On November 12, 2019, the Annual Awards Gala held by Washington DC’s Middle East Institute (MEI) honored Morocco’s Othman and Mezian Benjelloun. The couple received the Visionary Award for their work that aligns with MEI’s mission to bring peace and stability to the Middle East and North Africa region. For the past 30 years, the BMCE co-chairs have fought against illiteracy, poverty, and discrimination in Morocco’s Berber villages. Among their accomplishments is the successful creation and financing of 100 community schools. Their foundation also supports classroom education for environmental sustainability and instruction of Amazigh language and culture.
Their program Medersat.com is promoted by the BMCE Bank Foundation. Since it’s launch in 2000, it has successfully enrolled 29,000 students, fifty percent of whom are girls. The philanthropists have established 309 preschool units and schools. Six of them are in sub-Saharan Africa (Djibouti, Republic of Congo, Mali, Rwanda, and Senegal). The Medersat program also works to empower women. Of 800 teachers employed, 63% are women.
The Middle East Institute was founded in 1946 and specializes in Middle Eastern studies and research. It acts as a hub to introduce the American public arts and culture from the African region.