MR OTHMAN BENJELLOUN AND HIS WIFE MRS LEILA MEZIAN BENJELLOUN AWARDED AS "VISIONARY PERSONALITIES" BY THE MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE IN WASHINGTON – AMERICAN RESEARCH CENTRE 13 November 2019

On the sidelines of the gala evening organised yesterday, November 12, by the Middle East Institute (MEI) research centre in Washington, D.C., Mr. Othman Benjelloun, Founder of the BANK OF AFRICA Foundation and his wife Mrs. Leila Mezian Benjelloun, President of the Foundation, received the prestigious Visionnary Award.

An annual MEI signature event dedicated to the MENA region, which honours the region’s key visionaries, the agents of change, cultural leaders and philanthropists for their positive contributions to the political, economic, social and cultural landscape.

Thus, Mr. and Mrs. Benjelloun were awarded for their actions through the BMCE Bank Foundation, active since 1995, in the promotion of education in rural areas for the benefit of poor children and the preservation of the environment. The foundation is also very active in the field of teaching the Amazigh language and culture.

Since its launch in 2000, the Medersat.com programme, supported by the BANK OF AFRICA Foundation, has been able to provide schooling to more than 29,000 students, 50% of whom are girls, through 309 pre-school and school units, including 6 in sub-Saharan Africa (Djibouti, Republic of Congo, Mali, Rwanda and Senegal). The schools are equipped with modern infrastructure and means, incorporating the latest state-of-the-art technologies. The diversity of cultures is at the heart of the strategy, as the following languages are taught: Arabic, Amazigh, French and Mandarin. Today, the programme has nearly 1,800 graduates from Medersat.com schools since the first graduating class and employs nearly 800 teachers, 63% of whom are women.


About the Trophy

The “Visionnary Award” recognises an individual or an organisation for their outstanding and forward-thinking work in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East and North Africa region.


About the Middle East Institute

The Middle East Institute was founded in 1946 and is the oldest Washington-based institution devoted exclusively to Middle East studies and research. This apolitical think tank provides expert analysis in political science and international relations, as well as educational development services, while also acting as a hub for introducing the American public to the region’s diverse forms of art and culture.