SISTERS OF THE MOUNTAIN
Women’s Cooperative

 

Our organization is run by creative women working hard to improve their lives by selling high quality agricultural products from local resources. By funding our work, YOU are making a difference.

Help Soumya’s Journey bring a MUCH NEEDED Women’s Cooperative to the Atlas Mountains.

We need your help to launch an agricultural cooperative assisting girls/wmen to gain independence, pursue their education and realize their dreams.

 
 

SOUMYA’S JOURNEY & THE COOPERATIVE

Soumya’s Journey is partnering with a new Cooperative of women in Armed, Morocco (Soumya’s village); serving as a parent entity for the purpose of helping Sisters of the Mountain to become self-sustaining. We pay participating members of the Cooperative $10 each to produce baked goods and agricultural products for sale in Armed and the region.

DID YOU KNOW…

  • There are no accessible schools for girls beyond 6th grade

  • Arranged marriages are the norm: weddings as early as age13

  • 25% of girls have children before adulthood

  • Land can only be transferred through male heirs; Unmarried, divorced, widowed women often become destitute

  • A family of 8 lives on $1000 per year

“Feedback from women participating in have been eager to cook popular breads, cookies and baked goods for seasonal holidays. Not only do they love baking and selling the products, they also love getting out of their daily routine. And many have expressed gratitude for the opportunity to socialize and converse with others in the Cooperative.”
 
 

HOW IT WORKS

 
 

  •  The Cooperative has only recently taken shape, so Soumya’s Journey is helping the Cooperative get up and running.

  • In December 2023, a group of 12 women decided to bake goods for a December holiday. Together, they purchased flour and other ingredients in large quantify as well as basic tools such as baking pans. They sold all the baked goods locally in Armed over the holiday, making a profit of $800 for their work.

  • In Spring 2024, they got together in the village of Armed and made the same products from recipes they are perfecting. Another success!

    WHAT WE’VE LEARNED SO FAR:

  • As many as 12 women have tried to work together in a very limited space, which only fits 5 people. So they’ve had to schedule small groups throughout the day.

  • There is no running water or bathroom in the space where the baking goes on, so Cooperative members visit neighbors’ homes to use basic facilities.

  • The Cooperative is registered to produce “quality agricultural products from local resources.” The most accessible local resource in this remote region in and around Armed is apples, so the plan is to produce and sell apple cider vinegar for regional distribution. Apples will also be a key ingredient in some of the baked goods.

  • The women have communicated how proud they are at the prospect of what this Cooperative offers to them. They are hopeful to continue being productive so they can add to their family’s income and continue spending time doing something they enjoy together as a social group.

    WHAT IS NEEDED TO SUCCEED:

  • Create a business plan 

  • Find a garage for rent that has a bathroom and running water

  • A basic accounting system will be implemented to teach the women how to digitally record their purchases and expenditures using a bookkeeping template. The Board of Soumya’s Journey is excited about accomplishing this simple hurdle, as it introduces elementary business practices to the Cooperative in an informative, relatable way.

  • Funding for ingredients and appliances is essential. By funding our work, YOU are making a difference.

  • Continue selling baked goods until the apple cider vinegar is ready. 

  • Find a girl who can help with bookkeeping, photos, and videos