The Rose Festival

Rebha, Me and the Ladies of Hdida's Association
View from the Association building

On Thursday, Rebha and I headed down South to Kelaat Mgouna for the Rose Festival. It was a 10 hour bus ride from Tounfite and another hour up into the mountains to Hdida, which is Marisa's site and where we stayed. I stayed with Marisa and Rebha stayed with Marisa's host family. Hdida is absolutely gorgeous, I kid you not when I say Marisa hit the jackpot with her site placement. She is one lucky girl...

The village itself is situated in the red sandy/rocky mountains and overlooks a small lush green valley and river. The lush green valley is actually fields where the women work everyday. It was like stepping into a fairytale walking through those fields. As you walk through the narrow winding paths of the fields, all you can do is gawk at the sights, smells and noise around you. Wheat grows in each of the small fields and rose bushes (hundreds and hundreds of them) make the borders between the different family's fields. Along with fig, pomegranate, almond and walnut trees over your head, oh and grapes everywhere too. All you can hear is the babble of the brooks as they flow into the river, song birds singing and frogs croaking. It's such an amazing place, words don't do it justice, neither do the pictures for that matter. 

Most of the homes in the village are family compounds, so one door opens into a courtyard and family and extended family all live in the same compound. Every home smells of roses as the women go into the fields to pick roses twice a day, leaving them out in the courtyard to dry. They make rose water, lotion, and perfume along with potpourri from the roses. 

Unlike my co-op, the association Marisa works with have a physical building. It's practical for them to have one as they are on a tourist road so on occasion tourists make there way into the association and buy the Rose products and carpets/bags that the women weave. The day Rebha and I visited the association there were about ten french tourists having a look around. Rebha, business lady that she is, pulled out some of our older products that she happened to have on her (coin purses) and ended up selling one to them. 

Each day, we made our way down the mountain and into Kelaat Mgouna to the festival. We were given a large tent to display our carpets, so each morning we set our display up. We sold three of our smaller carpets and one large carpet, which was about half of our normal sales. This was not a Peace Corps sponsored event though, so we were happy with the results. There was a Peace Corps sponsored Marche Maroc Craft Fair in Rabat that weekend too, but we intentionally went to the Rose Festival for sustainability purposes. That being said, Rebha made me so proud the second day-she is a pretty timid person and doesn't talk to many strangers, but with a little encouragement, she networked with the president's of a few different co-op's and ended up with an invitation to another non-Peace Corps sponsored fair in Tinghir in July. Yeah! Go Rebha!! I couldn't have been happier!

Sustainability is my main focus with the Co-op, seeing as the Small Business Development program in Morocco has been cancelled for the future. Knowing they will be all on their own after I leave, I want to get them up and selling, and enshalla, exporting all on their own before I finish my service. 

We enjoyed Hdida so much that we ended up staying an extra day, which was nice after a hectic craft fair filled weekend. Rebha has made friends with the women of Hdida and can't wait to return...hopefully we will go back in July for Marisa's host sisters wedding. The weddings in Hdida are pretty famous around Morocco, and so Kabira, Marisa's host mom, dressed Rebha up in a wedding outfit and we took pictures (as they do for the real weddings) amongst the rose bushes and around Hdida. You couldn't have wiped the ear to ear grin off of Rebha's face! After the photo session, one of the lady's from the association Henna'd Rebha and Marisa's hands. I really wanted to have Henna as well, but forced myself not to as I want fresh Henna for London :) 

The women wouldn't let us leave empty handed and gave us two bags stuffed with rose water, potpouri, fresh almonds, dried figs and spices all from the fields. I'm telling you, it was an amazing trip! 

After and exhausting eleven hour bus ride yesterday, we arrived back in site where it was drizzling with rain and has continued to do so all day today! Seriously, it must be monsoon season here. 

I'm off to London for a verrry quick visit in few days and am very very excited about it :) 

There are a few pictures from the Rose Festival on here, but for the full ShaBang head to my FaceBook page!

Much Love xXx

Oh Hdida!

Fig/Pomegranate/Almond/Walnut Trees
Rose Bushes and Wheat

Field & Mountains of Hdida

Kabira (Marisa's mom) and Rebha (in traditional wedding attire)