Cooperative Sidi Chta Talsanant from Ait Bouguemez, Morocco

Hafida Ait Ydir

Hafida was born in the village of Ait Bouli in 1983, is married to a man of the village in Ait Bouguemez after divorcing her first husband of Ait Bouli. She is the mother of two sons. Hafida is one of the women who encouraged the other women of the village to take up weaving, as she grew up in an artisan family known for their variety of crafts. Hafida wants the women of the village to exhibit their creative artisanal skills. She learned how to weave from her mother as a young girl, and she specializes in Beni Ourain rugs. Hafida hopes that success comes to her cooperative as it has to the nearby ones of the region.

Touda Alaisawi

Touda was born in 1974 Adkaln, is married to Desayed, and has six boys. Touda never had the opportunity to attend school because in her childhood, none of the kids of her village attended school, especially the girls. Touda has always been passionate about weaving and learned her skills from her aunt when she was a young girl, specializing in Hanbel rugs. She hopes that the coop allows women of the village to, with courage, show their hard work and artisanal skills.

Fatima Wakriaa

Fatima was born in 1982 in Ait Hakim, is married to a man from the village and is the mother of two boys. Fatima never had the opportunity to attend school because her father did not allow it, but rather help her mother with household duties, teaching that it was only boys who could go to school not girls. Fatima feels unlucky that she never had this opportunity to gain an education. She wants to be a part of the coop so that she can earn a sustainable income to support her children's education. Fatima learned how to weave from her mother, when she was a young girl, learning how to weave all types of rugs. She hopes that she can improve her products and that one day they will be known in worldwide markets.

Fatima Bouhkiy

Fatima was born in 1946 in Taslant, where she married and became a mother to seven boys. Fatima never had the opportunity to attend school, and has been a weaver since she was a young girl, learning from her mother. She is one of the first women to encourage the rest of the women to create the coop. Fatima hopes that the coop can grow and develop and allow the women to show their products in world markets.

Aaicha Aziyni

Aaicha was born in 1956 in village called Aros. She is married, and is the mother to five boys. Her husband passed away and thus it is her responsibility to support her family. Aaicha has never had the opportunity to attend school, and learned the skills of weaving at a young age from her mother. She loves the idea of the coop and hopes that she will be able to benefit from it.

Nadiy Jamali

Nadiy is the youngest member of the cooperative, born in 1996 in Talsnant, having studied until the sixth grade. Nadiy could not finish her studies because her older brother prevented her from attending school. Also because the secondary school is far from her village, it was even more difficult to attend. Nadiy was the first girl in Ait Bouguemez who learned the skills of being a hairdresser and one day hopes to own her own shop. Nadiy is disappointed that the village prevents her from becoming a hairdresser there but hopes to one day own her own shop in the city of Azilal, and encourages the other women of the village to be part of the coop to improve their skills in weaving. Nadiy learned how to weave from her mother when she was a young girl, and hopes that success comes to the coop and the village.

Hasisi Aaicha

Hasisi is from Ait Abess, having moved to Tasltant searching for work when she was 40 years old. She is the mother of 4 boys who are all attending school. She hopes that having moved to a new place, her boys will be able to have a good future. In her village, the idea of learning and going to school was not even a question - no one did it. She is grateful that her children can pursue and education in Tasalnant. Hasisi learned weaving recently from one of her family members that lives here. She loves that there is a coop and hopes to be able to earn a sustainable income to support her children's education. She hopes that her work will one day be known by all the world.

Malika Ousou

Malika was born in Agouti in 1979, is widowed, and is the mother of four children. Malika feels that she had a good life before her husband died, but when he became terminally ill, her life turned upside down. She is raising her children and helping to support them through school on her own. Malika is a member of the coop to be able to earn sustainable income to help her children have a future that they want. She learned the skills of weaving from her mother when she was a young girl, and specializes in carpets, and hopes that she will be able to sell her products more and more often. Ultimately she hopes that all of the women of the village benefit from the cooperative.

Aala Aaicha

Aala was born in Ait Hakim in 1986, is married to a man in the local village, has four children and has never had the opportunity to attend school and neither have her children because of her level of poverty. Aala learned weaving from her mother when she was a young girl, specializing in carpets. She hopes to learn more and benefit financially from the cooperative so that she can send her children to school.

Fatima Aadi

Fatima Aadi was born in 1968 in the Timit village. Fatima is married to a man from the local village, is the mother of five children and never had the opportunity to attend school because her father died in her childhood and she had to help support the household. She learned weaving from the women of the village at a young age, specializing in hadiras, or decorative blankets. Fatima loves that the coop exists, as it has the potentially to bring a good and improved future to the women of the village. She hopes that it will be as successful as the other associations in the region.

Touda Alaatawi

Touda was born in 1969, is married to a man from the local region and is the mother of four children. She loves that there is a cooperative in her village, and learned weaving from her neighbor when she was a young girl, as her mother passed away during her childhood. Because of the death of her mother, she was not able to attend school and had to attend to household duties. Touda specializes in Boucherouite rugs, and hopes to be able to sell more products in the foreseeable future so that she and other women of the village can benefit.