Fouzia Madhouni (Photo courtesy of Femmes Du Maroc).
In this week’s edition of Arab American Heritage Month, we are going to do something a bit different when we focus on Ms. Fouzia Madhouni. Traditionally, when we acknowledge people during Arab American Heritage Month, it’s because the individual is Arab American and making contributions to the NFL.
However, in this article, we will discuss how Arab culture (Moroccan specifically) embraced American football and the NFL to create change in Morocco and advance the sport globally. A different fusion, if you will, of Arab American culture coming together to create greatness.
Some people may feel this is a stretch of the interpretation of “Arab American Heritage Month.” Those individuals need to encourage greater inclusion of Arab Americans in the NFL because the representation is not there.
Make a difference so that football culture (and American culture) embraces Arab American individuals. Then we will have plenty of individuals to highlight. But remember, if we stuck specifically to a strict interpretation of the month, we would never have discussed Ms. Fouzia Madhouni, and that would have been a huge loss for everyone.
Arab American Heritage Month Hero
Ms. Madhouni is a hero of Arab American Heritage Month and of humanity in general.
In her NFL 360 video, we learn a lot about the American football star in Morocco. Everyone should go watch the clip, but we will summarize a few details.
Fouzia Madhouni’s Life Story
Ms. Fouzia grew up in poverty, based on her local area and peers. Like many other girls, she was not satisfied with the status quo. Her mother, Fatima Baba, really resonated with me. She reminded me of my own mom and the mothers of other girls who raise their daughters to be empowered women, which isn’t always easy.
Her mother would have her wear dresses and shoes out, but Fouzia would change out of them in favor of tracksuits and sneakers (same!). The people in her area were constantly at Fatima Baba’s door, accusing her of being “unable to control” her daughter. Girls don’t play sports in Morocco (and most places).
Off the field, Fouzia felt less than human due to gender roles and restrictions. On the field, she could be herself. She discovered football while in college, when a friend of hers introduced her to American football. In the league she played in, she felt that she was treated more as a sideline cheerleader than an equal participant.
American Female Football in Morocco Was Born
What did Madhouni do about it? She created her own female American football league. They had no balls and practiced on the beach in the beginning. Ms. Fouzia grew her own league from the ground up. That is, until she was derailed by 3rd stage breast cancer. The support her mother and her brother showed her through her fight with cancer was a heartwarmer.
After her battle with cancer, Madhouni couldn’t play football anymore. So instead, she became a coach and entrepreneur and created a female American football academy, “Yes We Can, Morocco.”
The NFL film showcased young girls coming forward and indicating how empowering football is to them, how confident they now feel, and the opportunity to do more. They also expressed their love for the game, something we all can identify with.
Who is Fouzia Madhouni doing it all for? Three people: her mother and the girls in her academy; also, the younger version of herself who didn’t believe she could be where she is today. She always yearns to make that little girl proud. We’re all proud of you, girl!
The NFL and “Yes We Can, Morocco”
The league has sent support to the academy and Ms. Fouzia.
In the video, Madhouni had an NFL-sponsored trip to Super Bowl 56 and the NFL Awards show. The coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (now the Tennessee Titans), Lori Locust, also told Madhouni that the franchise would be paying for football equipment and new uniforms.
Fouzia Madhouni was selected by the U.S. State Department to enter the Global Sports Mentoring Program to represent women’s sports in Morocco through the Empower Women through Sports program. She did her first five-week mentorship program virtually during the pandemic, but since then she has been able to come to America and do things like meet with NFL head honchos in person and work with a NFL team.
The Green Bay Packers are supporting “Yes, We Can, Morocco” by mentoring Fouzia. She was with the Green Bay team watching a game they were playing against the New York Jets, and while there, the franchise also met with the personnel and participated in their football outreach camp. She also visited NFL reps in New York, which helped her develop marketing and business goals for the future.
As of 2022, the organization has expanded, so there are now two “Yes We Can, Morocco” academies for boys and girls. In 10 years, she wants to expand to other Arab countries like Egypt and hopefully further through Africa and the Middle East. She is also hoping to offer a program that will reach Moroccan girls in rural communities, specifically called “She Has Access.”
We can’t wait to see how far Fouzia Madhouni will go in the future.
Make sure to catch the other Arab American Heritage Month 2024 articles here. Check out all of my other work here.
