The Empowerment Tour – Week #7:

This Week the tour began the two week long journey back to Washington by way of Upstate New York, and many stops throughout the Midwest.

The tour spent a few days getting well acquainted with Mid-West Hospitality through Indiana and Ohio. This stretch of the tour was full of store trainings and opportunities to share the vision and mission of Alaffia. Many were impacted and their support of Fair Trade and its ability to change our world was strengthened.  “We continue to see people who are taking an active role in participating in making the world better. It feels like there is a strong desire to do something about improving things, and it’s great to participate in these discussions.”

The Empowerment Tour welcomed by Wisconsin

Store training at Sunrise Natural Market.

Many thanks to MaryAnn for a wonderful time in Indiana and Ohio!

Chicago received a special treat; Rose flew out and joined the tour for the three days in The Windy City.

“As the Empowerment Tour entered its final week, I had the opportunity to join Olowo-n’djo in Chicago. For ten years, we have given our entire lives to Alaffia and our journey towards empowerment, social change and poverty alleviation for our communities in Togo. One of the things that has kept us going throughout these years is the knowledge of the trust and support we get from everyone involved in this journey. Sometimes, though, when preoccupied with the day to day necessities of keeping this organization moving, I lose sight of just how much we depend on this and how grateful I am that we have it.  At each and every store that I visited with Olowo-n’djo, I was reminded of the kind and great efforts that people make to help us.  The experience is very humbling and has given me renewed energy and excitement for what the next ten years may bring. I am sure I speak for Olowo-n’djo when I say there are not words to describe how much we appreciate all the hard work our representatives and retailers have put towards ensuring the success of the Empowerment Tour and Alaffia’s journey.”

The team at Whole Foods Lakewiew

Regional Meeting at Whole Foods headquarters downtown Chicago

The team at Dill Pickle

Whole Foods Market Kingsbury

With just a few stops left, The Empowerment Tour is drawing to a close, and we would like to, again, thank everyone for the excitement, generosity, and good will that they have built into this tour. “Every mile we move I become more convinced that we can do something for the greater good; there are many people around the nation that do care about the world.” – Olowo-n’djo  

The Empowerment Tour - Week Two

Week one wrapped up in Northern California and took the tour down the coast by way of San Francisco and Santa Cruz.

Heading up to the Vantage Point.

The Golden Gate!

A visit to the Whole Foods Sebastopol provided an unexpected reunion with Amber, one of the team members who accompanied Alaffia to Togo last year. (Watch the video from the trip here)

Reunion Hug

Catching Up

The days from San Francisco to San Diego were filed with store visits and dinners with friends. Olowo-n’djo was given the opportunity to cook traditional Togolese fare for many of the store events, highlighting Red PalmOil. Olowo-n’djo was grateful for the opportunity to cook for so many, as a way to express his appreciation to all who have supported Alaffia and the Co-ops for the past ten years.

Chef Tchala at Whole Foods Fairfax.

Serving up the Togolese cuisine!

The Eager Crowd

One of the many viewings held of the new Alaffia documentary.

Each of the events was memorable, and we can’t thank all those who helped to orchestrate them enough.

Plenty of raffle baskets loaded with Fair Trade Alaffia products were awarded down the coast, and Olowo-n’djo was more than happy to offer the baskets to the winners.

The Lucky Winner at Mother's Market in Santa Rosa.

Basket: Claimed at Mother's Market Costa Mesa.

With one final stop at People’s co-op and a trip to the fuel pump for a tank of Bio-diesel, The Empowerment Tour was off to Sin City for the next leg of the Tour. California, and all who became a part of the Tour through store events, dinners, and places to stay, thank you!
“It has been special to reconnect with retailers that have worked with Alaffia since the beginning over 9 years ago. There is a lot of goodness and positive energy around the whole trip. People are going above and beyond!” –Olowo-n’djo

Sushi with friends in Costa Mesa.

Lunch Break at Whole Foods Stevens Creek.

Olowo-n'djo, prepped for a beach run in Santa Monica.

The Alaffia Empowerment Tour

Friends of Alaffia, we are so pleased to announce that the long awaited Empowerment Tour is set to launch in 10 days! For those who aren’t familiar, here’s the story from Olowo-n’djo:

Dear Retailers and Friends of Alaffia

 It is my sincere wish that this letter finds you and your family in good health. I am writing to you to inform you of a 58-day nation-wide tour I am undertaking in [September and October] of this year. I am packing up a biodiesel van and taking this 8,780 mile tour in celebration of the 10^thanniversary of the creation of our Alaffia Shea Butter Cooperative in Togo.  Because of a deep commitment and shared will, the cooperative is here today without outside investment. The true reason why we continue to exist is the opportunities each and every one of you has given to Alaffia, and therefore my foremost objective is to visit as many of you as possible as a personal extension of my gratitude. 

There are no words to express to you the profound impact that your support has enabled Alaffia to have on my communities. [Last December], upon my arrival in Sokodé, more than 4,000 women and children lined up to express their thankfulness. From that moment on, I knew my own life would never be the same. I know now the responsibilities that I must bear for my communities are for life or death, and that this self-sacrifice is justified for the greater good of others.  

I am greatly looking forward to visiting you and sharing with you our combined achievements as we prepare for the continuing journey towards empowerment of all our communities.  I strongly believe that if we march forward together on the long road towards economic justice, we will build on the freedoms for which those before us have sacrificed so that the generations yet to come will realize the fundamental principles of basic equality and full human rights.

I humbly thank you and am looking forward to visiting with you.

-Olowo-n'djo Tchala

Here are the quickest ways for you to stay updated on where the Tour is at, and how you can be a part:

-Our website (www.alaffia.com/tour) will be updated daily. Here you can expect a daily update of the stops that Olowo-n’djo will be making, and if there is a meet and greet near you!

-In addition, our twitter feed @AlaffiaSkinCare and Facebook page www.facebook.com/AlaffiaSustainableSkinCare will be full of the daily details of whereabouts and happenings.

Olowo-n'djo and the Empowerment Tour van will be on the road starting September 2nd. 

A Word From Olowo-n'djo Tchala - Part 2

However, you know that not all my encounters in Togo are of a negative nature, and we can find happiness and joy in most every situation. A highly positive part of my trip was spending time with my mother. In the ten years since the creation of Alaffia, devoting time to family was not possible. This trip, my mother and seventeen sisters and cousins traveled with me to the many places I had to be, and it brought much comfort seeing them every morning and catching up on lost time. I should tell that you that I did put on a few extra pounds due to my mother's cooking.

With my mother, Abiba Agbanga, near Lomé, Togo.

Another encouraging element was the direct positive words we heard from people who have been touched by Alaffia. The following are excerpts from the speeches of the president of an Alaffia shea nut collective, a student who received a bicycle and her mother, and a high school student body representative.
 Amama Amadou, president of the Alaffia women's shea nut collective of Bowouda:

Amama Amadou, president of the Bowouda Shea Nut Collective.

Bouwouda Shea Nut Collective, with Alaffia's Cooperative Manager, Bouwouda, Togo.

"Before coming to buy shea nuts, Alaffia invited us to give the market price, then Alaffia added 20% to this price. Everyone received her own receipt and money for her own nuts. We sold over seven tons of shea nuts to Alaffia, and together we have saved over 400,000 fcfa [$1,000]. In the past, we got paid little by little for each bowl that we had. Today, the buying process is organized, and everyone gets their whole payment at once. I thank you and I plead you to continue your support in our village in order to reduce poverty. This year, thanks to the 20%, every one of us has paid the school fees for our children. We thank you very much for the support you have given to the women of Bowouda. You will be blessed for your efforts"

Tiekoa Lare, student:
"Now that I have been given a bike, I am free. When I did not have a bike, I was always late to school. Now, I am free. I get up, I sweep the yard, I wash the dishes before leaving for school, but I am still on time."

Tiekoa's mother:

"Before, my daughter suffered a lot to go to school. She was forced to go hungry (because she could not return home during lunch). Sometimes I was able to find 25 francs [10 cents], and I gave it to her to by lunch. And in the evening, she returned very late, from 7 to 8 pm, because of the distance. Now, with her bike, everything has changed. She gets to school on time, and returns early after school. Thank you for this precious gift. Thank you very much."

Tiekoa Lare with her family outside their home.

Student from Kadambara High School:

“Allow me to speak on behalf of the Kadambara High School – in the name of the teaching staff, the parents, students, and particularly the students who have received bicycles – in relaying our gratitude for benches and bicycles your organization has given us. By making these donations, Alaffia has helped improve learning conditions in our school.  We promise to make good use of these materials for our growth. May God Almighty protect you. Long live Alaffia and long live education in Kadambara!”

As positive and dignified the above words are, they also bring a heavy weight of responsibility which makes returning to American life difficult. We can continue to bring brightness and hope to Togolese individuals, families and communities, but our ability to do this depends on an uncertain market. It brings pain to my heart to see the faces of those who are so grateful and so desperately in need when I cannot promise the help we provide will always be there, since there is no guarantee that Alaffia's sales last year will be realized this year and the years to come. The only things that are certain is that my life will forever be sacrificed for the empowerment of all disadvantaged people, and that even if Alaffia was to disappear today from the face of the earth, the support and the opportunities that each and everyone one of you have given us in the past ten years has profoundly impacted my communities for generations to come.
With all my heart, I thank you for all you have done in the support of Alaffia, and I once again wish you a healthy and happy 2013.

Humbly Yours,

Olowo-n'djo Tchala

Walking with Alaffia cooperative members, Sokodé.

Bicycle recipients line up to greet me and our guests in Sokodé, Togo.

Alaffia cooperative members sing their welcome.

Community Empowerment

Summer months at Alaffia are always filled with thoughts of Togo.
Because it’s Bike Drive season, we’re reminded in a very tangible way, of the difference that Fair Trade and community empowerment make in Togo. Last December a team of Whole Foods employees visited  Togo during our Founder’s annual Co-op visit, it’s safe to say what resulted was a life changing experience. Watch the video of their time spent,  hear their stories, and be moved by the powerful impact that your purchasing choices have.

Share this video and spread the important message of Fair Trade!

World Fair Trade Day - Every Day!

World Fair Trade Day, Every Day!

               In recognition of World Fair Trade Day, we at Alaffia join over 70 nations around the world to reflect and recognize the importance of this global movement. We celebrate fair trade and the opportunity it provides as we focus on the shared goal of empowering individuals and alleviating poverty in global communities around the world. In our own co-ops, fair trade has meant the alleviation of poverty through the empowerment of our community of producers. Our cooperative members are paid over four times the market value for their product, and we are now the largest privately owned employer in Togo, giving women the opportunity to provide for their families and giving their children the opportunity of an education. In addition to fair trade wages, our cooperative members receive health care, and one month paid vacation each year.

 

"Today the buying process is organized and everyone gets their whole payment at once. I thank you and I plead you to continue your support in our village in order to reduce poverty." -Amama Amadou, president of the Bowouda Shea Nut Collective.

 World Fair Trade day is a reminder of how connected we are, and how great a difference we can make through simple, daily choices. Choices like supporting the farmers of Divine Chocolate; the only fair trade chocolate company owned by its farmers. Not only are these farmers receiving a fair wage and money to invest back into their communities, but they also have a share in the company, and perhaps most importantly, an active voice in the cocoa industry which remains one of the top ranked for exploitative wages and child labor. (The divine farmers are on a United States tour right now and they may be visiting a city near you! http://www.divinechocolateusa.com/good-stuff/news/2013/4/follow-divine-farmer-tour) Fair trade gives us the opportunity to be pioneers for change in an ever globalizing climate. The basic human rights of health, equality, and education can become a reality through the support of true fair trade.

The happy faces of a few of Alaffia's Bikes for Education recipients. Girls who are provided a bike are able to reverse a 94% dropout rate to a 98% retention rate.

                                      
Above all, World Fair Trade Day is a day filled with gratitude for all of you who support us and give us the opportunity to go BEYOND Fair Trade. Because you stand with our mission, our co-ops now support over 500 women and their families. This year 1,000 mothers and babies will receive pre and post natal care through our Maternal Health Program. At least 600 Togolese students will have transportation to school this year, and 10,000 trees will be planted to combat deforestation. We could not accomplish this alone. The daily choices we all make can positively impact lives around the world. Perhaps the biggest takeaway of this celebration of fair trade is the recognition of how interconnected we really are, and the reality that we need an international community in order to thrive.

In reality, every day is World Fair Trade day. Alaffia!

Community

Joy

 

Tradition

International Women's Day - 2013

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’d like to introduce you to someone very important to us.
 

Meet Ibada. 

At 26, Ibada is the youngest sibling of Alaffia founder Olowo-n’djo Tchala.  If you’re familiar with Alaffia, you are likely already familiar with her life work.  Ibada is Alaffia’s Community Project Director in Togo, and oversees everything that is related to our Community Empowerment Projects.

“Though she is “the baby” of the family, Ibada conducts life as if she were 50.  She is far beyond her years, and has accomplished more than I could have ever hoped, or even imagined” says Olowo-n’djo.

Before working with Alaffia, Ibada trained and worked as a midwife in many different parts of Togo.  In West Africa, 1 in 13 women die in childbirth from complications that could be avoided with basic maternal care. Midwives and adequate medical facilities are few and far between in rural Togo. Ibada devoted herself to helping women across the borders of different villages all throughout Togo. Through her experience she developed a deep understanding of Togolese women’s unique needs.  She also gained experience helping women who have been subject to female circumcision, and developed what Olowo-n’djo calls “a loud voice” about the matter.  She became passionate about reaching out to women who have been circumcised and are thus at higher risk for life threatening complications in childbirth. This was the beginning of Ibada’s work with our Community Projects.

Today, Ibada directly manages a team of 9, including the coordinators for our Bicycles for Education Program, School Supplies Program, Reforestation Program, and of course our Maternal Health Program.  She is closely involved with all of our Community Empowerment endeavors and oversees the entire operation.  Ibada collects follow up data on all of our bike recipients, mothers and babies to best measure the impact these projects are having in their lives and throughout our Togolese communities.  We must create balance that is diverse and free of bias.  Ibada ensures we’re reaching the greatest needs in every village and community. 


Ibada opening medical supplies at a Maternal Health Clinic

For the past couple of years, Ibada has begun to gear part of our Maternal Health Program to specifically reaching women who have undergone circumcision.  This is an extremely sensitive, tedious process as it is a highly controversial issue.  Ibada gains trust with village leaders and chiefs so she may be allowed to speak to the women about female circumcision; educating them about the risks they face in child birth and giving them access to the maternal health care they need.

Hundreds of lives have been spared through this process, and this tier of our Maternal Health Program is growing. 



Ibada and a Maternal Health Clinic employee
 

Today, we celebrate the work and accomplishment of this powerful young woman.  Her life proves that focusing time and energy toward making a positive change can leave an immeasurable impact, for generations to come. 

Ibada with her brother Olowo-n'djo, and women who are part of our Maternal Health Program

 

 As always, we thank you for your support that makes the impact of her work greater with each passing year.

 

Learn more about how your support of Alaffia is empowering our Togolese Communities: http://www.alaffia.com/

 

How 20% Impacted the Entire Community

To Alaffia, fair trade means paying a fair wage, providing equal employment opportunities, engaging in environmental sustainable practices, providing healthy and safe working conditions, being open to public accountability, and reducing the number of middlemen between producers and consumers. We believe fair trade should be environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable and give local communities the opportunity to empower themselves.

Our founder, Olowo-n'djo Tchala and Amama Abadou

During Olowo-n'djo Tchala's trip to Togo last December, he was honored to receive a wonderful testimony of Alaffia's full-time efforts from Amama Amadou. She is the president of our Alaffia women's shea nut collective of Bowouda. This is what she said," Before coming to buy shea nuts, Alaffia invited us to give the market price, then Alaffia added 20% to this price. Everyone received her own receipt and money for her own nuts. We sold over seven tons of shea nuts to Alaffia, and together we have saved over 400,000 fcfa [$1,000]. In the past, we got paid little by little for each bowl that we had. Today, the buying process is organized, and everyone gets their whole payment at once. I thank you and I plead you to continue your support in our village in order to reduce poverty. This year, thanks to the 20% every one of us has paid the school fees for our children. We thank you very much for the support you have given to the women of Bowouda. You will be blessed for your efforts."

It is always very encouraging to know that as a fair trade organization, Alaffia is positively impacting our West African communities: Be it the shea nut collectors, our coop members, recipients of the bicycles and more. We are sincerely grateful and appreciative of the wonderful support and contributions we have been continuously receiving from our caring communities here in the USA and worldwide.

Click here to read more on how Alaffia is continuously making a difference in West Africa.

ALAFFIA’s Authentic African Black Soap

In West Africa, authentic black soap is known by its Yoruba name, Osse Dudu. “Dudu” means the color black, which comes from the extensive “cooking” of the soap to the point of charcoal. There are many cultures in West Africa that use charcoal to detoxify and purify the skin and this is an important aspect of our true African Black Soap.

There are many reasons why we call our black soap line - ALAFFIA’s Authentic African Black Soap. Our Black Soap is authentic as it is created using a centuries old traditional recipe from West Africa. In addition, our ingredients are handcrafted by the members in our own cooperatives using traditional, organic methods under fair trade guidelines.

The main ingredients used in this amazing product are certified fair trade shea butter, West African palm kernel oil and African mint. The shea butter and palm kernel oil are saponified with ashes and cooked for 6 hours. Afterwards, it is left to dry and cur eunder the sun for 3 weeks. We blend the dried soap with an herbal infusion of African mint, known for its calming and restive effects, resulting ina  gentle product perfect for daily usage.

Our Authentic Black Soap line comes in 2 refreshing natural scents - PEPPERMINT and TANGERINE CITRUS. While the tangerine citrus scent provides a soothing and calming effect to our nerves, the menthol found in the peppermint scent induces a cooling sensation which helps to stimulate alertness.

Besides the amazing scents, our Authentic African Black Soap is so mild and gentle that you can use it as facial cleanser (be sure to follow up with Alaffia Face Cream of your choice) and body wash for babies! Besides that, this soap has such a high versatility that it can be used as a head-to-toe wash and as a general household cleanser.  It’s what we call the “all in one” option for cleaning, especially when you want to travel easy for camping. How convenient, isn’t it? 

Drying the Black Soap

The African Black Soap comes in both a handy 16 oz. bottle with a pump and an economical 32 oz. refill size at affordable prices.

At ALAFFIA, we believe that Africa’s way out of poverty and towards gender equality is through our traditional knowledge and resources. Expanding our African black soap options helps us realize our goal of encouraging and conserving our traditional knowledge and skills in Togo, West Africa. 

Please visit our website at www.alaffia.com for more information about our organization and IMO certified fair trade products.