By Bouchra Zine, Program Coordinator

Members of the Akhawat El Kharouba cooperative attend a participatory approach workshop conducted by the HAF Family Literacy team in Ouled Ali El Ouad village. Photo: Bouchra Zine/HAF

On April 15, 2022, 17 members of the Akhawat El Kharouba cooperative benefited from a participatory approach workshop conducted by the HAF Family Literacy team in Beni Mellal-Khenifra. The workshop took place in Ouled Ali El Ouad village, El Brradia commune, Fquih Ben Salah province.

Cooperative Akhawat El Kharouba was created in 2017 by a group of activists. Their main activities are making food products from grains and dairy goat farming. Its members have attended many workshops and participated in a number of national exhibitions. Now, more than 30 people are earning money from their work in the cooperative, enhancing the livelihood of several households in the community.

Members of the Akhawat El Kharouba cooperative attend a participatory approach workshop conducted by the HAF Family Literacy team in Ouled Ali El Ouad village. Photo: Bouchra Zine/HAF

Prior to this, in early March, the women from Ouled Ali El Ouad had participated in a four-day IMAGINE empowerment workshop that was conducted by two certified trainers from the HAF team. It was the first workshop of its type to be done in the village. 

Community mapping and needs assessment exercises showed that there are five main priorities the women identified for their community: a facility for their cooperative, literacy classes, training on communication, approval from the National Office of Food Safety (ONSSA), and training on marketing practices.  

This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the High Atlas Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.