Changing young people’s lives at SOS Children’s Village El Jadida, Morocco

As part of our global partnership with SOS Children’s Villages, AkzoNobel started working with SOS Children’s Villages Morocco in 2019. This year, they renewed their local partnership. Together, they renovated the SOS Children’s Village in El Jadida to create vibrant living spaces for families, and provided workshops for young people to support them on their way to independent adulthood.

Tackling unemployment through education and renovation

In 2019, AkzoNobel partnered with SOS Children’s Villages Dar Bouazza in Morocco to address the issue of youth unemployment through education and renovation. The first project involved a range of educational activities, including a tour of the AkzoNobel site in Casablanca, career guidance sessions, and workshops on job profiles. About 40 young people were informed about job opportunities in finance, accounting, marketing, communication, and logistics through the personal stories of over ten employee volunteers.

Additionally, as a part of Let’s Colour, the “Lieu de vie” house for young female youth and educational center in the Dar Bouazza village was brightened up with a fresh coat of paint by a team of AkzoNobel volunteers.

Vibrant homes and brighter futures

This year, the partnership continued in SOS Children’s Villages El Jadida, a larger village that houses up to 110 children as part of 13 families. In January, AkzoNobel organized career guidance workshops for 12 young people at their Casablanca site. To inspire young people, the employees shared their work experience and explained different roles within the company. Furthermore, the young people gained valuable practical experience and expanded their horizons to the world of color by completing the painting workshop at the Astral Academy. This way, they took another step towards decent and stable work and independent life.

The Let’s Colour team also gave the facades of the residential complexes in El Jadida a much-needed makeover. To make the facades last longer, they used extra durable, water-based VinylAstral paint, and created beautiful homes for families. Also, the training area’s interior underwent a renovation, resulting in a stunning transformation that was highly appreciated by the children and other residents of the village.

For this Let’s Colour project, over 1,950 liters of Astral paint were used by 21 volunteers. And after the project was successfully completed, a small ceremony was held to celebrate its success, where the children could enjoy animations, a funny clown, and tasty snacks.

Collaborating for positive change

Samya EL Mousti, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Morocco stated: “A big thanks to AkzoNobel and Astral for this breath of fresh air into the village, and to SOS Children’s Village team for all the efforts and especially for the new dynamics put in our region.”

The renewed partnership has had a positive impact on the young people living in the villages. The career guidance, mentoring, and training provided by AkzoNobel employees have equipped them with valuable knowledge and skills for their future endeavors. Also, the renovation of the homes created a more liveable and enjoyable living environment for the children and families in the villages.

Find out more about Astral Morocco.