Hanbel Lil Rug

Afous Ghoufous, or hand in hand, is a powerful saying in the Amazigh language in Morocco that signifies the solidarity of the Amazigh people. Fadma Mohsine, a weaver from a village outside of the city of Ouarzazate, is a living example of Afous Gafous. At the age of 15, Fadma unexpectedly became partially disabled in her extremities. Despite what many would consider a setback, she decided to continue learning how to weave from her mom. Fadma then combined what many villagers describe as her 'stunning intellect' with her weaving ability to create new and innovative designs using natural dyes -- the first in her village to do so. Despite Fadma's success as a weave, she still saw that many women in her village still struggled to develop their weaving craft and become financially independent. As such, she began teaching a group of women in her village how to weave which in 2009 would become what is now known as Association Afous Gafous. Today, Fadma provides mentorship to 15 women of the association. Hand in hand, the women have overcome many barriers to successfully grow their cooperative and hope that their sales will enable them to make a wider impact on all the women in her village.