As part of the FAME project, a field mission took place in Morocco from May 4 to 7, 2026, at this pivotal moment marking the end of the first Call for Expressions of Interest (AMI 1) and the launch of the second. Paula Cubillos, the FAME coordinator within the Education Department at the French Development Agency (AFD) in Paris, joined the Geres team for a series of visits to civil society organizations (CSOs) in Rabat, Mohammedia, and Kenitra, as well as a knowledge-sharing workshop organized at the AFD Morocco office.
Concrete Results in the filed
The mission began with a visit to the Annada association in Mohammedia, which received support under AMI 1. The “A Life of Success” project provided training to 200 women in cooking, baking, and sewing, along with social and psychological support. On site, the team visited three shops opened in the neighborhood by project beneficiaries (sewing and pastry) and gathered testimonials from about ten women who had gained confidence, independence, and increased income. These results convinced the team to renew Annada’s contract for a Phase 2 under AMI 2, in order to consolidate the initial activities and expand training to include more women.
The team then traveled to Kenitra to meet with the Rouad El Gharb Association (AREG), which was selected for AMI 2. Since 2016, this association has been supporting women who are victims of violence through social, psychological, and legal support, as well as certified vocational training. It has just been awarded the management of a public care center in a new neighborhood: a significant expansion that FAME’s support will help structure.
Annada Association, May 6, 2026
Rouad El Gharb Association, May 6, 2026
Association Rouad El Gharb, 06/05/2026
A knowledge-sharing workshop to build on achievements
On May 7, the AFD office in Rabat hosted the nine CSOs supported under AMI 1 for a knowledge-sharing workshop facilitated by the Geres team. Catherine Bonnaud, director of the AFD office in Morocco, opened the session by congratulating the CSOs on their work and emphasizing the importance of measuring and sharing concrete results and impacts within a constrained budgetary context.
In the presence of the FAME coordinator and Moncef Cherkaoui, Governance Program Officer at the AFD Morocco office, the Geres team and the CSOs presented the consolidated results of AMI 1 in Morocco: 1,500 more women empowered to participate in economic activities, as well as a strong qualitative impact on their empowerment and on the transformation of gender relations within households, workplaces, and communities. The CSOs then shared their results, lessons learned, and the challenges they had overcome. It was a moment of recognition and collective pride, which also highlighted the value of Geres’s on-the-ground support within the project. The day concluded with a luncheon bringing together all the CSOs and the project team.
French Development Agency, Rabat, May 7, 2026
AMI 2: A New Cohort to Amplify Impact
Building on these encouraging results, the AMI 2 selection committee met in late April 2026 and selected seven projects led by feminist organizations in Morocco. The new projects will launch in late July 2026, marking the start of a new phase aimed at deepening the momentum already underway and further expanding FAME’s impact on the ground. CSOs from AMI 1 will also continue to benefit from the training, networking, and promotion opportunities offered through the project to consolidate their achievements and sustain this collective momentum.
