After 10 years in Europe, Mouhcine took the risk of returning to Morocco – where he fulfilled his dream of becoming self-employed. Learn here about the support he received with starting a business in his home country of heritage. It is now successfully producing shoes and sandals.

My name is Mouhcine and I’m 36 years old. I live in Quaà Asserasse, a village in North Morocco on the Mediterranean coast. I attended school until I was 15 years old and was always the best in my class. But our financial situation meant that I couldn’t continue my studies.Financial issues meant that I left school early and left for Europe. I was an ambitious young man who wanted to work in Europe. They nevertheless caught me each time without papers and sent me back.

I spent 10 years living in different European countries hoping that I’d find a job that would improve my situation. But then I decided to change my life and I returned to my home country.

I initially went through lots of jobs back in Morocco, such as working as a seller at markets. Then I decided to launch my own project by becoming self-employed producing shoes.

Successful return to Morocco

I heard about the Moroccan-German Information Centre on Migration and Vocational Integration (EIMA) in Tangier in February 2020. I went there straight away. I started a training course a month later, which was online due to the pandemic. The training I received changed my way of thinking. It helped me to understand how to market my products.

I began the second phase of my project in June 2020 after the lockdown. I was given financial assistance by the EIMA and by the Center for Very Small Solidarity Enterprises (CTPES). This money meant that I could buy machinery and materials for my business.

Developing self-sufficiency

I chose the village of Quaà Asserasse for starting my business, because it’s a well-known tourist resort. It’s situated between Tétouan and Al Hoceima. 

I decided to expand my product range and introduced new fabric products from the northern region, such as “mandil” and “lehaf”.

This generated good turnover, so that I was able to continue running my business despite the pandemic. I learned the abilities to do this in the training courses that the EIMA arranged for me. I expect my turnover to increase further when more tourists come again.