The cooperative, an unexpected encounter!

WHAT A NICE MEETING!

Behind the vegetable oils (argan and nigella), the soaps (argan and nigella) and the rhassoul offered on my window hide the faces and lives of committed, courageous, hardworking, beautiful and smiling Amazigh women .

I went to meet them last June during my journey in the South-West of Morocco in search of natural products to offer you. On the road that leads to Essaouira, I discovered these women a little by chance, a bit like one discovers a hidden treasure, at the bend of deserted, winding, dusty roads and breathtaking landscapes. After improbable detours, they were there, at the end of the road, beautiful and proud at the same time.

During this confinement I surprised myself to remember these beautiful memories and these beautiful encounters that I wish to share with you through these images that immortalize this moment.

THE WORKSHOP

Sitting cross-legged, conscientiously repeating ancestral gestures , to the rhythm of almond crushing resounding like drums in the patio, in search of the best of each oilseed in a coordinated ballet amidst a palette of shimmering colors and intoxicating scents. The heavy sunny silence outside was broken by the sound of their work and interspersed with their laughter and their songs, witnesses of the heart put to work. With speed and dexterity, bucket of their know-how learned by the sweat of their brow and the wounds of their hands, they prepared the production of the day to support their cooperative.

THE COOPERATIVE, A PLACE OF LIFE

For these women, the cooperative represents hope for a better future. Working in the cooperative allows them to emancipate themselves and afford better living conditions with the assurance of a regular income. The cooperative also has a social role for these women who benefit from literacy classes and free medical care. So that each woman, including those with children, can access work, the cooperative provides childcare on site thanks to the development of a kindergarten.

It is also a living space where there is a warm atmosphere and a lot of solidarity. Karima, my first contact, pointed out to me that “This place is a space where they share their joy and their problems. The women give themselves up and are in solidarity with each other”.

Where yesterday they were isolated from each other, the cooperative has enabled socialization, it is a space for sharing and a haven of humanity. Some women told me that they had more self-confidence and that they had gained self-esteem since joining the cooperative.

Beyond a “livelihood”, the cooperative is a vector of emancipation, independence , recognition and affirmation .

Solidarity and sharing are the foundations of the cooperative. Thus, the meal is an important moment that these women prepare in turn, as evidenced by the sweet scents escaping from the majmar - Moroccan terracotta barbecues. Moment of rest, sharing and exchange after work.

As you will have understood, these women are admirable both for their work and their know-how . I am happy to have lived this beautiful experience of a day with these women whose smile when I left meant “it's only a goodbye, we'll see each other again” . I am also proud, thanks to you, to participate modestly in the life project of these women.

I look forward to seeing them again to exchange, share and laugh with them as during our first meeting. It is thanks to these women that I can offer you argan and nigella oils and soaps that are fair and produced in a reasoned way.