Alaffia Basket Weaving Cooperative members
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N BJ A WA R D
SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE
EDC HAND SOAPS
Olowo-n’djo’s Update
Alaffia Shea Cooperative members
Dear Friends and Family, First, I would like to once again express my utmost thanks to all of you for your thoughts and kind words during my mother’s last days. I am hoping that today, my note finds you and your family well. My intention, as it is every October for Fair Trade month, was to write and express to you the reasons why I believe the principles behind fair trade should be the way of all interactions in life. However, on this evening of August 22, 2016, as I once again prepare for another tour of duty in Togo, packing my bags before I have even fully unpacked from the previous trip, I feel as if I have been drafted to fight in a war where my duty to serve, whether right or wrong, is above my family’s needs as well as my own. However, without my family I would not be able to succeed in my duties, and therefore, I have personally identified little steps I can do day-to-day for my daughters and my wife that my conscience deems as fair. Fair trade is a cause worthy of going to war, and as such, I challenge you to look within yourselves for your own definition. Remember, fair trade must be personal, as it depends on all of us. As you fill in the remainder of my words, think not only of poor people, who due to our world’s economic systems live in inhumane situations, but also of the little things you can do to make your husbands, wives, sons, and daughters feel they are part of a just and fair family. Therefore, as I leave for another eight weeks on the ground, I leave you to fill in my thoughts; fair trade to me is…
Olowo-n’djo Tchala
Alaffia School Supplies Drive recipient
2016 SCHOOL
SUPPLIES DRIVE
Look for a collection box at your favorite Alaffia retailers and help continue empowering students in Togo to pursue an education. Your donations provide these students the resources to gain the skills and knowledge they need to rise out of poverty and become leaders of their communities. The most needed items are: #2 pencils, ball point pens, white chalk, protractors, metal compasses, and lined paper.
N BJ A W A R D
NBJ Business Achievement award
We are honored to have accepted the Mission and Philanthropy Award from The Nutrition Business Journal. Thank you for your continued support of our goal to alleviate poverty and encourage gender equality. Your patronage makes achievements like this possible and allows us to have the opportunity to spread the word about our history, the Togolese Communities, and of course our Empowerment projects. Shane Hart, Director of Sales and Communications, gave a brief acceptance speech and shared a story about AbidĂŠ Owesso, our Maternal Health & FGM Eradication Coordinator, who has been working with Alaffia since 2012. The story highlights the reverberating impact of Alaffia's mission. You can watch the video at: www.youtube.com/alaffia
EDC HAND SOAPS The EveryDay Coconut Hand Soaps are now available. These hand soaps are formulated with CertiďŹ ed Fair Trade coconut oil, with soothing & effective antioxidant-rich moringa leaf extract that will thoroughly clean without drying your skin. Our coconut oil is extracted by hand using traditional fermentation methods in Togo, West Africa from fresh coconuts grown organically on small farms. It contains a high amount of natural oxidants, which helps protect the skin from sun and wind damage as well as damaging free radicals, making it a wonderful ingredient in skin care and natural soaps. The hand soaps come in four refreshing and invigorating scents: Coconut Mango, Coconut Mint, Coconut Pineapple, and Purely Coconut. EveryDay Coconut Hand Soaps (from left to right: Purely Coconut, Coconut Mango, Coconut Pineapple, Coconut Mint)
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NEW COCONUT REISHI BODY CARE AND WHIPPED SHEA BUTTERS
AVAILABLE NOW!
Coconut Reishi includes hair, body, and face care formulated with coconut oil, shea butter, reishi mushroom, and scientifically proven active botanicals. We have also launched Whipped Shea Butters, designed for a luxurious moisturizing experience. Contact your Alaffia Representative for details or call us at 360-866-0080.