For hundreds of years metalsmith families and guilds have thrived in the Lalla Yeddouna quarter of Fez's old Medina. However, the quarter sits alongside one of the major rivers of Fez -- the source of water for the entire city. As a result, the metal work that employs many Fassi's was in fact contaminating the city's water supply with toxic materials. In 2007, the Millennium Challenge Corporation partnered with the Moroccan Government to revitalize the artisanal community of Fez. One part of this project focused on rebuilding the Lalla Yeddouna quarter. As a result, the local metalworkers were moved to the Ain Nokbi district of Fez where the MCC and the Moroccan government built an environmentally sustainable metalworking center. Today, the center now boasts over 200 rooms designed specifically for metalworkers to ply their trade in a space that is not only beneficial for the environmental health of Fez, but also the health of the individual workers. Shortly after its opening in 2013, the metalworkers at the center established an association to organize all of the workers. Among their goals are to ensure that the metalworkers are not exploited by middlemen and to find more ways to sell their products locally and internationally. With each purchase, you'll not only be helping the members of the association realize their goals, but contribute to environmental health of Fez.