A Big Shout Out to the Adwal Cooperative Representing Ahermoumou

Adwal Coop @ Fes Expo

Last July a couple of amazing ladies from the Adwal Cooperative traveled from Ahermoumou, Morocco, (a.k.a Ribat l-Kheir) to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to participate in the 2012 Santa Fe International Folk Art Market (SFIFAM).  Because I was Spain at the time, I was unable to attend the market, to greet both Fatima and Hind, or to buy any of their products, but I sent a lot of baraka (blessings/luck) their way.  Given SFIFAM's success in raising awareness about their mission, I am confident the cooperative did well in terms of sales and I am certain that both ladies learned a great deal from the business training workshops that the market provides.

Amina Yabis @ Fes Expo

Three years ago I remember helping Mrs. Amina Yabis, the Cherry Buttons Cooperative's president, apply for one of the coveted spots for the 2010 market.  I was a bit nervous translating and writing it out because I knew that a lot was at stake.  A trip to the market would mean that the cooperative would be able to sell their product at a venue that would value their hard work and masterful artistry.  Higher profits would translate to much-needed capital, which is tough to come by in Morocco, and that capital would most likely turn into further investments into the cooperative.  In the case of the Cherry Buttons Coop, that was exactly the case.  Thanks to SFIFAM's ability to bring buyers in direct contact with the coop, the profits from the sale of their great products led to the purchase of more equipment and raw materials and to the construction of their own workshop.

As you can imagine, I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the coop was admitted, and I rejoiced with them when they were finally able to leave the cramped confines of their old leased-out workshop for their new and more spacious home.  SFIFAM's impact can be truly life-changing for the artisans and the community that supports them.  You can read more stories about the SFIFAM impact on their website.    

Getting back to Fatima, Hind, and the Adwal Cooperative, I met both ladies back when I started my Peace Corps tour in 2008 and visited the cooperative on occasion.  Ahermoumou, as the locals call it, was about an hour ride on a small transit van going straight east from Sefrou.  The town itself is pretty ordinary with your typical ville-nouvelle box-like apartment buildings with cafes, bakeries, and hanuts, but the scenery surrounding the small town is absolutely breathtaking.  The town sits on the edge of a plateau where to the north you can see all sorts of farms and sheep grazing on a flat plain extending as far as the eye could see and to the south you drop into a huge valley  lined with rows upon rows of olive trees and farms extending to the edge of a towering Middle Atlas mountain ridge.

Ahermoumou Zlul Valley before the winter rains

Ahermoumou Zlul Valley after the rains

Every time I visited I'd walk over to visit the coop whose building was resting right on the edge of the plateau.  After visiting the coop, I'd spend several minutes staring out into that huge valley trying to capture everything.  I could talk about the valley forever, but this entry is about the Adwal Coop who I'm sure draws inspiration from the scenery that surrounds them, the history of the Amazigh tradition, and the people that make up the community.

Fatima, Hind, and the rest of the cooperative were extremely eager and hungry for opportunities.  Luckily, they got an exceptional volunteer named Lynn Dines, who did everything she could to get the word out about the fabulous handmade textile products they were making and to improve the quality of their products.  Even after Peace Corps service, Lynn continued to collaborate with the coop.

Fatima, Lynn, and me @ 2011 Smithsonian Folklike Festival

Last summer, Fatima took a trip to the U.S. to participate in the 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.  Fatima was part of a group of different artisans from different countries where the Peace Corps has a variety of development projects.  I was fortunate to run into her and Lynn during their visit to DC, and I even got to eat, backstage, some of the homemade couscous Fatima had made as part of her cooking demonstration--that's right, in some circles I get VIP treatment.

So upon hearing that the Adwal Coop would be headed to SFIFAM, I was extremely happy to hear the news.  My hope is that with the gains and contacts they've made that they'll be able to continue to expand their business and in turn help more women acquire a trade that will hopefully help them generate more income for themselves and for the home.

Not only will the town benefit economically, but the sale of their products promotes the preservation of their rich cultural Amazigh heritage.  Recognition and exposure are what a lot of the artisans need.  I am happy that the Adwal Coop was able to get some of that through SFIFAM and through Lynn's efforts.  I applaud all of them for their great work.  Keep it up and I'll continue to send more baraka all yall's ways!!!

----

Just recently I saw a post on SCORE OC about Fatima and Hind's visit to that great small business resource center.  Here's a link to that story if you'd like to learn more about the coop and their post-market travels: http://scoreoc.org/2012/08/03/weaving-success/

*********************************************************************************

----This is a side note deviating from the shout out, but I do have to mention another memory that I have of the town.  Ahermoumou has perhaps one of the biggest souqs (open air produce and flee market) in the region.  People come from the valley, down from the mountains, and the nearby plains to buy and sell all sorts of goods.  Everyone is yelling prices, sheep and goats are bleating, roosters are crowing, chabbi music is blaring, and produce trucks are honking at all times trying to clear a path from the mass of people congregated there.  It's hectic to say the least.

The souq itself is pretty impressive, but out of all the commotion, one character stood out.  This guy had a piece of plywood sitting on some cinder blocks with a huge pile of peanuts spread out over his makeshift table.  What was peculiar was that along with the makeshift table he also had tied a loudspeaker to the top of a wooden pole and had extended the microphone cable to a makeshift headset that he would then use to announce that he had the best peanuts around.

He would broadcast the prices constantly like an auctioneer, every time he made a sale even if it was just a couple of dirham he would announce it, he'd have conversations with his customers on the speaker as well, he would haggle passersby and make wise-cracks publicly, and this went on from early morning until noon nonstop.  It was comical to hear the darija word for peanuts repeatedly, kau-kau.  He'd be yelling out prices in ryals too: rb3in(40) ryal kau kau, miyat (100) ryal kau kau, kau kau ashreen (20), etc.  Basically, every phrase would either start or end with kau kau.  The dude was a character.  If I happen to visit Ahermoumou again, I will try to see if the peanut vendor is there just so I can be part of his routine once again.