In a remote village in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, where every girl’s dreams are shattered by the rugged terrain and unpaved roads, the idea of the cooperative “Achkid Ouin” was born in the mind of Hasna, a young woman in her twenties who encountered significant difficulties in learning to sew due to the remoteness of training centers and the high costs of transport.
After two years of ambition and perseverance, Hasna was able to master the craft and graduated with honors in sewing. But she thought, “I am suffering alone when I can make life easier for the other girls in the village?” This is how the idea of creating Cooperative Achkid Awin Alkhiyat, a women’s cooperative was born.
In the winter of 2023, Hasna met a group of girls and came up with the following idea: “Let’s work together, learn and earn a living with our own hands instead of relying on help.” The idea was well received by everyone and they started to implement it despite the lack of sewing machines.
The group started with a second-hand machine and a traditional manual loom. After six months of hard work, the cooperative produced its first batch of traditional products, which allowed them to participate in regional and national exhibitions and gave them hope to continue together.
The cooperative received support from a local association that provided three new sewing machines. Families began sending their daughters to learn sewing after seeing the encouraging results. Today, the Ashked Awin cooperative has become a model of empowerment of strong women, providing a source of income for 12 women and girls in the village, in addition to serving as a center for teaching sewing and handicrafts without the need to travel long and difficult distances.
“The greatest pride is to see girls convinced that they can create their own future, point by point,” said Hasna. “I see the future as a dream come true. We hope to create a larger training center to develop products that reach national and international markets and to train 50 more girls in the next two years.”
This story demonstrates the importance of turning an individual idea into a successful group project, proves that challenges are not an obstacle to strong willpower, and gives hope to girls in remote villages.
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