Administrator Samantha Power announced the launch of a new initiative focused on helping Morocco’s people adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis with GiveDirectly and the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P).
She made the announcement in Ben Guerir, Morocco. The program will provide training, coaching, and climate financing for vulnerable cooperatives and entrepreneurs primarily in rural areas, helping them adapt to climate change, grow their economic activities, and build resilience to climate shocks and water scarcity.
The announcement was made today at UM6P, where the Administrator joined UM6P President Hicham El Habti and GiveDirectly Vice President of Partnerships Yolande Wright in signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launch the first component of USAID’s new climate portfolio. The new Cooperative Resilience Program (CRP) includes funding from USAID, UM6P, and GiveDirectly, and is also conducted in partnership with the Government of Morocco’s National Initiative for Human Development.
USAID and its partners designed the new program in close collaboration with local cooperatives. This program will make available grants ranging from $3,000 to $9,000 of climate financing to more than 1,000 cooperatives and entrepreneurs, helping them to invest in equipment, raw materials, and improved techniques and processes that catalyze sustainable economic development and resilience to climate impacts. It will also foster collaboration among local entrepreneurs, civil society, academia, the Government of Morocco, and international partners for sustainable socio-economic development.
Prior to the MOU signing, Administrator Power met with cooperatives who played a critical role as local partners throughout the design of the new program. Many of them received support from a previous USAID initiative with GiveDirectly that provided a total of $14 million to over 1,600 vulnerable cooperatives during times of crisis and uncertainty, including the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing drought, global inflation, and the Al Haouz earthquake.
Administrator Power announced the effective launch of the CRP as the first component of USAID/Morocco’s new climate portfolio in support of the Government of Morocco’s ambitious climate agenda, with a particular focus on empowering women and youth to lead climate resilience efforts. USAID/Morocco’s new climate portfolio will prioritize local solutions for adapting to the impacts of climate change and enhancing sustainable economic growth.
Designed to support the Government of Morocco’s efforts to address climate change, it aligns with USAID’s global Climate Strategy, advancing locally-led development, equity and inclusion, and private sector engagement, and supports implementation of the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE).