Men Who Left Mark in History

By AbdelHak Azzouzi 

There is no doubt that there will always be great people who are always keen on doing great service to their countries. Their names are always relevant to act of charity, development, and construction.

Surprisingly, what you can discover about these is just the tip of the iceberg. Even the closest to them know the least. That’s because they are reticent and always work out of the public eye.

Mr. Othman Benjelloun is one of them people. He is always remembered for his development and benevolence. His name is always associated with the construction of schools and charitable institutions in Morocco and Africa. And for this reason, I would like to dedicate my article this week to one of the greatest men as I always consider him to be. Together, Mr. Benjelloun and his wife Leila Meziane considered culture, education, and sustainable development as their eternal quest.

The BMCE Bank Foundation has so far built schools in the rural towns as part of an ambitious program to build 1,000 schools.

And I do not think that any other work deserves tribute be paid than this work. It is an investment in knowledge —and knowledge is light. An investment against ignorance —and ignorance is darkness. It is an investment in sustainable development.

Mr. Benjelloun, and Dr. Meziane, received the prestigious Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Awards in New York as a tribute to the efforts of the BMCE Bank Foundation. This prestigious nomination was given by David Rockefeller, chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation and Dr. Peggy Dulany- Rockefeller, chairman of the Synergos Institute.

This nomination honors the efforts of the celebrants and, in particular, the achievements of “Medrasat.com”, which has been in operation for more than 17 years, building and managing collective schools in the rural sides of Morocco and Africa. The names of Mr. Benjelloun and his wife are now added to those who were awarded at previous sessions of the annual event such as Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Nelson Mandela. The award not only went to heads of states, but also to contractors and philanthropists worldwide, like Richard Branson, Ratan Tata (India), His Highness Karim Agha Khan, and Michael Blauberg.

As we celebrate International Women's Day, Mr. Benjellon needed the help of his family to create this noble work, especially the help of his wife, Dr. Meziane. She spared no effort to pay attention to the collective action and the application of the principles of cooperation and social solidarity that Islam recognizes and the values of Moroccan society. Indeed, "behind every successful man is a woman."

"My thinking goes to Othman Benjelloun as a friend, as well as a wise and experienced man," said Henry Kissinger, a senior American diplomat. "First, it was said that he never had to make his way to the top echelons. One of the most important features in my opinion that one can own is seriousness and the ability to work. We can always find a distinguished person to give us a technical answer, but we can't find a person to rely on even when the circumstances are difficult."

Mr. Benjelloun is a man of a great character. Whenever I sit with him, I see determination and selflessness. In addition to his sharp memory and intelligence, He is very elqoluoent, a brilliant events analyst, and a clever predictor of the future. He is one of the very few who fought the scourge of sustainable development in all aspects, and has a hand in education and human resources.

Besides, Mr. Benjelloun masters evaluation and persuasion. He has a decent and special style of his own when it comes to conversations. He is never offensive or presumptuous, however, gentle and patient when it comes to correcting people.

Mr. Benjelloun lives with thousands of his employees as one family. He is a man of good virtue, who always appreciates and praises his assistants highly, describing them as “men of capability, innovation, and creativity.” It is his way of reminding mankind the reason for their existence on earth is: work, worship, love, do good, and, above all, trust in God.