The ISS Foundation “One More Smile” and the NGO CODESPA have signed an agreement to train 60 vulnerable Moroccan women, with a view to their integration into the tourism sector.

This initiative, part of the Santander BEST Africa program of the Banco Santander Foundation, is aimed at women who have not had the opportunity to complete their schooling or pursue professional training; many of them are mothers with several children to support.

After signing the agreement, Eulalia Devesa, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at ISS Spain, stated that “the empowerment of women in Africa is a major pending issue, whose situation has been further adversely affected by the impact of the pandemic, which has greatly reduced their opportunities to enter the workforce. At ISS, we are deeply committed to providing these women with the necessary tools to become autonomous and self-sufficient; this is the first step toward promoting social change”.

CODESPA has already selected the first 20 participants. They will be trained in customer service by the Al Amal association, which has agreements with hotels. Elena Martínez, deputy director of CODESPA, comments: “It is possible to end poverty; we just need to be more of them. Our local team has a deep understanding of Morocco’s culture and social context. ISS has provided two essential ingredients: funding and trust. In this way, we are laying the foundation for achieving profound changes in the lives of many women”.