Journey in the Sahara Desert to discover Tawesna

"The desert is the environment of revelation, genetically and physiologically alien, sensorially austere, aesthetically abstract, historically hostile. [...] Its forms are bold and suggestive; the mind is overwhelmed by light and space, by the kinesthetic novelty of aridity.
[...] In the desert, men have sought the spiritual and therapeutic values of retreat, not to escape but to find reality."

PAUL SHEPARD, Man in the landscape: A historic view of the esthetics of nature

In the intimate silence, in the calm isolation from the world, sometimes lies the possibility of gathering echoes and reflections of reality. The desert, a design of fleeting solitude and silent waiting, is a place of grace, encounter, and purification, as if the fire rising from the earth had the power to burn the ugliness and smooth the edges of the human soul.

However, even in the desolation and stillness of the landscape, precious oases can be found, spaces where life is breathed: in the rhythm of these autumn days, captured by the ancestral and severe charm of the Sahara desert, on our journey, we encountered vivid and genuine eyes, friendly hands ready to welcome us.

We are talking about Tawesna, nestled in the Ounila valley, in the small Berber village of Ait-Ben-Haddou, a tearoom, yet infinitely more. It is a relief from the burden of a world hostile to women, an emblem of liberation and lightness, a crossroads of modernity and preservation of traditions, the result of a sustainable and supportive approach aimed at the development of every woman in the community, every single inhabitant of the village, and every foreigner. In this arid region of Morocco, nature is paradoxically flourishing (thyme, rosemary, fig trees, almond trees, olive trees, vines grow there), and to keep it intact, the land is worked with care and respect. Altruism seems to be the key to transmitting the Berber cultural and culinary heritage, even in the face of the inevitable evolution of History that has tried to obscure its traces: as an association, Tawesna - translation of the Berber term for 'skill' - aims to reach the women of the surrounding villages to teach them the art of hospitality, to offer a place of tranquility, an opportunity for emancipation and fulfillment.

The common thread that sustains and animates Tawesna is the will to share and create moments in which anyone can glimpse the heart of Berber traditions. Everything revolves around a cup of tea, which is never an end in itself: it is, rather, the center of social life, an expression of generosity and welcome, patience and form, an experience of collective moments of pleasure. Here, caressed by the warmth of the sun and the care of gentle women, delighted by proposals of typical products, you can sip the traditional Berber tea, or Tuareg tea: a Chinese imported green tea to which aromatic herbs are added, especially mint, and significant amounts of sugar. The ceremony, repeated three times, involves gradually adding sugar, as if to indicate a deeper spiritual concept: "the first infusion is bitter like life, the second is sweet like love, the third is gentle like death."

These are the words of one of the humble women of Tawesna: "tea is our joy".

Posted by Terza Luna