Imelghas Women's Cooperative from Ait Bouguemez, Morocco

In their own words

The Women's Cooperative of Imghlaus can be found on the hillside above the village of Imghlaus in the Ait Bougamez valley, 200 kilometers from Marrakech. In 2011, the women of Imghlaus wanted to find ways to earn additional money out side of their daily work in the fields. Fatima Ouakhoum, a leader with a eye for design, helped to organize the women to create the cooperative.

The women decided that they would only succeed if they all worked together. Accordingly, each sale the cooperative makes is distributed evenly amongst its members. While the cooperative focuses on multiple types of carpets, all of them are made from 100% natural wool and dyes.

6 Members

340 Pieces listed

#16 On-time delivery

#16 Custom orders

Ranked against every artisan group with custom orders on Anou in the last 12 months — how close finished pieces land to the date the group quoted (25 groups ranked), and how closely finished pieces match the size ordered (24 groups ranked).

The people behind every piece

Malika Hdoudi

Malika is an Imghlaus village native and has worked in the cooperative since the day it was founded. She specializes in hanbal carpets and helps with the day-to-day operations of the cooperative. She hopes with the sales of her carpet she'll be able to make enough and take a vacation to a famous Moroccan city!

Fatima Yidri

Fatima was born in Imghlaus and has lived in the village her entire life. Fatima is one the cooperative's members who has never married and considers the members of the cooperative as her family. She learned how to weave when she was child and has since become an expert weaving hanbal carpets. When she is not working at the cooperative, she can be found working in the fields or tending her cows.

Fatima Adoudi

Fatima was born in the Ait Bougamez valley just north of where the Imghlaus cooperative is located. She and her husband, a farmer, have five children and 11 grand children, some of whom also work in the cooperative. Fatima has worked in the cooperative since it began and specializes in washing and preparing the wool for each carpet. When Fatima is not working at the cooperative, she can be found working in the fields or completing chores at her house. She hopes that through the sales of her carpets, the cooperative will succeed in its mission of improving the lives of women in Imghlaus.

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