Friday, July 24, 2015

July 2015 Togo Trip Recap

Dear Friends of Alaffia,

I am happy to inform you we have returned from a four week trip to Togo. While I realize the importance of our presence in the United States, I must admit I miss my family and all of Alaffia’s people in Togo deeply, and it was heartbreaking to say goodbye.  Like all my trips to Togo, this one also strengthened the conviction we had 12 years ago to empower our Togolese communities.

However, unlike previous trips, this time we were able to participate in all parts of the Alaffia chain, from shea nut collecting to visits with community support recipients.  The needs of our time in Togo were so great, we were not able to go to Ghana or Benin as originally planned. Below are the highlights of our trip.

First, though, I would like to pass along the “thank you” that our Alaffia cooperative members have asked me to express to all of you in the United States that support Alaffia. They wish all of you and your families good health (Alaffia!).

Alaffia Village

Our first objective was to spend time with our main cooperative in Sokodé known as “Village Alaffia.” It brought me great joy to spend time with our diverse members, from such different ethnic backgrounds and religions.  While the Village is a workplace, it is full of positive spirit and energy. For many of our women, it is their second home, and they are keeping it beautiful and happy with flowers and smiles.

Shea nuts drying at Alaffia Village, Sokodé, July 2015
Alaffia Village Shea Butter Cooperative members say goodbye to Alaffia founders, Sokodé, July 2015


Alaffia Collectives

A great deal of our time was spent visiting and meeting with Alaffia’s women’s collectives that supply our various ingredients, including shea nuts, moringa, grass (baskets), and baobab. The collectives are comprised of women organized on a village level to sell agricultural good, such as shea nuts, together. Alaffia has contracts with the collectives and each collective member to establish pricing and quantities as part of our commitment to 100% transparency and traceability. To truly realize the impact Alaffia is forging in our communities, we have to be in direct contact with our collectives. Not only are they the first link of the Alaffia chain, but they are often the poorest and in the most remote villages.  The visits with our collectives are important in other ways; they enable us to personally ensure Alaffia is treating the women in the collectives in the fairest manner possible. We share with collective members Alaffia’s activities in the United States, where their products end up on the shelves, and the many challenges we face in the United States. Today we are fortunate to work with over 4,000 women in our shea nut, grass, baobab and neem collectives.

Alaffia Blitta Central Grass Collective with Alaffia Collective Trainer and Supervisor, Egbaré Kéméalo (in Alaffia shirt), July 2015

Alaffia Women’s Health Training Center, Bassar, North Central Togo

Moreover, we participated in the inauguration of Alaffia’s new Women’s Health Training Center in Bassar. We completed the construction of the center earlier this year, but it officially opened just now. While it is not a medical center, it is extremely important to have a central training center in Bassar. For the past four years, Alaffia has had an office in Bassar to provide maternal health support to women survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM). However, last year, we realized that to best benefit the communities and to meet our objective of eradicating FGM in this part of Togo, the most effective approach is to prevent FGM from occurring in the first place, and this can only be done through training and education. The training center was necessary to give us a place to inform the Alaffia community health agents so they can distribute the vital information to their communities.  I am deeply grateful to all of you, as it is the sales of Alaffia that paid for the construction of this community center.  

Alaffia’s Women Health Training Center with Community Health Agents and Alaffia Community leaders, Bassar, July 2015

On the same day the center was inaugurated, we also participated in the distribution of 60 bicycles to Alaffia’s community health agents. Because most communities in Togo do not have highly trained health officials or hospitals, the government provides “Agents de Santé”, individuals trained in first aid, but with little or no formal educations. These individuals are volunteers, and act as emergency first aid providers for villages without a clinic.  In exchange for alerting Alaffia of FGM activities in their village and participating in FGM eradication trainings, Alaffia provided each health agent with a bicycle.  The bikes will also serve as emergency transportation for very ill people to the nearest health clinic. While you may think a bike offers so little, in these communities in Bassar, the transportation they provide can make the difference between life and death. Alaffia also provides each health agent with cell phone minutes so they can alert Alaffia if one of our maternal health recipients has a health emergency.  The Bassar Health Training Center and maternal Health Program are run by Alaffia’s maternal health coordinator, Abide Awesso and her assistant, Hèzouwè Takougnadi.

Alaffia School and Good Soap Kindergarten Construction Updates

We also took two days of our busy schedule to visit the Good Soap funded kindergarten we built this year in Kaboli and to choose the site for the 2016 Good Soap Kindergarten. Last year, with the launch of the Good Soap program, we pledged to build a kindergarten each year with proceeds from the sales. We are happy to report that the Kaboli Good Soap Kindergarten is being used and enjoyed by 60 young boys and girls, and we have now begun breaking ground for a new kindergarten in Adjengré. We chose Adjengré because of the great need for a building. Currently, the 200 kindergarten students share space with older grades in a makeshift building. In May 2016, the Alaffia Good Soap kindergarten will be completed and these young children will finally have their own space to grow and learn. In additional to choosing a kindergarten site, we also chose Essovalé as the site for the 2016 Alaffia middle school construction.

Kaboli Kindergarten students and teachers, Kaboli, June 2015

Adjengré Kindergarten students, Alaffia Community Support Director, Ibada Tchala, and teachers stand in front of temporary school, Adjengré, July 2015


Alaffia Artisan Center

Finally, the greatest part of our time was taken by the conversion of our previous cooperative location in Sokodé to the Alaffia Artisan Center. While we call it the Artisan Center, in reality it is a rehabilitation center for prostitutes, who while they have sewing skills, have found themselves in prostitution because of the lack of jobs and life circumstances beyond their control. The Center provides rehabilitation in the sense that we hope the stable income and well-respected environment will mean that these women will never again have to sell their bodies and souls to provide for themselves and their families.  We started with a small team of 12 young ladies, three who make the batik prints and nine who sew the Queen Alaffia bags and scarves. For me personally, establishing this center for all that Alaffia strives for touches me deep in my heart. These ladies who I had never met before, along with the Alaffia Community Project Team and cooperative members worked long hours to set up the sewing machines, establish dye colors and patterns, and set quality control standards. Within two weeks, we began producing bags. 



While each of these women has gone through the impossible, the brief accounts following the images are a window into the lives of two of the Alaffia artisans. I promised these women that upon my return to the US I would continue to do all that my living body could do to sell their beautiful bags and not to let them down.  I also told them they would always be a part of Alaffia and even if Queen Alaffia does not take off, there is a place for them at the Alaffia Shea Butter Cooperative.  However, we will forge onward with Queen Alaffia and grow it so it can serve its humanistic objectives of rehabilitating these women in our communities. The Artisan Center is a new chapter for Alaffia, but one that I believe will restore basic human rights and bring equality to our women.

Alaffia artisans Chérifa (in front) and Kafui (at machine), June 2015


Alaffia batik patterns are all original and unique, June 2015

Alaffia Artisan Chérifa: Chérifa reached freshman level of high school, at which point she left school to join a seamstress apprentice program in Notse, a town in south Togo. Her father paid approximately $50 for the program, and she passed her seamstress evaluation with above average marks in 2010.  She is the oldest of her mother’s six children. Her mother is still alive but is very old, and her father has passed away.  Chérifa resorted to prostitution when her family situation became difficult. Her father passed away, she was unable to find work as a seamstress, and her husband got another woman pregnant and asked her to leave his home.  Chérifa has been a prostitute for a year and a half. She has tried to stop several times, but her situation has always forced her to return. Now that she has joined Alaffia, she has made her final decision and is very relieved she will no longer have to work as a prostitute.

Alaffia Artisan Kafui: Kafui dropped out of school after 7th grade, and joined a seamstress apprentice program eight years later.  Both her parents are now dead, and of her eight siblings, she is one of only two who are still alive.  She was able to open a shop after finishing her apprentice program, but was the victim of several break-ins and thefts.  Her remaining brother refused to help her, and this was when she resorted to prostitution to support herself. She has been a prostitute for three years, but it is involuntary, she does it only to support herself and her two children. Kafui has had a difficult life. Most of her family is no longer alive, she got pregnant with her first child after being raped when she was just a teenager. However, she works hard to better her life, she is not only a seamstress, but has also trained herself to make jewelry and crochet. Joining Alaffia has given her a way out of prostitution, and she will never go back.

Queen Alaffia artisans express their gratitude and joy in joining the Alaffia family, July 2015

With all my heart, I thank you for the role each and every one of you play in enabling Alaffia to make true and everlasting positive impacts in my communities. This recap makes it clear that the positive effects we see in our communities would not be possible without your participation in retailing Alaffia’s products. You bring about a true everlasting empowerment, which is not possible through handouts. I wish you all a peaceful summer.

Gratefully Yours,

Olowo-n’djo




71 comments:

  1. Dear Olowo-n'djo, Thank you for another wonderful review of your work in Togo. It is a wonderful thing to know that simply by purchasing some lotion and soap, we can lift up a community. Best wishes and love always, Elizabeth, formerly of The Wedge.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This was such a wonderful read. It is amazing how your company is making such a great impact in the lives of these women and children. I am happy to support this!

    ReplyDelete
  3. High school ideas for Togo were suggested by Sacred Heart University community. Some of them were taken from the research paper by professional essay writers that were published earlier in January. The volunteering community accomplished 86% of tasks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Her remaining brother refused to help her, and this was when she resorted to prostitution to support herself. ...

    ReplyDelete

  5. xender download
    xender apps
    xender web
    xender software
    Thank you for another wonderful review of your work in Togo. It is a wonderful thing to know that simply by purchasing some lotion

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is the main reason why most students search for online assignment help Australia over the internet and choose only the most proficient and trusted academic writing experts. To all those students who are in a constant farrago of queries such as "can anyone write my assignment in Australia?” etc., we can prove worthy with multiple service benefits of ours.

    ReplyDelete
  7. By the way, this information will help you to make homework fun. You can use it in order not to be bored

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for sharing this valuable information to our vision. You have posted a trust worthy blog keep sharing.
    go movies

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is very interesting information. Thank for sharing. For sure your suggestions will help me with potty racers 3

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love all posts, I really liked it, I would like more information about it, because it's very cool. Thanks for sharing.
    drawing games

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your trip is interesting, congratulation
    attack on titan

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your article is very useful, the content is great, I have read a lot of articles, but for your article, it left me a deep impression, thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. You made good comments, I consulted it and felt that this was true
    strike force heroes 3

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank for your writting. You have made it very clear that the problem is happening. I really like your way of thinking
    papas games

    ReplyDelete
  15. There are so many Online Assignment Help website to help you. It is important to choose the best one among the many. Before choosing the one go for that website reviews first and then check the website like their services, prices, discounts, website interface, and everything.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The study destination Down Under for thousands of international students each year just received its own custom coursework writing service for its domestic students. Students can now breathe a sigh of relief as the professional writer service at Myassignmenthelp.com are now providing 24x7 teaching and essay writing support for them. Our customers rely on us because we provide them the opportunity to get quality essays written by professionals. Know more about kaplan assignment answers.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Such a nice blog post on this topic. It’s been a few years that Adam Hebrew has been providing Essay writing help to all students in UK. Her flair for writing and in-depth knowledge make her an adept essay writer. Students, need her assistance, should call her through MyAssignmenthelp.co.uk.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The word ‘effect’ implies of a greater action than ‘affect’. Thus, when you use difference between affect and effect, the whole meaning of the sentence is dependent on that particular word. If you are also one of them who are still messing up the usage of Affecting versus effecting, read this blog to solve the issue. The blog discusses the difference between the two and also explains the usage of the words.

    ReplyDelete
  19. If you are tired of paying scores of dollars to hire an online paper writing writer, then seek our cheap dissertation writing services department and we will complete your custom paper on time.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for updating the post! Your post has shared all essential information of Assignment Help very clearly. Students should opt for online assignment writing services in order to save their time. For more details regarding the best academic writing, connect with customer care services of greatassignmenthelp
    Assignment Help Online
    Online Assignment Help
    Assignment Help Online Services
    Assignment Helper
    Assignment Assistance
    Assignment Help Experts
    Online Assignment Help Services

    ReplyDelete
  21. Our experts provide compile credit card offers and advice to help you find the right choice for your financial goals.

    ReplyDelete
  22. https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=15808290&postID=8204117503439817185&page=1&token=1565151719831

    ReplyDelete
  23. Facing a deadline for finishing the essay? Well, your anxieties end here. We have with us a team of essay writing services and assignment help for australia students who can solve all your writing issues so that you score high grades in your essay assignment.

    - zoology assignment help

    ReplyDelete
  24. Ensuring our clients get 100% Cheap Essay Writing Service is one of the strategies we have adopted in becoming the best provider of do Literature Review Assistance in the industry.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Nice informatics article. I have get a lot of information, thank you very much for this.
    Java homework help

    ReplyDelete
  26. If you are looking for the online grammar check and Assignment Help service provider then you should definitely go for AllAssignmentHelp.com. We offer all types of subjects assignment helps at the best price.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Movie maker online for windows 10 is the only available free version of Imovie editing software.

    ReplyDelete
  28. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I must say I found it nice to read your experience in Togo. As someone who is a coward I feel you and your team are an inspiration for us. https://accountantoshawa.ca

    ReplyDelete
  30. Roku(roku.com/link ) devices , as we all are aware of, are one of the most popular streaming devices out there. Below, we will talk about why Roku (roku.com/link create account ) is as popular as it it, how different is it from the other streaming devices, and how to set up the device. To set up a Roku (roku com link ) device, there are three different steps. We will also take you through them, one after the other.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Preparing engineering assignment job for a student all around the world. So, IdealAssignmentHelp is here to help you out with your respective need of My assignment help service. Get yourself in touch with their online experts helps and give yourself the best of platform to succeed and dominate in your respective field of study. This is the reason why you must get yourself connected to our team and give yourself the best opportunity to have an excellent educational tenure. Contact now for assignment help!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I love Nepal very much. I am impressed by seeing its culture, beauty and lifestyle of Nepali people. I love Nepal from my heart. Thanks for sharing this blog! Nepal Tour Packages
    Nepal Tour Package
    Nepal Tourism Packages
    Nepal Tourist Packages
    Nepal Tour
    Most Beautiful Places In The World

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thanks for your helpful sharing. I have read that knowledge very much, it gives me a lot of things.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I want to attend the Togo Trip event in Alaffia Village in April. How do I respond to the event? Please let me know at Buy dissertation online.

    ReplyDelete
  35. BuyMoviejackets is the most trustworthy and reliable place where you can buy the finest quality and the best class leather jackets at the lowest price. The best jackets selling brand delivers the trendy and in fashion jackets to its loyal clients like Barbour X To Ki Sports Jacket

    ReplyDelete
  36. Travelling in Togo. Hello everyone, I am searching for an off the beaten path destination and came across Togo. I have searched around but i can't find out if it's something for me.

    raft wars 2

    ReplyDelete
  37. Excellent Assignment Help offers assignment help on time in Australia. Our writers help students educational problem solves. Get 24/7 expert to help.



    ReplyDelete
  38. Finding the best Healthcare Writing Services is not easy unless one is keen to establish a professional healthcare research paper writing service company by going through their healthcare assignment writers qualifications.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Finding the best Help with Medical Assignment is not easy unless one is keen to establish a professional medical assignment help & medical homework help online.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Finding the best Help with Medical Assignment is not easy unless one is keen to establish a professional medical assignment help & medical homework help online.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Assignment Work Help is one of the best and cheap assignment help service provider in Australia that offers quality solutions at economical prices. All our solutions are completely unique and prepared as per the instructions and guidelines provided by you. Assignment work help is famous for providing quality assignment writing services at reasonable prices. We have been serving quality writing service on various subjects to reach out the maximum number of students in Australia by ensuring that our prices remain cheap and affordable. Our experts are quite skilled and knowledgeable to accomplish challenging tasks and we always strive to help you with best and cheap assignment writing service in Australia.
    make my assignment help
    cheap assignment help australia
    cheap assignment writing help
    affordable assignment help
    do my assignment cheap
    Assignment Help Australia
    Assignment Help

    ReplyDelete
  42. Think Assignment giving quality cheap essay writing service in best value, we have world top driving essayists. We have group of experienced proficient for Assignment.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Our subject specialists have numerous long stretches of showing encounter and finish information to compose top-quality assignments according to understudy's requests and cutoff times.
    Nursing assignment
    Assignment Help Nottingham
    Humanities Coursework help

    ReplyDelete
  44. How many times have you ever written ‘online coursework help.’ on Google to seek out the reliable writing services in US? you get the Assignment Help then you have contact our expert team. The support team at GetAssignmentHelpOnline is online 24*7. you'll get in touch with them over the phone or through chat for fast response. you'll also send us an email stating your queries. they're going to go back to to you within a matter of minutes.Visit:
    Assignment Help
    Java Assignment Help
    Programming Assignment Help
    Essay Help
    Mathematics Assignment Help
    Homework Help
    Law Assignment Help
    Finance Assignment Help
    Coursework Service

    ReplyDelete
  45. Assignment Help in Canada works well for many students who can’t complete their papers on time. For more information, visit the website and access all essential about online assignment help.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Awesome and informative blog. I always like your blog because your blogs are really very impressive, that’s why I always prefer your blog to read. I would like to say that I am also here to promote my printer web-page like you because there are many untouched facts that are helpful to notice the problems. You will read many facts and figures from our web-page because our service page will bring you lots of new and advanced things for you. You should just click our HP Printer Support web-page to know about the printer. On the other end, if you feel helpless to figure out the reason for the printer issue then you may also click our given web-links to help.
    Visit our printer web-page: https://www.customerservicehelpnumber.com/hp-printer-support
    HP Support
    HP Printer Customer Service,
    HP Printer Tech Support,
    HP Technical Support,
    How do I troubleshoot my HP printer?,
    Does HP have a customer service number?,
    Where is the HP Support Assistant?
    We are happy to help, so always feel free to contact us.
    Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Reliable religion & theology coursework writing services are not hard to come across for those in need of Religious Research Writing Services and theology & religion essay writing services.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Grab the best fitness band under 5000 to get your fitness track on routine. Choose from wide range of variety. best fitness band in india under 5000

    ReplyDelete
  49. I read this post, and this is a great blog post, keep more post for sharing. make my dissertation

    ReplyDelete
  50. Any student who belongs to Australia and he is also a student of there's university, college ,or school. If he is facing problems writing an essay then he can hire an essay helper and visit Australia assignment help agency to get his complete written essay within a deadline and high quality work by professional writers .

    ReplyDelete
  51. I was referred to MatlabAssignmentExperts by a friend because I needed help completing my communication systems assignment. When I submitted my requirements, I thought maybe the Matlab homework helptutor handling the paper would like to discuss the task a little bit more with me before they started working on it but that was not the case. There was no communication until when they were delivering the work. I am glad they sent me a quality solution but I still feel constant communication would go a long way in ensuring authentic Matlab Assignment Help.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Hi, I have just come across your programming assignment help portal. I have a Java assignment which is required in 48 hours. I am therefore looking for an effective and timely person to provide Java Assignment Help for me. If you are in a position to complete the task in 48 hours please reply to my email. I have indicated all the instructions in the email I have sent. And as you reply to the email please send a sample done by you. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  53. I have seen that you have very many Economics Assignment Help professors on your website. I am looking for a Canadian native for my assignment. If it is possible to get one then let me know the cost of hiring such an Economics Homework Help expert. Having a tutor from my country would be good because he/she would understand our system better.

    ReplyDelete
  54. I really love the work the Matlab Homework Help experts did on my communications system task. However, they need to work on their assignment delivery. The work was sent to me just an hour before the deadline and I had to turn it in without reviewing it. I always love to go through any Matlab assignment I buy from an online Matlab Assignment Help platform before handing it in for marking to make sure everything is done to perfection. Please improve on this area.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Hello, I am looking for a Java Homework Help expert specialized in Java Servlets and web frameworks. Recommend a Programming Assignment Help expert only if they have worked with it before. This is a very important assignment and I cannot afford to mess it up. I have sent all the details about the assignment to the provided email and I look forward to an immediate reply. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

  56. Do you want to explore new destinations without breaking your budget? Contact Lufthansa Airlines Phone Number and get exclusive deals, latest discounts, and existing offers on every flight booking.xplore

    ReplyDelete
  57. I love flying with United Airlines, their in-flight service is great. But like any other airline, their flight tickets are expensive. Thanks to United Airlines Phone Number, I can book any domestic and international United Flight at the best price possible

    ReplyDelete
  58. The Interactive Display Market is expected to grow from USD 9.0 billion in 2020 to USD 13.2 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 8.1%. The market growth can be attributed to several factors, such as growing demand for gamification and digital classrooms, growing adoption of interactive displays in retail sector, declining price of displays, easy availability of interactive products, and increased end-user engagement by using interactive displays for various applications - such as learning, presentations, signage, wayfinding, and ticketing.

    ReplyDelete
  59. I need you an statistics homework solver to suggest to me a function that can be used to calculate the day of the week. For instance, I need that function to inform me when it is today. I will appreciate if the statistics assignment helper platform offered me more guidelines on how I can use it and of the application excel VBA.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Does your Python Homework Help the team work in a centralized office or are they hired on a need basis? I worked with a C assignment help expert from your programming assignment help team and he was very professional. He took all his time to ensure that he understood all the concepts in C programming. With such people, your team will go far and you will get a lot of recommendations for the great work you are doing to help students pass their exams as well as understand what they didn’t get in class. I am sure you must be having several Programming Coursework Help experts who even provide Java Assignment Help and C++ Assignment Help.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Do you have Matlab homework help tutors in North Carolina? I want Matlab assignment help for two control systems assignments and this will include tutoring. That is why I want someone from my area so that we can communicate regularly and at the same time be in the same time zone. I will prefer to get lessons very early in the morning before I leave for work. I hope this will be convenient for the person I get.

    ReplyDelete
  62. I have a very urgent assignment which is required in less than 6 hours. Part of the work is done and therefore I need an economics assignment help expert to complete part three of the question and check whether I have done the other parts correctly. My budget for it is very minimal and therefore I don't expect you to charge me more than $50 for the small remaining part. The beauty is that if I am happy with your solutions I'll need your economics homework help services again.

    ReplyDelete
  63. The communication with the programming homework help expert who provided me C++ homework help was very poor. I expected several updates during the progress of the assignment. Even the Python homework Help expert you assigned me never communicated. As much as the assignment was completed on time and the grade was good, I expected proper and continuous communication. I get satisfaction by knowing that there is good progress in my work. I want to send you another assignment but only if you promise that I will be updated on the progress of the work continuously. I currently need Programming Coursework Help experts who could provide me C homework help and Java homework help.

    ReplyDelete
  64. I am a statistics professor who specialized in providing Statistics Assignment Help. I offer both tutoring services and provide Statistics Homework Help. If you are looking for someone to do your STATA assignment the look no further. All my online classes are free, while the assignments are completed at a reasonable fee. Contact me through Visit: https://www.statisticshomeworkhelper.com

    ReplyDelete
  65. Hey statistics assignment help team,excel allows you to give names to certain cells. You can change these names to whichever name you want them to be. But what if you want them to return to their original cell names- the names that excel uses to refer to certain cells. I have heard a couple of friends say that it's not possible. That is why I contacted you and experienced an statistics homework help. Are their claims true?

    ReplyDelete