Success Stories

A local Moroccan potter’s unique designs break out – and crack international markets.

Touriya Bouteness was born and raised in Safi, Morocco, an industrial town and fishing port where residents and tourists can find pottery and ceramics in every shape, size and for every use. After training for eight years with her brother, Touriya decided it was time to open a shop where she could add her own unique henna designs to the inventory of traditional Safi pottery. But here – where potters copy each other’s successful designs as a means of guaranteeing sales – competition is oppressive. Touriya had trouble selling her distinctive creations. To earn a living, she had to put her dreams aside.

That was before French designer Frederic Alcantara traveled to Safi and returned with a treasure that he found on a dusty shelf in the back of Touriya Bouteness’ shop.

Alcantara’s visit to Touriya’s shop was part of a program of Aid to Artisans (ATA), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that offers practical assistance and training to artisan enterprises throughout the developing world. One of the hallmarks of ATA’s strategy for successful partnerships with local artisans is the emphasis on monitoring market trends to keep designs updated and fresh. They engage local and international designers as members of the teams that work with artisans.

Touriya began working with Aid to Artisans to prepare for the export market. As a part of the partnership, ATA included her henna pottery in the New York International Gift Fair and sent photos of her work to importers around the world. These initial efforts of her partnership with ATA generated orders representing $932 in sales, five times Touriya’s average monthly income. As a result, she continues creating her unique designs, marketing them through her burgeoning export business and bringing her locally created wares into a growing global economy.

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