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My early expertise rising up in West Africa influenced my need to advertise honest commerce ideas. I see it as my ethical obligation and obligation. Through this work, the ladies and kids of my communities can obtain the equal alternatives that they rightfully deserve. That is why my fair-trade beauty company, Alaffia, exists right now.
From a younger age, I’ve carried a robust need to positively impression humankind. Born and raised within the village of Kaboli, Togo, in West Africa, an space recognized for its crowded markets and native buying and selling, I grew up studying to work laborious as a necessity to help my household. I witnessed firsthand the injustices and inequalities that my very own mom, and lots of the girls in my village, confronted each day.
It was right here in Kaboli the place I met my associate Prairie Rose Hyde — we shared a calling to do proper on this planet and to struggle the injustices that existed in West Africa. Rose and I made a dedication to the group, and in 2003, we co-founded the primary shea butter cooperative that later grew and have become often called Alaffia.
Our easy dedication has impacted the lives of greater than 250,000 underserved people in West Africa.
Our Beyond Fair-Trade Business Model
For almost twenty years, Alaffia’s mission has been to alleviate poverty and advance gender equality. We do that by the honest commerce of indigenous African sources such because the unrefined shea butter, African black cleaning soap, coconut oil, and neem extract we use within the formulation of our plant-based private care and wonder merchandise.
Our objective is all the time to observe our ethical compass, which is all about individuals and giving them alternatives that put them on a path towards upward mobility and success. It solely made sense to prepare cooperatives in West Africa close to the sources available in Togolese communities. This helped be sure that our women-led members would have the ability to present their abilities and data to the remainder of the world and in return start the rise out of poverty.
Programs That Empower and Provide Basic Needs
Since our inception, Alaffia has impacted the lives of greater than 250,000 people in West Africa. The applications we now have established have straight funded over 6,500 births; donated college provides to 37,521 college students; distributed 30,852 eyeglasses to recipients in want; distributed 10,817 bicycles to college students; planted over 99,000 bushes; and constructed 16 faculties.
We’re implementing group empowerment initiatives to make constructive adjustments in schooling, maternal and toddler mortality charges along with supporting reforestation in rural farming areas.
Alaffia makes it a precedence to positively impression humanity by group schooling. By offering almost 11,000 college students with bicycles, we’re making certain they make it to highschool every day safely and on time. Alaffia has created a domino impact that emphatically impacts schooling, healthcare, meals stability, employment, serving to to make sure an equitable future for the individuals in these communities.
We are a human-centered enterprise. We put the dignity and primary rights of our group members on the heart of all we do. It’s about primary wants, not revenue. Empowering, not charity.
Putting People Over Profit
We hope that others will likely be impressed to make use of this mannequin of enterprise. By adopting a Beyond Fair Trade mannequin, organizations can carry honest, equitable employment and encourage self-empowerment for marginalized communities. I’ve seen, firsthand, the enhancements that come from doing enterprise on this method. The constructive impression that honest commerce has on poverty-stricken communities is past measure.
As a company, we attempt to show to others find out how to positively impression communities by placing humanity and sustainability first — whereas nonetheless being profitable. As an African entrepreneur, I can let you know that management isn’t just telling individuals what to do; it’s main by instance and it’s placing individuals over revenue at each flip.
Every time an Alaffia product is bought, a portion of proceeds from the sale of the product is returned to communities to fund group initiatives that help gender equality and girls’s empowerment, particularly. My hope is for others to affix us on this quest for a extra sustainable future.
All pictures are courtesy of Alaffia.
About the Author
Olowo-n’djo Tchala based Alaffia, which handcrafts award-winning clear and honest commerce magnificence and grooming merchandise. The group advances gender equality and alleviates poverty by the honest commerce of indigenous African sources equivalent to unrefined shea butter, African black cleaning soap, coconut oil, and neem extract. Learn extra at Alaffia.com.
