By Houria Chouhab
HAF-F2F Volunteer Technical and Field Assistant

The F2F team and the Agricultural Advisory Committee of Demnate (ONCA) discussed future steps with the members of Wachmat Cooperative. Photo credit: Lahcen Ait Ouatouch / HAF

Early in the morning of June the 13th, the HAF’s Farmer-to-Farmer team (F2F) accompanied by the UVA student Zoe Costello paid a visit to Demnate Commune, Azilal Province, in order to meet with two agricultural cooperatives.

The first stop was at the Agricultural Advisory Office (ONCA) where we met with a committee who welcomed the idea of joining us in our visit to Wachmat Cooperative. This latter is a newly established cooperative, and it consists of three women and two men. The initial goal of this cooperative was to extract essential oils out of the medicinal and aromatic herbs that grow in the local areas of Demnate. The members of this cooperative also intend to make different products out of carob, but they lack the technical knowledge of dealing with the carob pods.

After a detailed discussion with the members of this co-op, it was agreed that they first need to benefit from initial training that provides further information about the notion of a cooperative.

One of the good things both the HAF-F2F team and the ONCA member noticed about the members of Wachmat Cooperative is that they are looking forward to attending the training as an initial step. “We are still at the start line and need to be competent first, then we can apply for funds,” said the president of the co-op.

Eventually, the ONCA members happily suggested delivering these awareness and information workshops to this cooperative, and reminded the co-op’s team that it is this committee’s job to assist with them during their first steps to success. After the ONCA’s move, comes the team’s task to provide technical assistance in the field they will eventually choose to take.