Hamma Ait M'Rim is 66-years-old.
Hamma tends the goats and sheep that feed
on grains, seeds and dry grasses.
Six of his children live at home with Hamma
and his wife, Rikia.
The family pulls together; everybody contributes
to the work that has to be done.
Every day, Rikia pounds and grinds the pits
of dried dates so that the farm animals can
easily digest them.
Cousins Zahra and Fatima weave traditional
wool rugs to be sold in the local market.
These generate cash to buy food and supplies
for the family.
The Berbers are well-known for their colorful
handmade carpets.
Each day, Cousin Mouhamed rides to the well
to fill jugs of water for drinking, cooking
and washing.
The eldest sister, Safia, walks miles through
the desert every day to collect firewood for
cooking.
There are no trees in this part of the Sahara...only
dry bushes and brush.
It is essential fuel for the family, although
collecting it is contributing to the de-vegetation
and expansion of the desert.
