Our Mission:
Empower her.
Investing in girls, transforming futures.
We give the women and girls of the Atlas Mountains of Morocco the tools to transform their future.
Our Mission
We give the women and girls of the Atlas Mountains of Morocco the tools to transform their future.
By supporting our work, you are investing in their independence and ability to contribute to their families.
Help launch Soumya's Journey Women's Cooperative in the Atlas Mountains - an initiative providing necessary economic opportunities.
This cooperative will equip girls and women with the skills, resources, and fair wages to gain greater independence and financial stability. Your contribution ensures they can earn a livelihood, pursue education, and build a brighter future while contributing to their families' well-being.
Our Founder
A chance encounter with a hiker who came to climb the Atlas Mountains of Morocco changed Soumya’s life forever.
At just 12 years old, Soumya left her home in the Atlas Mountains to live with Dr. Pier Boutin and pursued an education in the U.S., a dream hindered by the limited opportunities for girls in her village. It was through Dr. Boutin that she discovered the limitless potential for women to become doctors, entrepreneurs, or even astronauts. Inspired by these newfound possibilities, Soumya founded this non-profit in 2021 at the age of 17 with an ambitious goal: to build a vocational school for girls back in her beloved village.
Today, Soumya's vision extends beyond education, driven by a passion to empower her fellow women in the mountains.
Our Impact
We're proud of the strides we've already been able to make in educating and uplifting the women of the Atlas Mountains. Our initiatives included delivering 150 lbs of clothes and 100 reusable menstrual kits from the MoonCatcher Project. Soumya personally met with 20 girls and women, distributing the kits while providing education on the considered taboo topic of menstrual health. Then, when a devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck in September 2023, we swiftly raised funds and provided vital supplies and medical care to affected communities in the Atlas Mountains.
For more information about each project, visit the projects page.
600+
Pounds of Goods delivered
We have delivered over 600 pounds of goods to the people of the Atlas Mountains, including clothes, food, medical supplies, and more.
200+
Patients seen
We saw over 200 patients, including those with injuries from the earthquake and pre-existing conditions.
100
menstrual kits delivered
Thanks to our partnership with The MoonCatcher Project, we were able to deliver 100 menstrual kits to the girls and women of Soumya’s village.
Our Projects
Soumya’s Journey has a range of programs to assist the women of the Atlas Mountains, shaped by their evolving needs and direct feedback. Our initiatives include building a trade school to bring education to girls beyond 6th grade, women's health education, providing medical services and supplies, and our latest project, a Women's Cooperative.
The women’s cooperative
Soumya’s Journey’s vision for the Women's Cooperative is to create economic opportunities and entrepreneurship training that foster independence, education, and the potential of women in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. This cooperative will empower these dedicated girls and women to generate sustainable livelihoods by producing and selling high-quality agricultural products crafted from local resources to tourists, as tourism is the main source of income in this region.
The mooncatcher project
We partnered with THE MOONCATCHER PROJECT to help maturing young women in Morocco to understand menstrual and reproductive health. In Soumya’s trip to the Atlas Mountains in the summer of 2023, she distributed 150 pounds of clothes and 100 reusable menstrual kits from the MoonCatcher Project. She personally met with 20 girls and women, providing the kits and educating them on the unspoken topic of menstrual health.
“Since 2011 The MoonCatcher Project has been making reusable, washable menstrual management kits.”
Continued Education for Girls
Soumya's Journey's vision is to create opportunities for women in the Atlas Mountains to play a vital role in the local economy. Our ultimate goal is to build a trade school in the local community where women and girls can learn skills such as accounting, languages, and more, helping them become financially independent.
Atlas mountains earthquake relief
When a devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck in September 2023, Soumya’s Journey swiftly raised funds and provided vital supplies and medical care to affected communities in the Atlas Mountains. In January, Soumya and her mother, Dr. Pier Boutin, took a trip back to the region with 400 pounds of medical supplies, winter clothing, heaters, mattresses, sleeping bags, blankets, and more. Additionally, Dr. Boutin saw over 200 patients with both injuries from the earthquake and pre-existing conditions, with the assistance of Soumya as her translator. While most people in Soumya’s village survived the earthquake, their homes were destroyed, and the Amazigh people began living in tents.
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Soumya Boutin
Give girls and women of the Atlas Mountains the opportunity to develop their potential.
Our Board
Our board is made up of a group of visionaries in various fields who are passionate about creating better lives for the girls and women of the Atlas Mountains.
Get Involved
Soumya’s Journey depends on your generosity to help us achieve our goals. Here are some ways to help our vision become a reality:
Make a Donation
At the moment, your donations will fund a base of operations for Soumya’s Journey and a home for the Cooperative.
Spread the word
Much of our press comes from word-of-mouth, which is a free way to help our mission. Follow us on socials and share with your friends!
Visit
The Atlas Mountains depends on tourism, and the goods that the women will be selling will be available for you to purchase.
Purchase The Little Mo Effect
The Little Mo Effect is a memoir written by board member Dr. Pier Boutin recounting her journey to the Atlas Mountains that brought her to a boy with clubbed feet, Little Mo, and ultimately his older sister, Soumya.