On the occasion of the 2025-2026 school year, the Zakoura Foundation has renewed its ambition: to place the future of children and young people at the heart of an educational innovation dynamic. The organization, known for its commitment to rural areas, aims to take a significant step forward by focusing on scientific research, emerging technologies, and pan-African cooperation.
Among the new initiatives for this academic year, the Foundation announces the launch of the Zakoura Research and Innovation Prize (PRIZ), an initiative aimed at researchers, doctoral students, and practitioners in the education sector. The goal is to stimulate scientific reflection and encourage the creation of novel solutions tailored to the challenges of education in Morocco and beyond. Additionally, an international symposium dedicated to artificial intelligence and its impact on learning will be organized, confirming the institution’s commitment to exploring the new frontiers of digital technology in the service of educational inclusion.
However, Zakoura’s horizon now extends beyond national borders. With Wasl Africa, a platform for cooperation among African associations, the Foundation seeks to unite a pan-African network to share experiences and expertise. This ambition addresses a shared reality: educational inequalities affect the entire continent and require collective and innovative responses.
“Every new academic year is a renewed promise for the Zakoura Foundation. Our commitment is to support children and young people in their journeys while anticipating their needs to build an inclusive and sustainable education,” emphasizes Mohammed Fikrat, President of the Foundation.
Since its establishment in 1997, the Zakoura Foundation has established itself as a major player in education in rural areas and in reducing educational disparities. Its flagship programs—from Comprehensive Early Childhood Development to the New Generation Second Chance School, along with Non-Formal Education and the Digital Rural Proximity College—have already benefited nearly two million people and enabled the training of more than 14,000 local resources.
With this new momentum, the Foundation reaffirms its role as a laboratory for ideas and practices, where innovation, social inclusion, and human commitment intersect. This academic year is marked by continuity but especially by the projection toward a more equitable educational future.