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I am very excited about my fellowship in Morocco this summer. I am The Advocacy Project’s second fellow to go to work with the weavers of Ain Leuh in Morocco. Ain Leuh lies high in the heart of the Middle Atlas Mountains, it is a small village where poverty is wide spread among its population and women are the breadwinners in the families.

It is in the village of Ain Leuh where a group of talented and hardworking women established one of the oldest traditional cooperatives to produce traditional woven products such as carpets and rugs. This cooperative is the space where the talents of these women are aggregated to produce handmade, beautiful and unique products. It is also in this place where the sales of these products will generate income that is substantial for the livelihood of the weavers and their families.

My fellowship starts on the first of June and will last 10 weeks. My goal during this time is to work on increasing international awareness of the weavers’ story, work, products and efforts to support their families and preserve their culture. The rugs and carpets of the Cooperative of Ain Leuh represent symbols of Berber culture and history, a culture that is threatened by marginalization. By increasing international awareness of Ain Leuh weavers’ products, I hope to help the weavers outreach their story, find new markets and create demands for their products that help them generate sustainable income for them and their families.

I will be blogging weekly on my experience, my observations and work achievements. Please follow my blogs and feel free to make comments, add suggestions, and donate money. Any help to assist these women is most welcome and well appreciated.