Continuing our recent theme of shopping, tipping and travelling safely in Morocco, today's episode features the Akhnif Glaoui Carpet Co-Operative, located just south of Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate, about 150 miles south of Marrakech.
Azdean visited this wonderful, genuine boutique back in June of this year, during the summer trip to Morocco, while on the Southern Morocco tour. It was here where he met Sarah, host and guide of the facility, who gave Azdean and family a tour and showed them the incredible weaving and rugmaking that is done there, all by women.
This Women's Co-op is groundbreaking, and crucially important not just to the local economy, but to women's recognition and self-sufficiency. Instead of relying on others, typically men, to sell their detailed and complex creations, products of hours of hard work and labour (which are then often resold at even higher prices, for which the women don't see an extra dime) - at the co-op, each weaver has a say in the price and value of their rug, and when it's sold they get a very generous and appropriate percentage.
Imran and Azdean sat down with Sarah to learn about her story and what brought her back to Aït Benhaddou, now working to showcase the co-op and its efforts, as well as teaching the women some English!
Sarah explains the shopping experience there, which puts an emphasis on removing the stress and pressure to buy that you typically find elsewhere. At Akhnif Glaoui, you are free to browse, learn about rugs and carpets, and perhaps even order one later from back home, once you've made the correct measurements in your house.
It's a breath of fresh air when it comes to shopping in Morocco, which you'll appreciate after our last episode on Tipping in Morocco, and our November Live Q&A, which talked about safety and security, especially while shopping. It is refreshing to find a place that allows you to really appreciate the craft and work that goes into these unique, individual creations.
The Akhnif Glaoui has a bright future and we are pleased to support them and send our guests their way.
Speaking of which, we are offering 30% off any of our Destination Morocco tours when reserved by Cyber Monday, November 27. Your travel date can be any time in the next year, or even later!
Simply visit our website, destinationsmorocco.com, and mention the code "30% podcast" in the comments section when you request either one of our standard 8 or 9 day tours, or your own custom-built tour.
We'll have many more special offers and exciting options coming up in the new year, including more themed tours, private itineraries and small group tours. So stay tuned to the podcast and our social media accounts!
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Welcome to the Destination Morocco podcast, the show that takes you away to the beautiful country of Morocco. I am your host, Azdean Elmoustaquim. In each episode, we explore Moroccan culture, history, attractions and activities real and practical information coming from experienced travelers and native Moroccans like myself. And now let's go exploring, continuing our recent theme of shopping, tipping and traveling safe in Morocco. Today's episode features the , located just south of Aït Benhaddou, about 150 miles south of Marrakech. We visited this wonderful, genuine boutique back in June of this year during our summer trip to Morocco, while we were on our southern Morocco tour. It was here where we met Sarah, host and guide of the facility, who gave us a tour and showed us the incredible weaving and rug making that is done there, all by women. This women's co-op is groundbreaking and crucially important, not just to the local economy, but to women's recognition and self-sufficiency. Instead of relying on others, typically men, to sell their detailed and complex creations, products of hours of hard work and labor, which are then often resold at even higher prices, which the women don't see extra dime At this co-op, each weaver has a say in the price and value of their rug and when it's sold, they get a very generous and appropriate percentage. Emran and I sat down with Sarah to learn about her story and what brought her back to Aït Benhaddou, now working to showcase the co-op and its efforts. As well as teaching the women some English, sarah discusses her journey from pursuing her degree in English studies in Marrakesh to become a school teacher and then finding the fulfillment in working with the co-operative. She sheds light on the co-op's special impact, especially on helping women becoming financially independent. She also explained to us the shopping experience there, which puts an emphasis on removing the stress and pressure to buy that you typically find elsewhere. At Akhnif Glaoui, you are free to browse, learn about rugs and carpets and perhaps even order one later from back home. Once you have made the correct measurements in your house, reliableship in covered by insurance is handled by them, giving you a peace of mind and flexibility. It is a breath of fresh air when it comes to shopping in Morocco, which you will appreciate after our last episode on tipping and shopping in Morocco and our November Live Q&A, which we talked about safety and security. Especially while shopping in Morocco, it is refreshing to find a place that allows you to really appreciate the craft and work that goes into these unique, individual creations. We also touched on the importance of educating current and future generations in the art of rag weaving to keep the scale alive. Akhnif Glaoui has a bright future and we are pleased to support them and send our guests their way. Speaking of which, if you are listening to this episode, soon after its release we are offering 3% off for any of our destination Morocco tours when reserved by Cyber Monday, and that is November 27th. So if you reserve between now and Cyber Monday, you can apply that 30%. So Cyber Monday 11.59pm that's where the deal will end. So your travel date can be any time this year, next year or even later. But to thank you for your support of the podcast and our effort to showcase Morocco, we are offering this special deal simply by visiting our website, destinations moroccocom that's destinations morocco with an Scom, and then mention the code 30% podcast in the comment when you are making an inquiry or your booking or setting up your appointment. And don't worry, we'll have many more special offers and exciting options coming up in the new year, including more themed tours, private itineraries and small group tours. So stay tuned to the podcast and our social media accounts to hear more. Now come with me over the Yatras Mountains, down through the valley, past Aït Benhaddou, where you will find a source of today's remarkable, uplifting conversation. Enjoy this episode and thank you so much for joining us today. Good afternoon, welcome back to another amazing episode of Destination Morocco podcast. We are in Aït Benhaddou, we are right in the middle of women's cooperative and we have today Sarah, and she's going to be explaining to us everything that needs to be known about the co-op, about the carpets.
SARAH:Sarah, welcome to Destination Morocco podcast Nice to meet you, sir. It's our pleasure to have you here today.
AZDEAN:Thank you so much. Would you please tell us, and tell the audience, what's your story?
SARAH:So I'm a very normal girl like all the girls here. I finished my studies here and then we don't have like a university, so you need to travel to another city to study. So I went to Marrakech and finished my studies there for three years bachelor degree in English studies and after that I had an experience of teaching.
IMRAN:Oh, wow.
SARAH:Alright, I was teaching pupils from 6 to 12.
AZDEAN:6 to 12, okay.
SARAH:Yeah, but I struggle a lot. It's fine, but I decided to come home and I found this kingdom here. I am very happy and glad. I appreciate that they give me this opportunity to speak about these women. Absolutely yeah so before, like they have men to speak about them, I mean they have like products but before they were men speaking about the ladies.
AZDEAN:But now I know exactly what you're saying.
SARAH:Of course yes.
AZDEAN:That's really, really important. So, basically, there's no better way to express Women's, then, than a woman, in terms of everything that they do here and convey their message True to tourists, to the public, to the buyers from all over the world. So we are very grateful, extremely fortunate to work with you and the feedback that we get is just beyond Incredible, and thank you so much for your hard work and for the ladies hard work and I mean it's just incredible. So I'm very fortunate today to be here. It took me four years to do this. It really, really did. We did a little bit of a tour and it's just one room from one to the next. It just takes your breath away. It's just amazing what you're doing here, sarah. Can you tell me the impact of this co-op in terms of financial impact, especially for the ladies here? And also, I've seen five ladies waving carpets at the entrance and then, as we were talking, you said no, there's more than just these five ladies, but there's more. If you can explain to us a little bit more details, sure, thank you.
SARAH:Yeah, so I mean the aim of this co-op is to help the ladies at the first step. So before, like the ladies, they were weaving in their houses but there is no place to show their products. So that's the aim of the co-op to be, I mean, established. All right, this is the first point to help the ladies, to gain some money, to help the families. Especially, we have a lot of widowed ladies, like one of the ladies that you saw there. She is widowed, she has no children. Yeah, she needs, of course. Yeah so that's why I mean she's waving and we help to show her products to the public. If we sell her right, she will get 80% from the carpet for.
IMRAN:I see.
SARAH:Okay, now she has the ability to leave.
AZDEAN:Yes, you know okay. So basically, what you're saying is this is one of the best ways for them to be Independent. True, make their own money. Yes and there's a lot of freedom in that. So, basically, the way that the co-op is set up is what you sell a carpet. The co-op takes 20%, like sales commission, which is, in my opinion, very fair, and then she keeps 80%, which is true, amazing.
SARAH:Wow, as well as like a lot of ladies now, my generation is not we've that is true. We went to school instead of learn how to weave. So one of the ladies out there, she is weaving the rags, sell them to help her daughter. Oh wow, and she is an engineer now. Yeah, she's very proud of her. I mean, she pays her university and renting. You know what does?
AZDEAN:mean to study out in a different city. Yeah, yeah, sure.
SARAH:And, as I told you, it's a good experience for them. Fatima, here, she's with them for 13 years, oh, and she has three daughters, and she helped them financially too.
AZDEAN:Yeah, this is beyond amazing. Yeah, the other question that I have for you, sarah, if you would please explain it to the audience. Unfamiliar with these rugs, I know some areas that I make certain type of rugs better than some other areas In the mountains, but I see of a variety of rugs. It's just incredible. Then there's few styles that stands out that I don't remember, but there is maybe some something that is trendy.
SARAH:If you can explain that to the audience so here, as I told you, each rug represents the geography of that place.
AZDEAN:All right.
SARAH:Yeah, so there is one from the mountains, so that's why it's like the mountains and hills. This one is very familiar. It is a very famous town with, I mean yeah, a burger racks, a messier racks, yes. The new wine carpet is. The place is very cold, so black and white very thick, very I mean fluffy and warm. That's why they are using it, yeah.
AZDEAN:The style is very simple. Ah, yes, it's very simple. Yes, you know, just black and white. It's just incredible.
SARAH:You know why? Because the MZIH culture. You know they are using diamonds.
AZDEAN:Yes.
SARAH:So the diamond is a prediction from evil eye or bad luck. Ah yeah, that's why you will find the diamond in all rags mostly. Believe you. Yeah, here. What makes this co-op very special? We have rags only from the ladies that we have in this town, here and the regions of this town.
IMRAN:Oh, I see.
SARAH:As well as we give the opportunity to our clients to discover the other rags like we bring them from different places From different vendors that are a little bit far away. True.
AZDEAN:You bring them to the co-op and show them to the guests. Yes, exactly true.
SARAH:So some people, like, they don't like traditional things. They want something modern, like that one or this one, a little bit modern, but with them a rock and touch. So that's why, like, we bring them or we give them this opportunity, to leave it here as well.
AZDEAN:Okay.
SARAH:Yeah, okay, perfect.
AZDEAN:Yeah, what else can you tell us why people should come here and do business with you and contribute financially? Even they can do so even without buying rags from you. How can they do that?
SARAH:All our customers who visit us here. They just have fun, because here no one is pushing them to buy. Yes, they have the history. I teach them. You know, I told you I was a teacher, so basically, you make it like an informational day.
AZDEAN:True, they get as much information as they want, exactly. There's no price for them to buy, no one is going. They have the choice to buy them or they can go anywhere you know back home and maybe get in touch with them and say, hey, sarah, remember that work that you have showed me.
SARAH:Exactly.
AZDEAN:I need it, but these are the measurements of my house, true.
SARAH:Yes, a lot of people. I mean, they do like that. So, like they came here, they didn't play to buy a rag, so they don't have the dimensions or the measurements when they go like home, they go back home, they measure the space. They send me by email or personal phone number Makes sense. Yeah, and then we ship it to them. So here shipping is available, and in case you like something and you want to order the same, of course we make it too.
AZDEAN:Okay, so the shipping. Do you use FedEx? Do you use DHL? What type of shipping?
SARAH:We use Post Office or DHL Because the customer wants.
AZDEAN:I see yes. And who takes care of the cost? Because this is a big one. Who takes care of the cost of the shipping? Is it the client who is buying or is it the co-op that it's selling?
SARAH:No, no, I mean the client when I give you like the price of the carpet and plus. So I say, if you want the price of the shipping or you can just carry it with you.
AZDEAN:Okay, perfect, yeah, perfect. I mean, I'm just, I'm super excited. I see a lot of copies. I've seen rooms and rooms and rooms and rows and rows of carpets. Do you know what's your inventory here? How many carpets do you have to guess that you have here?
SARAH:A lot. Just this room, I cannot count all of them, because we have a lot of women and they are more than a hundred leady, and in the room there too, we have a lot of rags. So I can see that yeah, all of the women I mean. They need support, so that's why.
AZDEAN:The reason why I'm asking you? Because I looked around and it looks like thousands and thousands of carpets.
SARAH:Yes, carpets.
AZDEAN:Yes, carpets, yes, this is just incredible. So I can smell tea and I would like to taste some tea.
IMRAN:If you're La Fatima, I will take you, if you can pour us some tea, please. Thank you, thank you.
SARAH:Mint tea, mint tea, yes, tea everywhere in Morocco, yes, and also when our customers visit us. This is where they get to experience it well?
AZDEAN:Yes, we should, absolutely, of course, and they are very welcome.
SARAH:This is art that we, I mean, have to face to keep it alive. Yes, absolutely. Especially as. I told you the next generation and my generation is not weaving.
AZDEAN:And how do you handle that? You know, I really did not even think of it, because I remember going up, you know coming to our village, I remember my aunts they used to wave all the time.
SARAH:Yes.
AZDEAN:And you know when they're gone. In my village nobody else is doing it, Except maybe a few elder ladies. We did an experience in my village yesterday and they were still waving, but it's not as aggressively as it was in the past, true? So what are you doing to keep the culture alive, to keep the tradition alive, for waving? You said you have over 100 women. What's the next generation? How are you going to make an interest in doing what their mom has done, what their grandmother has done, and so forth?
SARAH:Yes, exactly so this art is passing from the grandma to the mother to the daughter, but unfortunately, we try to keep this art alive by. I mean, we hope the government can do something about this too. Like to make schools to teach girls and not to force them, for sure, Just like to teach. It's an option. Yeah, To teach the girls. For me, I know a few things about the rugs, how to do it.
AZDEAN:Yes, yes, okay, yeah, that's a really really good question, because I remember they go like this yeah, street, and that this again, this is. I don't know, 40 something years ago. But the thing is, what makes a rug special? For example, you can show me two rugs. They look almost the same but one costs, for example, $500. The other costs $700 or so.
SARAH:Yes, okay, so can you have a look at this one here? Yes, yes. And that one I mean there in front of you, okay. Can you see the details between this one and that one? Yeah, okay, so this one looks very finer, very detailed, and I mean more intricate. So now here the quality is talking. So, this kind can be done by master ladies. Not a normal can weave it.
AZDEAN:Oh, wow.
SARAH:And the price is also decided by all the women.
AZDEAN:I see.
SARAH:Women knows what she spent on that rug the time and the work.
AZDEAN:Okay, so I see the two different styles and definitely there's the biggest difference for me. One is the colors, but the attention to details. So I can see here, just doing this by hand is very difficult. So what sets the price is the amount of hours that it's invested in the carpet. Okay, that makes sense. Now, yeah, also doing the carpet. The difference is how many knots True Each carpet has, if you would explain that to me. And does it have any factor of the price of the carpet or it doesn't matter?
SARAH:No, no, it's not necessary. Okay, let me show you between this style and that style which is bini warain. Okay, this one here. The knots on this right here are more than that Even it's the same size. It's a three by two meters.
IMRAN:Yeah, Okay, so what are you doing?
AZDEAN:Yeah, yeah, we're doing part two. You want to be in part two? Perfect, so what else can you add to what we were talking about, please, sarah?
SARAH:One important thing. I will thank all the people who are visiting us. Without him, they are not working. They have the products, but no one is going.
AZDEAN:Yeah without customers, you simply do not exist. So it's really a team effort more than anything else. Exactly it's a help me, help you, and we work as a team. Yes, we looked for someone like you for a long, long time to work with them. Again, I cannot say it enough, we're very grateful for you. We really, really appreciate what you do here locally, internationally, and we appreciate you taking care of our guests.
SARAH:Thank, you so?
AZDEAN:much. It's just it's incredible and it's really really hard. You know, I live in the US so there's a little bit of difference in the US versus here, but I know things here are a lot more difficult. You know, just to move one needle it takes so much effort and work and hard work to do so. What happens behind the scene? It's not an easy task. It's not an easy work. It's a lot of work. So thank you so much. A year ago we did an episode four about scams and whether you go to FAS, whether you go to Marquesh, anywhere you go it's how we are Scams are everywhere.
SARAH:Yes.
AZDEAN:How can somebody make sure that they're not scammed by you? I'm not saying that you will scam anybody, but how would they make sure that, whatever the luck that they have picked is the one that it's been delivered to them?
SARAH:You mean the same carpet?
AZDEAN:Yes, let's say, for example, I bought this carpet from Tasnacht from you and you ship it to me. How can I tell that the quality that I have seen here is the same quality delivered to me?
SARAH:Okay, so here, the first thing that we pay attention to is the entrance, so for example yes we paid insurance too.
AZDEAN:I had no idea.
SARAH:So here, for example, you pick up this right here. I have to take a picture of you with your right.
AZDEAN:Oh, I see.
SARAH:Or you sign it for me. There is a place that you sign.
AZDEAN:Yeah, we have a tag there. Yes, yes.
SARAH:You sign it there and we ship it. Some people they get confused, maybe sometimes with the light. Okay, yeah, and even if something happens, they just, I mean, send the carpet back, we pay the shipping again and we send them the money. I see they don't pay any Extra charge. Okay, yes, that's the insurance here, so I want them to be very comfortable about this completely satisfied. Yes, in case they like it, I mean when it delivered to their houses. So if they like it, oh no, we can give them the money. So you.
AZDEAN:Basically, what you're saying is your services 100% guaranteed. True, they'll get the quality that they have seen from day one when they come to shop to you. Yes, so now what advice would you give to anyone visiting it? We had to do anyone traveling to Morocco and stopping by your co-op how to shop better in terms of carpet and avoid scams.
SARAH:Okay, so here before we show high quality one, I can show them so.
IMRAN:I see.
SARAH:Yeah, as I showed you the difference between this one and that one. Okay, so I can show you the difference. This is what I'm doing to our customers, so when I'm doing the presentation to our customers here, I show them also the difference in qualities. So this is the first quality one, this is the second, so the first will be, of course, different than the other in terms of price. Yeah, and each person is very welcome if he wants to buy or not.
AZDEAN:They are really welcome, okay, so it's the same thing, basically, that we have mentioned earlier. You just you make that session educational for them. So whether they buy from you, yeah, they don't. If they go somewhere else, they know how to look for bugs exactly quality of a good rug, and then if they buy from somebody else, they know what they know.
SARAH:Yeah, the first sentence that I I said before. When they just come here, I tell them five minutes and then you will be masters on the racks. Yeah, so after five minutes they can tell me. Is this his first quality? This is second.
AZDEAN:So that's very valuable. Yeah that is incredible. Yes so what else would you like us to know, would you like the audience to know? I?
SARAH:Want them to be sure that they are in safe hands. That's the point, that's the aim, because before I mean the ladies they were weaving they give the racks to their husbands, they sell them in their markets and some people buy them again and resell them with higher prices. But co-ops, I mean you have the guarantee that you are in safe.
AZDEAN:Okay, that is incredible. Yeah, so what else do you do beside the bugs? Do they just completely rugs and carpets?
SARAH:now here we have only carpets and racks. In case they need something else, we advise them to the places that they can do.
AZDEAN:Recommendations true, okay. So basically, yeah, it's a better coming here for the day for two. You make a recommendation, say, hey, do this today, do this tomorrow. No, that's a true exactly. These ladies, they need support absolutely, absolutely, and we will support you as much as we can. We'll send you as many clients as we can and again, I cannot really thank you enough. This has been an amazing, amazing stop and I love.
SARAH:Thank you, thank you so much, thank you, thank you, I'm run.
IMRAN:Also, I have a question. Yes, please, so whenever you sell a carpet to somebody, uh-huh, you just get one quality of the carpet, or do you get many qualities of the carpet so then you can keep one in this area? That's a good question.
SARAH:So, for example, I am run, I have this one here which is very unique. I have only this one. Okay, when I sell this one, I have to send this one. Okay, then I'll take another one a little bit similar. It's not the same. You got me.
IMRAN:Also, how long has this generation been?
SARAH:oh, the generation, or do you mean the co-op?
IMRAN:I mean the co-op.
SARAH:So the co-op established since 2007, but it starts in a different town. Oh and here it since 2013. Okay, a lot of years, very clever. And there is another thing I teach them some English.
AZDEAN:Oh, nice, nice, thank you, thank you, thank you.
