In 2014, a chance encounter with a widowed woman living in dire conditions transformed Abderrahmane Rais's life, leading him to launch impactful initiatives for marginalized communities in Morocco. Today, recognized with the prestigious «Hope Makers» award, Rais continues to advocate for change, driven by the belief that giving transforms the giver as much as the receiver. DR ‹ › When Abderrahmane Rais set out on one of his journeys in 2014, heading toward a remote mountainous area, he never imagined that a single encounter would change the course of his life. Walking along rough paths between scattered houses, he came across a woman living in extremely difficult circumstances. He had no specific plan or project that day, just a human impulse that compelled him to stop. Abderrahmane, now a content creator, recalled that moment in his conversation with Yabiladi: «She was a widowed woman living alone in a house on the verge of collapse. Her son lived far away and no longer visited her. I was deeply moved by her story». He could not simply walk away. At the time, the young man from the Ismouka community in Tiznit province decided to share her story on social media. «As soon as I posted about her situation, a philanthropist stepped in and built her a new house», he explained. That was the true beginning. In those villages, everything changed That encounter made Abderrahmane realize that her case was far from unique. In the same village and others across the mountains, he found widowed women raising their children alone, often without any stable income. Some were caring for very young children, including children with physical disabilities. He discovered a silent, marginalized group that remained overlooked despite scattered initiatives. It was then that he launched an initiative called «Sorour» to bring wider attention to their stories. «At first, I helped with whatever I could», he said, «but I quickly realized they needed much more». At the time, Abderrahmane was a 22-year-old university student. He financed his trips out of his own pocket, often relying on his university grant to cover travel expenses. Balancing his studies with frequent journeys to remote areas was not easy. Some members of his extended family questioned his choice and urged him to pursue a stable job, but his parents stood firmly by his side. When he first committed to this path, he did not even own a camera to document the cases he encountered. His dream was simply to have one so he could properly tell their stories. «After my mother saw my passion and determination, she sold her silver jewelry so I could buy my first camera», he said. «I still keep it to this day, even though I later bought another one, because it represents the beginning of my journey and my mother's sacrifice». «Giving changes us before it changes others» In the beginning, Abderrahmane visited villages at random. Later, people began reaching out to guide him toward families in need. Speaking with a smile that never left his face during the interview, he explained, «I started paying off widows' debts by going to local shops to ask about their situation, then visiting their homes to verify their vulnerability and lack of support». Gradually, support grew. Some philanthropists, many of them from the Moroccan diaspora, along with foreign supporters, committed to sending fixed monthly contributions to families. Each person, he says, gives in their own way. Beyond supporting widows, Abderrahmane, who holds a degree in French studies and a master's degree in culture, heritage, and development, expanded his initiatives. He began honoring former teachers, recognizing the impact they had on him and others, and also launched well-digging projects in underserved areas. Now based in Agadir, his work even reached Moroccan international footballer Abderrazak Hamdallah, who contacted him and contributed to supporting several beneficiary families. On February 15, 2026, in Dubai, just days before the start of Ramadan, Abderrahmane was named one of the winners of the «Hope Makers» award, organized annually by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He received a prize of one million Emirati dirhams. From a chance encounter with a woman living in a collapsing house to standing on a major Arab award stage, Abderrahmane Rais has remained guided by one conviction: «We are the ones who need to help others even more, because giving changes us from within before it changes anyone else».
