Awatef Zaoui, Founder of Le Petit Marché Home Furniture
Above: Awatef Zaoui. Image supplied
The woman I’d like to honour is my mother, Rachida.
My mama inspires me because her existence is defined by resilience, grace, and unwavering determination. As an immigrant, she built a life from the ground up, proving that success isn’t about where you start but about the vision and perseverance you bring to the journey. She dreamed big but never labelled it as a dream. To her, it was a goal—not an option. She pursued it with relentless work and sacrifice. Long hours of labour, ambition that knew no limits, physical exhaustion, and an unyielding spirit—every day, she chased that goal without hesitation.
One thing I have learned from her is that true success isn’t just measured in achievements but in the lives we touch and the legacy we leave behind. She taught me that our goals should always serve our family—that is the secret to never giving up and always striving for excellence.
One word I would use to describe her is unstoppable.
A core memory I have with her isn’t just a single moment—it’s her entire life.
But if I had to pick one, I recall my mother wanting a specific painting-like effect for her walls, popular in her home country, Morocco, but unavailable in France. It’s a technique called tadelakt, a textured plaster applied with a spatula—a process that requires precision, patience, and a lot of physical effort.
So, my dear mama did what she always does—she found a way. She brought the raw materials from Morocco by bus, gallons of paste in tow. And every day after work, for a week straight, she put on her apron and battled with the walls. I remember her talking to herself, analysing how to adjust the pressure of her wrist to achieve the perfect visual effect. We were all annoyed by the inconvenience of her impulsiveness—another décor project disrupting our space.
But one stroke at a time, what only she could see in her mind became visible to us. The masterpiece took shape. The tadelakt revealed its grandiose beauty. To this day, it remains, to me, the most precious piece of our interior—a testament to her determination, resilience, and vision. I still look at those walls with admiration—and gourmandise.
Watching her face challenges with quiet strength—whether creating opportunities in a new country, raising a family, or showing me that dignity and ambition go hand in hand—has shaped the way I see the world. She is not just a pillar—she is the foundation, the roof. She is solid and unshakable. She never needed to say much; her actions spoke louder than words.
As women, it is important to lift each other up because when a woman’s ambition is to raise her tribe, there is no ego, no greed—only giving, sharing, and expanding. Every breakthrough, every barrier shattered, and every success story paves the way for the next generation to be better, to serve with more heart, and to care more deeply. Women’s successes carry communities, dignity, and warmth. There is something intangible yet incredibly powerful when a woman rises—she lifts.
My mother lifts. Broken, tired, uncertain, unsupported—she carried the weight twice over and still lifted higher. I have never met a successful woman who didn’t start her story with the urge to lift her tribe. They are warriors—fighting for dignity, with lipstick and mascara, cooking dinner, changing nappies, and paying the bills. They multiply.
She is inspiration. @lepetitmarche.ae
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