“Some people work incredibly hard yet still struggle to support themselves and their family.”

Astrid has been working with Enabel in Morocco for over a year now. Her work focuses on Decent Work, promoting rights based, fair and secure working conditions for everyone. Together with her colleagues, she works to ensure that every Enabel project in Morocco incorporates this “decent work” perspective. “I’m passionate about improving employment opportunities and working conditions, especially for young people, women, and vulnerable groups. The Morocco-Belgium bilateral cooperation programme aims to do exactly that.”

Astrid studied social anthropology and international law in the UK and in the US. Prior to her participation in the Junior Programme she worked in Switzerland and France and today, she’s been working for over a year in Morocco, with Enabel on the topic of Decent Work. Dive with us into her professional and personal life as a Junior Expert in Rabat.

What is your job exactly about?

I work as part of the bilateral cooperation programme between Morocco and Belgium (2024–2029) “Maroc Horizons Emploi”. The bilateral cooperation programme contributes to inclusive and sustainable socio‑economic resilience in Morocco. Enabel works in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills and other institutional and local partners. We focus on youth, women and vulnerable populations in the Oriental and High‑Atlas regions. Our activities include vocational training, entrepreneurship support, and access to decent employment.

My role focusing on decent work is a transversal role, meaning that I support colleagues across regions and across projects: Rabat/Casablanca, Oriental region, High‑Atlas region. Two key aspects of my job are capacity building on the Decent Work Agenda and supporting teams with program activities with a focus on decent work.

Can you explain what Decent Work means?

Throughout my experience in multiple countries I’ve encountered people that are working very hard, but they still don’t earn enough or have access to certain rights that would guarantee a decent living standard to support their family. In short, Decent Work means not only having a job but having a quality job that provides a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection, in line with SDG 8.

How has it been so far, living in a new country and city, adjusting to a new work environment?

It has been a great first year. The way of living and working is different than what I had experienced before, but when the adjustment phase was over and when I felt like I had learned more about cultural norms in Morocco, I felt very at home. The colleagues have been very welcoming from the start which helped me to get integrated in the team quickly.

Where do you observe different cultural norms?

I was fortunate to know Morocco on a personal level given that my husband is Moroccan. I visited his family multiple times, but I had never lived and worked in Morocco. This meant that I still had to adjust to the way things work here. For example, you don’t dive directly into work when you have a meeting, you first ask how the person is doing, you are genuinely interested in the human behind the professional in front of you.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

In the morning I usually have work meetings with programme partners and colleagues, after that I could be analysing new content to be added to the Decent Work Toolbox, and in the afternoon I could be evaluating a tender or delivering an induction session on Decent Work to a new colleague joining Enabel, or one of the partners we work with as part of the Morocco-Belgium bilateral cooperation programme.

Can you explain what the Decent Work Toolbox is?

It’s a website which has been developed by Enabel in collaboration with HIVA/KU Leuven. It contains practical tools and inspiration for promoting and measuring decent work worldwide including in fragile, low-income and high-informality contexts. With a collection of best practices, research findings and e-learnings, it’s an excellent source of information open to everyone.

Are you proud of something specific you contributed to?

The work that we do is all collaborative and I am proud to be part of the team, working with competent colleagues and partners. I would like to mention some highlights from the past year: I visited our field offices in Oujda and in Marrakech, it was a real pleasure to engage with my colleagues in person and see the important work they do.

In addition, I had the pleasure of attending important work-related events in the field of decent work like the 6th global conference on the elimination of child labour held in Marrakech in February 2026. I also participated in a training on social dialogue organised by the ILO, it was really enriching.

Overall, I like my role and I really enjoy working with colleagues from different countries. For example, at the moment I am working with Enabel colleagues in Uganda and DR Congo on a decent work e-learning and other materials that will in the future be published online by Enabel for partners and experts interested in the topic of Decent Work.

How did you know the Junior Programme?

A few years back, my friend Chloé worked as a Junior Expert in Senegal. When I saw that she reposted a Junior Programme job advertisement on Linkedin in 2024, I immediately remembered her previous inspiring journey. The Junior Programme, while entry-level, offered the chance to collaborate directly with colleagues and partners in Morocco while being part of a global network of junior experts. As I was seeking a role in international cooperation and my husband had a job opportunity in Morocco, it truly felt like the stars aligned.

What do you enjoy most in Rabat?

Life is Rabat is very agreeable! The weather is not too hot and not too cold, the people are warm and hospitable and the food is delicious. I eat a lot of Moroccan cuisine at home and outside. Msemen and Couscous are my favourites! Since Rabat is a coastal town, I can walk my dog Milo on the beach regularly. Another favourite activity is getting lost in the old medina of Rabat and enjoying mint tea in the Oudayas.