Raised in the UK, Eliav Amouyal, the grandson of Moroccan Jews, sees Morocco as «his heritage and roots», a bond that inspired him to give back to the country. Through Ta'leem Trust, an education-focused NGO he founded while still in high school, he provides maths, languages, and financial literacy classes to disadvantaged children in Casablanca, particularly orphans and students from vulnerable backgrounds. UK-born Eliav Amouyal, of Moroccan descent, during one of his free classes at Bab Rayan for disadvantaged students in Casablanca. / Ph. Eliav Amouyal ‹ › When he was still a high school senior, Eliav Amouyal decided to create an education-focused charity in the United Kingdom, where he is based. With one mission in mind: «every young person deserves access to skills that unlock opportunity». From the very beginning, Eliav knew he wanted to help students in Morocco, the country of his grandparents, who are both Moroccan Jews. With parents born in France and having been raised in the UK himself, the now 18-year-old sees Morocco as «my heritage, my roots». «Helping Moroccan children feels like helping my own family», he shared in a candid interview with Yabiladi. While studying for his baccalaureate, Eliav spared no effort to register his UK-based Moroccan educational NGO, Ta'leem Trust. As he prepared for his final exams, he was simultaneously navigating the lengthy charity registration process. «It was very important to me to be officially registered before asking donors for money», he explained. That process took a «very long time», and handling those «responsibilities was difficult». Still, Eliav embraced the challenge. «I did all the paperwork myself». Although some donors offered to pay for a lawyer to speed up the process, he refused, believing that «spending thousands of pounds on legal fees would mean thousands less for my mission in Morocco». Classes for disadvantaged students in Casablanca Eliav had a clear plan for Ta'leem Trust. After finishing high school, he took a gap year, delaying his university enrollment until September 2026, to travel to Morocco and launch his project. The mission focused on helping Moroccan students, particularly those in public schools or from rural backgrounds, who face «real barriers in subjects that shape their future, namely maths, languages, and financial literacy». His project consisted of providing maths, English, French, and financial literacy classes for free to students in Casablanca. He chose to teach these subjects himself through a partnership with Association Bab Rayan, located in the Palmiers district in Casablanca. On the association's premises, he worked with orphans under its care as well as children from very difficult social and economic backgrounds. Thanks to $11,300 raised through his charity, Eliav was also able to support Bab Rayan's digital project, purchasing more than 30 iPads and computers. His teaching program lasted four months, during which he taught six hours a day, five days a week. «I taught maths, English, and French to children aged 9 to 13, and financial literacy to students aged 15 to 18», he explained. Designed entirely by him, the classes were based on the Moroccan public-school curriculum, but also tailored to what the students were missing. «Many lacked basic foundational skills because of disrupted schooling», he regretted. «It was about rebuilding those foundations and making sure no one was left behind». Asked about the impact of his classes, Eliav said it «isn't just about grades. It's about confidence». «At first, students were afraid to answer questions. Over time, they gained confidence, asked questions freely, and that's how learning happened. That's how I measured success», he said proudly. While maths, English, and French are familiar subjects, financial literacy was a completely new concept for many students. «Financial literacy classes focused mainly on investing, using a real-market simulator», a tool Eliav himself created. «When I was 15, I had already created a financial literacy website, a guide for teenagers. I presented it in public and private schools, because I was always interested in finance and I knew it wasn't taught to children», he recalled. In Casablanca, each student received a virtual $100,000 and built an investment portfolio based on real stock-market data provided by the simulator. «One student turned $100,000 into $400,000 in two weeks. For someone who had never heard of investing before, that was life-changing», he shared. Overall, Eliav described his classes as highly interactive and based on mutual respect, where students learned by doing, not just through theory. Turning a short mission into a long-term project Now back in the UK, Eliav hopes the program can continue even without his physical presence in Morocco. «Financial literacy can continue remotely, but for other subjects we're working to bring volunteers on the ground», he stressed. «I want it to be ongoing. That's why I'm now speaking with volunteers to build long-term partnerships», he said. His mission remains unchanged. «Morocco's future is tied to education, confidence, and opportunity». «My dream is that one day no child will miss school or be deprived of a proper education simply because they lack resources», he said, insisting that «supporting education is not charity, it's an investment in the country's future». Eliav also noted that most of the funds raised for the program came from the Moroccan diaspora, «whether in England, France, or the United States, including many Moroccan Jewish communities and synagogues around the world». «It's almost like remittances, not of money alone, but of love and pride being sent back to Morocco for the good of the country».
