Today was a really interesting day! We did our last site visit, I made a new friend, we had a bathroom lockup, and of course, shopping LOL. We started off today by visiting ANDD, which was so nice to hear from, especially because I can tell how passionate they are about their organization and what they do. ANDD is such a great source of empowerment for women-owned small businesses, and even in other areas. I think it is similar to Anou because they have a very like-minded vision, which is to bring more attraction towards businesses and help them grow and learn digital marketing techniques that can move them forward. I really like how ANDD focuses not only on entrepreneurship but also on other technical and soft skills that are not talked about often and can make such a large difference in the business world. We heard from one of the guest speakers on how she used to be shy all the time and never knew how to speak up for herself or her opinion, but things changed once she came to the workshop for entrepreneurship and employment. They helped her build her confidence and skills to work on for her grad school interview and she succeeded!
After that, we made our way to lunch, which was so yummy! The assortments of fresh vegetables and different sides of bread, and kabobs for the main. Of course, my favorite at the end was the atay and cookies.
Next, we went and heard real stories and experiences of women entrepreneurs who took on the help of ANDD’s workshops and have enlarged the brand they have built. They ranged from embroidery businesses to being a stylist, natural skincare, and cosmetics! During this session, I met Chaimaa. She was so sweet and encouraging with the advice she gave. She asked if I had any plans or ideas I wanted to get started, and I did not have a set answer for her because I am still unsure about what I would like to do in that area, but Chaimaa told me her story, and she definitely left me thinking a little harder. She started her cosmetics brand when she was 18 because she loved everything beauty, and somehow ended up finding herself diversified into vacation rentals as well! It was cool to hear how she has two different passions as an entrepreneur. She shared her instagram and tikTok with me, and now I can message her whenever I have any questions!
I also wanted to add that today, on the bus ride back from the site visit, is when it really hit that we are coming to an end with our time here. I can’t believe the past weeks have gone by so fast and I’m ready to soak in my last few days of Rabat!