Association Zaouia · Sidi Yahya Ou Youssef
WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES
SIZE
1m 88cm x 1m x 1cm — 6ft 2in x 3ft 3in x 1in
WEIGHT
6645 g
MATERIALS
Cotton Thread and Wool
PRODUCT ID
#3478
The Beni-Ourain rug is used daily in the lives of local Moroccans. They are used for everything from bed covers to simple living room rugs. They can also be used for special occasions, like weddings. It is said that the women transfer their feelings into these rugs while crafting them.
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MEET THE MAKERS
Fatema Amlih
Fatema is a native of Sidi Yahya Ou Youssef. She has two sons and a daughter. Before getting married she moved with her sister to another village for a few months, where she learned how to weave from other young women. When she moved back to her village, to start her own family, she continued to weave to decorate her home and make warm clothes for her kids. She makes Handira rugs, which the women of Zaouia are known for. This is Fatemaβs first time weaving for a commercial purpose. She decided to join the association in 2012, when she heard about Anou and the opportunity it gave the local weavers in her village. With almost no income at all, Fatema has a hard time paying for her diabetes medicine. She hopes that her weaving skills will allow her to comfortably pay for her medicine, as well as get her own place where she can live with her husband and kids.
Khadija Oukhouya
Khadija was born in a small village Sidi Aheya Youssifi. She is married and is a mother to four children. She has been weaving from a young age and is very skilled in making rugs, Hanbal, and Handira. Khadija enjoys traveling to Kenfira. She hopes to earn enough money from the association to build her family a house.
VISIT THE VILLAGE
Association Zaouia hosts visitors in their village — share tea, watch the artisans at work, and see the craft up close. Visits start at $17 per person, and most of it goes straight to the group.
Sidi Yahya Ou Youssef, Morocco · about 4 hours from Fez