The winters are long and the people face the constant challenge of floods, bad harvests and the beautiful but harsh environment. But the village's greatest threat comes from the dissatisfaction of the youth. Most, like Ahmed, are unemployed and see few prospects in the village. Who knows, I might be able to go. Berbers from the far mountain areas still travel to Setti Fatima every Sunday to trade goods in the traditional way.
Salt is sold exactly as it was centuries ago.
The same goes for haircuts, which are still done in the open air. Ahmed attends daily to the family's beehives, just outside their ample home. The honey from the hives does not bring in much money, but Ahmed's family still relies upon those small sales. Ahmed's family consists of his mother Khadija, his father Abdullah, his grandmother, five sisters, and his younger brother Hussein. Although the Berbers complain that life in the mountains is boring and monotonous, you can still see them enjoying life when the family gathers around for coffee.