Faiza Hajji: From Local Projects to Global Impact
Faiza Hajji is a social entrepreneur of Moroccan origin, adopted by Extremadura, and a citizen of the world. She has lived and worked in 9 countries across 4 continents and speaks 5 languages! She is committed to sustainable development and gender equality.
Faiza made a daring decision that many called crazy: she left behind a successful career as an engineer at a telecommunications company to start collecting discarded plastic bags in her Moroccan neighborhood. Her goal? To transform waste into something valuable!
Using local weaving techniques and natural fibers, Faiza turned these plastic bags into beautiful, eco-friendly handbags, launching the project, IFASSEN. What started as a simple idea became a groundbreaking circular economy (for more than 15 years!) creating jobs for 60 artisan women and 7 associated designers in rural Morocco while recycling over 51,000 plastic bags.
This project has received several awards (from UNDP, the French Ministry of Finance, etc.), was chosen as one of the 100 most innovative development projects in Africa, and earned her recognition as one of the 100 most inspiring women in the world by the compassionate business journal Salt Magazine. Faiza also features in the book "Those Who Inspire" as one of the 30 inspiring Moroccans (www.thosewhoinspire.com).
Here is more information about the IFASSEN project:
CNN Report on IFASSEN (3 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSvWOVCzFYk
Interview in Spanish by Red de Emprendedoras en Movimiento (4 min 39 sec): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sL_7zfBL68
Article in Spanish: https://www.elheraldo.hn/especiales/periodismodeimpacto/moda-etica-para-reciclar-el-plastico-en-marruecos-MYEH1276596
Through this work, Faiza has proven that empowering women and protecting the planet can go hand in hand.
But her impact doesn’t stop there.
Closer to home in Spain, Faiza’s passion for health and local resources led to the creation of YORGUT, a line of probiotic-enriched yogurts made from Verata goat’s milk. These aren’t just any yogurts though - they aim to improve the health of those who consume them, maintain the endangered native breed of Verata goats, and support local farmers! YORGUT has already earned her recognition for its sustainable and social impact.
Recently, Faiza trained in health and wellness and graduated with a Master’s degree in Microbiota, Prebiotics, and Probiotics from SemiPyP (https://semipyp.es) and the European University of Madrid.
She was awarded by the Diputación de Cáceres for the YORGUT project. Below are an article and a report by Canal Extremadura about this project:
Report by Canal Extremadura: https://www.canalextremadura.es/video/despues-de-vivir-en-9-paises-encontro-villanueva-de-la-vera
And Faiza’s vision keeps growing.
Through Sana Terra, a project she is developing with her husband, Faiza is building a community-focused initiative in Villanueva de la Vera that focuses on sustainable tourism and education. It’s more than a project - it’s a movement to inspire ecological change and create new opportunities for youth, women, and immigrants. Her work with ADF Global strengthens this mission, offering tools and hope to those who need it most.
Faiza firmly believes it can be a valuable contribution to the region to address current and future challenges. Here is an article about this initiative:
Additionally, their project includes an associative component: it is the Spanish headquarters of the Dr. Fatiha Association (ADF Global, www.adf-global.org), which runs programs on food transition, triple-bottom-line entrepreneurship, and the culture of peace. Here are some short videos of events they’ve organised in Villanueva de la Vera on Women and Agroecology:
Named one of the 100 most inspiring women in the world, her work has been featured by global media and praised for breaking barriers and uplifting communities.
Faiza Hajji is truly a woman to watch. Be part of her journey by supporting her work and sharing her story!