The economic and social problems that Morocco shares with other Third World countries have not deterred its young people from expressing their inventive human genius.
However, this genius does stumbles over some serious difficulties that put a premature brake on the quest of young inventors for innovation.
Hamid Bensharki is one of scores of these Moroccan inventors, whose work is deadlocked by poverty, lack of means and piracy. The lack of interest on the part of the Moroccan authorities and private firms, and the vulnerability of these investors drive them to emigrate to Europe, where they find all care and encouragement, says Hamid.
Hamid's own invention list includes a devise to save 50 percent of water used by toilet flush tanks. The device, which costs $12, can be very useful in Morocco, which is facing a growing water shortage due to drought. Hamid says his invention can save up to 250 million cubic meters of water annually. He also invented an electronic ad board that can display up to six ads at once. The board, totally made in Morocco, is 75 per cent cheaper than imported devices.
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Despite the efforts we make, nobody wants to help benefit the country," says Hamid, who blames Moroccan private firms for not making any steps to encourage invention at a time of ever-growing globalization.
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We cannot face up the tough international competition by investing in real-estate," Says Hamid, alluding to the Moroccan businessmen's traditional preference to pour their money in real-estate rather than taking the risk of embarking into major projects, including new information technologies and invention. Hamid's water-saving item helped him obtained financial assistance from the Moroccan water company (ONEP/state-owned) to participate in an international inventions exhibition, held last year in Casablanca, Morocco's major economic and financial center. This is all he got for his efforts.
Hamid and his likes need more than that. "We need encouragement, strong financial support and especially moral backing," says the young inventor, who is currently facing severe financial problems, like any other jobless.
"It is bad to be a jobless. And it is worse to be a jobless inventor, because all your energy and ideas risk getting killed," he laments.
Hamid even sent a letter to Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi, asking for his help to bring into a being a genuine idea to develop Morocco's rich handicraft using the Internet.
The Young inventor is not very hopeful of getting a positive response. "Life taught me to not to expect much from the officials. But this a step that I had to do before taking another option - to migrate to Europe, where the conditions are more suitable for the genius to blossom," as he put it. — (Albawaba-MEBG)
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
