Blog

My Berber hostess Zaina insists I return for a visit to a cooperative in a remote mountain village followed by lunch at her house for couscous, a...

We start the day at the fish market where we pick out 8 pounds of various fish to bring to Zaina to cook for us. I thought we would just grab ...

I read recently that your signature tells a lot about who you are as a person. If your signature slants upward, then you are an optimistic perso...

Most women of the argan cooperatives are illiterate and some are just learning to write their names through literacy programs provided by the coop...

All of the women have been prepared for my visit and it is obvious that Zahra Aziz has draped herself in her finest fabric in honor of my arrival. ...

Fatima, who has two children she is raising on her own, has worked at the cooperative for 9 years. When I ask about her life, she tells me that sh...

Aarbia claims to be 70, but doesn’t know her age exactly. With no children of her own, Aarbia has adopted her 30 year old niece so that she has so...

Ija is one of the senior members of the cooperative at 80 years old. She has worked at the cooperative since it was founded 11 years ago. While he...

Taarabt Benfenzi has worked almost 9 years at the cooperative, an obvious source of pride for her. Like many of the women, Taarabt’s husband is wi...

Zahra, whose name means flower in Arabic, is a 61 year old widow with 7 children, one of which is physically handicapped. The money Zahra earns wo...

Fatima is married with 2 children. She tells me that her husband is a very good man, very supportive of her and proud of her for working in the co...

60-year old Zaima has worked at the co-op for 6 years. Zaima’s husband works on others’ farms as a hired hand, but, because there is no work for hi...