At the WeXchange Forum, Saadia Slaoui Bennani, President of Valyans, shared the story of KOUN, a social enterprise for inclusion initiated by the Al Ikram – Valyans Foundation. Her testimony illustrated how an initiative rooted in conviction can generate profound impact, even in the absence of a formal institutional framework.
Faced with the challenges of youth unemployment and vulnerability in underserved neighborhoods, KOUN was born from a simple intention: to take action. The enterprise trains young people in precarious situations in waste management professions, through an approach that combines:
- Circular economy
- Employability
- Local development
Beyond the professional integration of at-risk youth, the Al Ikram – Valyans Foundation has progressively expanded its scope to address broader systemic issues.
This gave rise to La Maison des Parents, a dedicated space for awareness and dialogue, designed to support families in a process of educational reconstruction and parental empowerment.
From this same dynamic emerged a daycare center based on Montessori pedagogy, providing:
- A stable environment for young children
- An opportunity for their often-isolated mothers to access training and employment
This integrated model, designed as a lever for social resilience, generates tangible, measurable impact across the entire family unit, while reinforcing community cohesion.
The example of KOUN and La Maison des Parents powerfully illustrates the strategic role that social entrepreneurship initiatives can play in addressing the invisible divides in our society.
It also highlights the relevance of hybrid, agile approaches to tackle complex challenges at the intersection of:
- Social inclusion
- Education
- Parental support
- Environmental protection
At Valyans, this vision resonates deeply with our core beliefs:
Impact does not always arise from regulation, but often from the will to act.
In a rapidly changing context, social entrepreneurship provides agile, sustainable responses rooted in the realities on the ground.
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