The two cooperatives we learned about here in Morocco, Anou and the women’s, are both trying to expand the sales of artisanal products like genuine, handmade Moroccan rugs and leather goods of all descriptions, especially for Women artisans. At the same time, these cooperatives want to make sure these women artisans are getting compensated fairly for their hard work as that is also important for these women to continue making the high-quality items the souks of Marrakesh and the rest of Morocco are known for.

Anou cooperative seems to have a much more technologically focused vision on how they want to help women artisans sell their goods and receive the proper returns that they don’t get out of middlemen. This method also broadens the list of available customers for the women to sell their goods to as anyone from any country could access the internet and purchase the goods, so that is a huge strength Anou provides.

The women’s cooperative is less about technological measures and more so focused on supreme quality and experiences that draw people to their shops and ultimately purchase their leather products. They are one of the only souks in their field to hold a certificate from the government recognizing immense quality in their products, and that is a huge driver for bringing in customers, because they know they can trust the items. Hosting the experience we had today where us students were invited to actually create our own items free of charge and with the help of the women artisans is another unique offering the women’s cooperative has that I think is very beneficial to them because of the connection it creates between people and the cooperative.

As a consumer, both cooperatives offer measures that make their products stand out, but if I had to choose only one that intrigued me the most, it would be the women’s cooperative. This is because of the fact that they invited us in and took multiple hours out of their day to show us the process of creating leather goods as well as allowing us to create something ourselves free of charge. This in person connection is something that can’t be replicated online, and I believe that is where the women’s cooperative stands out the most.

-Austin Gilliland