Beni Ourain Rug

Halima Aissaoui

Halima Aissaoui from Moulide was born in 1976 and later relocated to Khenifra. Halima is a widow and has three children. Halima completed the third grade and then went on to learn the art of weaving from her mother and through vocational training. Halima joined the cooperative in order to make money to manage the expenses of her home and her children.

Hayat Ousbigh

Hayat was born in 1985, she is married and has two children. Hayat studied in Khenifra and then her family relocated to Agadir for her parents work. While in Agadir her studies stopped because she struggled with the local dialect that was different from her own. Growing up she was exposed to weaving as those in her family were weavers but she didn’t want anything to do with it. Hayat describes how time went on and her idea of weaving changed. Over the years she taught herself how to make rugs and pillowcases, she describes having different ideas and putting them into her work. Hayat joined the cooperative as a way to help her family.

Zhour Ousbigh

Zhour was born in 1965, she is married and has four children. Zhour did not study as a child but attended literacy classes at the mosque as an adult. She learned to weave at home from her mother. As a member of the cooperative she hopes to use her earnings to buy a house.

Rachida Ousbigh

Rachiha was born in 1988 in Khenifra, she has two brothers and one sister. She has the equivalent of an eleventh grade education. When she decided to stop her studies she pursued her creative endeavors via jewelry making. She started her work with the Women's Cooperative of Khenifra in 2008, making handmade jellaba button jewelry. In Rachida’s words, her work as an artisan has opened up doors to the world. Rachida has worked closely with various Peace Corps Volunteers through the years and has had the opportunity to travel twice to the United States to participate in international arts festivals. Rachida started working as an Anou artisan leader in August of 2017 and during her time with Anou the seeds for Cooperative Tiglmamin were planted. Rachida is the current president of the cooperative and the beating heart of this family group. Rachida hopes to increase the opportunities not only for herself but for her cooperative through weaving. She would like to share the products and traditions from their region with people around the world.

Mlouda Amrous

Mlouda is 52 years old, she is married and the mother for four children. Mlouda did not attend school but learned the craft of weaving from her mother and grandmother which gave birth to a love of weaving. The craft disappeared for a number of years and was not a viable way to make a living. With the start of her family’s cooperative she has the opportunity to work, create and share this traditional industry both nationally and internationally.