Once a 13-year-old migrant in Italy, Moroccan entrepreneur returns to his former home to hire young people
Arriving alone in Italy at 13, Momo found refuge at a facility where he learned gardening. Now a business owner, the Moroccan returns to see his former caregivers when he is looking to hire young people.
In Milan, Momo is first taken to the carabinieri. All the facilities contacted are full that evening. He is eventually referred to Asilo Mariuccia, a home for unaccompanied minors in Porto Valtravaglia, near Lake Maggiore.
The eldest of seven children, he left Morocco to help his family. His first days in Italy are disorienting. When he is served pasta with tomato sauce, he discovers a dish he has never tried before. He even has to learn how to use a fork.
“The caregivers presented themselves as parents,” he recounts in a testimonial published in May 2026 by the Italian magazine LION. The home sets his schedule, supports him in his schooling and introduces him to work.
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Momo chooses gardening. At 18, he leaves the facility and becomes an employee of a company. In 2019, he decides to go into business for himself. Based in Castelveccana, his company maintains gardens, plants greenery and creates landscaped spaces.
Italian public broadcaster Rai had already featured him in a report in March 2024. Married and the father of three daughters, Momo has also obtained Italian citizenship.
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He has never lost touch with Asilo Mariuccia. When he needs an employee, he returns to his former home and asks the caregivers to introduce him to a young person who might work with him. Those who welcomed him at 13 are now the people he turns to when hiring.
