people in developing entrepreneurial skills and strengthening their economic prospects. Terre & Laine provides a concrete example of how local resources, combined with an entrepreneurial idea, can create value and employment.
At the Cité des Métiers et des Compétences, conversations with young learners brought another dimension to the story. Training is not only about acquiring technical knowledge. It is also about gaining the means to build a professional future, whether through employment or entrepreneurship.
The final visit, to Association Horizon Ouvert in Salé, reinforced this message. Through the C4EE project, young people are developing practical skills to improve their employability and economic inclusion.
Different projects. Different places. Different journeys.
Yet across all these encounters, one conviction emerged: for change to last, it needs to be locally driven.
Swisscontact’s role therefore goes beyond implementing activities. It is about working alongside businesses, training institutions, associations, entrepreneurs and other partners to strengthen their own capacities, so they can continue creating opportunities over the long term.
For the Foundation Council, the journey through Morocco was an opportunity to see this dynamic beyond reports and statistics.
Behind every result is a business preparing to enter new markets, a tourism entrepreneur developing their activity, a local organisation strengthening its expertise, or a young person gaining the skills to shape their future.
Ultimately, this is where impact becomes tangible