Founded in 1995, the BMCE Foundation has, in accordance with the orientations of its Founder Mr. Othman Benjelloun, President of the BMCE Bank Group, two main missions: the promotion of education in rural areas for the benefit of poor children and the preservation of the environment.

The BMCE Bank Foundation, founded by Moroccan billionaire Othman Benjelloun and run by Dr. Laila Mezian Benjelloun, has been promoting rural education in Morocco and Africa since 1995. Roughly 4% of BMCE Bank's gross operating profit is allocated to the foundation. It runs 66 schools—62 in Morocco and five overseas. Around 22,000 pupils have enrolled in the network. The BMCE Bank Foundation has partnered with the Tawada microcredit association, which aims to help parents of pupils attending network schools by providing them with credit facilities.

Thus, in response to the Royal Appeal for Mobilization for Education, aware of the crucial role of Education in the development of Morocco and assuming its share of social responsibility as an active actor of the private sector and civil society, BMCE Bank is committed through its foundation to contribute to the promotion of an innovative concept of integrated education for sustainable development and the improvement of the quality of education. To this end, the BMCE Bank Foundation has launched its program for the construction and equipment of Medersat.com school units in rural areas. The ultimate goal of this action is to contribute to the improvement of the standard of living of the disadvantaged populations.

Mr. Othman Benjelloun, Chief Executive Officer of the BMCE Bank Group, reiterated the BMCE Bank Foundation's commitment to sustained action for Education and the Environment during the closing session of the Mediterranean Forum for Development held in Marrakech in September 1998.

The social responsibilities prevailing in Morocco are in fact those of every corporate citizen and every citizen. For our part, at BMCE Bank, we have chosen to make a tangible contribution more specifically to the fight against illiteracy in rural areas.
We are confident that our initiative will inspire others similar among business communities and members of civil society. The launch of the Medersat.com program is the "par excellence" illustration of this commitment.
Generic name of the Foundation's program: "Medersat.com" evokes the prestigious historical roots of the Medersa, the cradle of knowledge and civilization that is the Mediterranean. It also evokes the vocation of the rural school (ER), the connection to the satellites and the world of new communication technologies hence the signature ".com" and finally the well-shared village community, educators, parents and children.