Khadija Oushkek left school at a very early age and began weaving when she was an apprentice at the age of 14 years old in 1983. She studied for two years and received a diploma all the while still working at the cooperative the entire time. Khadija worked with every weaver and learned how to manage the shop when she used to live in the cooperative. She also learned how to read in Berber and read numbers and money, which has helped her with current duties as treasurer of the cooperative. She now lives in her parent’s house with her family. She has been married since 1994 to husband Hamid Bougaled, and has 2 children, a girl and a boy (Nadia, 14 and Mehdi, 3). The money she earns goes to medication for her hip, in which when she received a shot that left her in need of a leg brace and a limp. The rest of the money goes to supporting her family when her husband is not working. Even with her injury she feels joy when she works, in her words it feels as if she was just born. She hopes to have her own house one day.
Khadija El Abdi left school very early and learned how to weave from a Mudira who came to the cooperative and taught. Khadija became president of the cooperative in 2004 and learned how to read in 2006. Before she learned to read, she had to sign papers and contracts without being able to understand what they entailed. She is married to Driss Mbrouki, a mason, and has two children, Ayub, 11, and Helem, 8. She supports the family when her husband does not work and lives in the cooperative building. She too also has dreams of having her own house one day.
Hijjou Mamouri has been weaving for the past seven years, but not at the cooperative. She gets her supplies from the cooperative and works out of her house. She is married to a farmer and has two children, ages 7 and ages 5. She lives with her husband’s family.
Khadija Hajji has been with the cooperative almost from the beginning. She joined when she was about 13 or 14. She is married to husband Fatmi who works in the forest as a carpenter and has three children that all attend school. She is the breadwinner of the family.
Drissia Hiyani has been weaving for 18 years; she was taught by Khadija Oushkek. She is married to husband, Moulay Tar Khadiri, who is a private driver and has three girls, Mina, Khadifa and Wafaa, and two boys, Mohammed and Abjulil. She has been weaving for 18 years – she is older than Khadija Oushkek but Khadija Oushkek taught her. She did know a little about weaving first. The money she earns goes to help the family, shopping, school for the children and medicines for when they are sick.
Smaha Mamouni does not remember how long she has been weaving, but she knows she has been at it for a while. In the 1970's she was a student but dropped out due to having children. Her husband, Mulad, is a truck driver, and she has two kids, SiMohammed and Isam. Because her children are young, she takes yarn and wool home, so she is able to work from home.
Naima Shargawi was thirteen when the cooperative was formed and is one of the original members. She married at an early age and has a 21-year-old daughter.
Itto Ksowe learned how to weave before she joined the cooperative in 2004. She occasionally works at home for she has a loom there, and she uses the money she earns to help support family. She is married to Hamid Amakor who works in the commune rural, and she has 4 children.
