Mhammed Andaloussi
As the only one among his seven siblings to attend university, Mhammed Abbad Andaloussi understands that education is the key to future success. After a long, accomplished career in banking, he began volunteering his time in Moroccan schools in the 1990s. He was dismayed to discover the poor quality of school facilities, outdated styles of teaching instruction and disorganized management structures. In addition to founding Al Jisr, Mhammed founded Injaz Al Maghrib, which helps prepare young people for work in Morocco. This association has mobilized 70 business leaders to provide financial contributions and volunteers to trains students in entrepreneurship, financial literacy and success skills. He is a member of the Moroccan High Council of Education, an Ashoka Fellow and a Synergos Senior Fellow. Mhammed's other recognitions include the Clinton Global Citizen Award (2011) and the World Innovation Summit for Education Award (2011).
- Visit their website
- Al Jisr
- Model
- Hybrid Social Enterprise
- Sectors
- Education
- Headquarters
- Morocco
- Areas of Impact
- Middle East & North Africa, Morocco
Al Jisr
Al Jisr (The Bridge) works with all sectors of Moroccan society that have a vested interest in improving educational outcomes, and has successfully fostered true public-private partnerships in the education sector.
Through regular marketplace exhibitions around the country, Moroccan companies can join an “adopt-a-school” programme. Company executives also have the opportunity to join forces with parents, students and teachers on a management support council, to conduct a rigorous diagnosis of a school’s weaknesses, develop an annual action plan to improve performance, and monitor progress towards objective criteria. Each company provides an annual budget to carry out the activities prioritized by the support council, with funds matched by the Moroccan Ministry of Education. Both the government and these companies provide in-kind support and, perhaps most importantly, management expertise to dramatically improve school performance. Al Jisr provides diagnostic materials and guides, and shares best practices with committees to improve processes and outcomes.
In 2010, Al Jisr launched a five-year project called Project Green Chip to train secondary school dropouts in the refurbishing of 200,000 donated computers, either for use in classrooms or recycling. Al Jisr’s efforts have made a positive impact on the quality of education and school facilities for 200,000 students in 400 schools so far.
awardees
Our awardees
Joseph Madiath
Veronica Colondam
