New year, new round! OUISSAL 2025/26 launches in Morocco: Growth Teams Empower Women Entrepreneurs Across Borders

The new OUISSAL 2025/26 program began with our Kick-Off Meeting in Morocco, the first of three inspiring stops. Bringing together the first group of participants of this cohort, the program started in Casablanca with 9 mentees and 3 mentors. Sun, mint tea and highly motivated women in business, there’s hardly a better way to launch the next chapter of OUISSAL, right? And while Berlin averaged 3.5 hours of sun at this time of the year, our participants in Casablanca truly couldn’t complain about the weather.

Day 1 started with a a good morning walk to the German Business Centre Casablanca, where all workshops took place, marked the beginning of our Kick-Off journey. The founder of OUISSAL, Clara Gruitrooy offered a heartfelt welcome before leading the initial session on the new “Get Together & Mentoring Concept” together with our mentor and second OUISSAL workshop leader Daniela Greiffendorf. For the first time, OUISSAL introduced its “Growth Team” model: groups of 2-3 mentees matched with one mentor based on business stage and needs. This innovative team approach enables participants to benefit not only from the mentor’s expertise but also from the shared experiences, challenges and ideas of fellow mentees. The day continued with “Leadership & Business Growth – Essentials”, a practical workshop focusing on what it means to lead and expand a business. The first day ended with a group dinner at one of Casablanca’s excellent restaurants.

The second day was even more exciting! Day two ramped up from Matching the Growth Teams, to a professional photoshoot at the Hassan II Mosque, strengthening the bonds within each team and not to forget, lunch at the iconic La Sqala restaurant, a beautiful restaurant in the city of Casablanca. Later, during the “Mentoring Group Work: Strategy”’s session, our mentees presented and discussed their business plans, exchanging insights and learning from each other and their mentor.

On the third and unfortunately the last day, a former participant, Laila Berchance, CEO and Co-Founder of Robots & More, shared her journey as OUISSAL alumna, underscoring the long-term value and success of the program. After this, the Growth Team dug deeper into strategy work, fostering connection and collaboration. A shared lunch at the German Business Center preceded the final workshop, where each group delivered a pitch of their business plans and strategic outlook.

The Kick-Off’s grand finale was the networking event, an energizing forum that brought together leaders from public institutions, business, civil society and chambers of commerce for direct engagement with OUISSAL participants. Sebastian Wilde, Head of German Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Rabat, delivered the keynote speech congratulating OUISSAL for its lasting impact since its founding in 2013. He emphasized the continuing importance of resilient, self-sustaining networks where women empower and uplift each other beyond the program’s formal activities.

A sincere and genuine thank you to every participant, mentor, partner and supporter. Your inspiring energy and dedication made this start possible. Special appreciation goes to those sharing their expertise and stories, embodying the spirit of growth and connection at the heart of OUISSAL as well as to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) which is funding OUISSAL and the Agenc for Business and Development (AWE) for supporting our project.

And the journey isn’t over! January will see the Jordan Kick-Off, followed by Egypt in February. More stories and milestones are ahead, stay tuned as OUISSAL 2025/26 sets the stage for powerful women’s networks across borders!