Fatima was born and raised in Ait Yahya Oualla. Fatima never received a formal education. As a child she learned how to weave from her mother. After giving birth to her second daughter she stopped weaving. The responsibilities of taking care of her husband and daughter became too much. Years later she started to take up sewing and received a diploma in sewing and weaving. In 2019, Fatima helped start the very first sewing and weaving cooperative in her village, Arkhbil Sewing and Weaving Cooperative. Fatima’s confidence grows daily from the leadership opportunities provided by the cooperative. The sale of her products helps her family tremendously.

Rkiya is 63 years old. She is originally from Itzer, she moved to Ait Yahya Oualla once she got married. Like many women her age she is not formally educated and spent most of her days learning how to weave from her mother. After giving birth to her two children she stopped weaving. She no longer had the energy to keep up with household work and taking care of the kids. It wasn’t until she joined Arkhbil Sewing and Weaving Cooperative that she found renewed energy. In the early morning you can hear the sounds of Rkiya pounding away at the loom. She is the first one to arrive at the cooperative and the last one to leave. Selling her products keeps Rkiya energized and excited about weaving.

Touda is our oldest weaver at age 82. Everyday she wakes up at 4am to get her morning chores out of the way before she heads off to the cooperative. Touda learned how to weave when she was a little girl and has loved it ever since. You can see the love she has for weaving beaming through her when she works. Her whole body bounces with joy when she sits in front of a loom as she pounds away at her rug. Touda is a recently divorced woman with seven adult children. She lives in the village with her youngest son. Selling her products keeps Touda bouncing around with joy and is a critical source of income since she is now divorced.