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BMCE Bank Foundation
Foundation

BANK OF AFRICA an inclusive and socially engaged bank 

BMCE Bank Foundation: actions geared to social and human impact in Africa

BMCE Bank Foundation for Education and the Environment was founded in 1995 with two main priorities: promote the education of disadvantaged children in rural areas and protect the environment. 

For nearly 30 years now, BMCE Bank Foundation’s work in the areas of education and the environment has been underpinned by eight strategic goals:

  • Promote education in rural areas in Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa by espousing values that combine tradition, modernity and open-mindedness
  • Provide pre-school education throughout the Medersat.com network’s educational system and deliver excellence by means of an innovative educational approach and high-quality infrastructure and equipment
  • Make pre-school education available to all by building classrooms in state schools
  • Combat illiteracy with a literacy programme specifically for adults 
  • Provide a multilingual education and promote the use of mother tongues, especially Tamazight
  • Introduce modern technological learning aids as a response to the demands posed by the digital transformation of modern societies
  • Build eco-friendly sustainable schools in rural areas and educate future generations about the environment
  • Share the experiences of the Medersat.com network with partners in sub-Saharan Africa

HISTORY OF THE BMCE BANK FOUNDATION

  • 1995 : BMCE Bank Foundation for Education and the Environment established
  • 1998 : Medersat.com programme launched
  • 2000 : First schools in rural communities set up
  • 2013 :
    - Awarded the ‘WISE Award’ by the Qatar Foundation at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha
    - L’Ecole de la Palmeraie, a documentary produced for the Foundation, awarded a ‘Gold Dolphin’ in the Education category at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards
  • 2014 : Mandarin Chinese teaching introduced after partnership formed with Hassan II University’s Confucius Institute and the Chinese Embassy
  • 2016 :
    - Partnership agreement formed with the French Institute of Morocco to deliver French lessons to Medersat.com network teachers 
    - Awarded the Rockefeller Foundation’s ‘Bridging Leadership Award’ in New York 
    Dr Leila Mezian Benjelloun, the Foundation’s Chair, awarded the Al Arsh Wissam by His Majesty King Mohammed VI
  • 2017 : Partnership agreement signed with the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection as part of the Eco-Ecole programme
  • 2018 : Partnership agreement signed with the Ministry of National Education to build pre-school units in public institutions
  • 2019 : 
    - Opening of the Medersat.com school in Rwanda and the Daara-Rama Franco-Arab college in Diamniadio, Dakar 
    - Cooperation bolstered with the Confucius Institute to extend face-to-face Mandarin Chinese teaching to Boujdour school pupils
  • 2020 : 
    - Dr Leila Mezian Benjelloun, BMCE Bank Foundation’s Chair, awarded the Officer medal of the French Republic’s Légion d’Honneur 
    - Continued partnership with the French Institute of Morocco to enhance the quality of French language teaching at primary level throughout the Medersat.com network 
    - African-ness Award presented to Dr Leila Mezian Benjelloun, BMCE Bank Foundation’s Chair 
    - Medersat.com Academy, a virtual training institute, established
  • 2021 : 
    - Educational robotics introduced into teaching in Foundation schools as a complementary educational tool 
    - Celebrating two decades of initiatives promoting education
  • 2022 :
    - Tribute paid to Dr Leila Mezian Benjelloun, BMCE Bank Foundation’s Chair, by the Bouabate Fez Association, with the award of the Fez Gate Trophy and the title of ‘Woman of the Year’ in the Social Action category 
    - Dr Leila Mezian Benjelloun named ‘Woman of the Mediterranean Space’ by the Three Cultures of the Mediterranean Foundation 
    - New agreement signed with the French Institute of Morocco as part of the Foundation's support for the Bibliotobiss project 
    - Partnership with Teach For Morocco to extend Middle Section year group teaching to almost every Medersat.com school
  • 2023 : Implementation of the ProFuturo initiative, a digital education programme benefiting 3,066 pupils and 140 teachers in 16 Medersat.com schools
  • 2024 : Partnership with UNESCO to launch a collection of works intended for young people highlighting Morocco’s heritage

BMCE BANK FOUNDATION KEY FIGURES

  • 69 Schools, including 6 in sub-Saharan Africa - 2 in Senegal, 1 in Congo Brazzaville, 1 in Mali, 1 in Rwanda and 1 in Djibouti
  • 35,800 benefiting pupils, 50% of whom are girls
  • 534 Total number of teachers, 52% of whom are women
  • 13,843 Beneficiaries of the cultural caravan 
  • 40 Schools awarded the ‘Eco-Ecole’ label 
  • 3,780 Students benefiting from robotics teaching
  • 2,230 Pupils learning Mandarin Chinese
  • 17 Educational supervisors across the network, equivalent to 1 for every 4 schools
  • 3,718 Baccalaureate graduates from the Medersat.com network
  • 98.6% Success rate taking all levels together
BMCE Bank Foundation’s website