One of My Favorite People
Sue Andrews, New Pi Wellness Manager

Summer 2011

Get out the tissues – Olowo-n’djo  is coming.

That was the subject line of an e-mail from my sales rep and friend, Martyn, from Alaffia. I thought I was going to burst.

The individual that has made such an impact on my professional life, as well as my personal life, is coming to visit my little Co-op! I’d met and interviewed Olowo-n’djo before, and spoken to him on the phone, and every time we interact I cry. For those who know me well, this is not normal behavior for me.

Let me back up here. I wrote an article in the Fall 2009 issue of theCatalyst about how I met Olowo-n’djo, the founder of Alaffia body care products. We sat down so I could write a simple article and inform people about this company that’s going above and beyond. Alaffia’s products are great and their story so moving, that we ended up donating the money we’d made on their products back to them, so they could utilize that money for one of their many community projects.  

Olowo-n’djo and his wife, Rose, started Alaffia with the intention of reducing poverty in Olowo-n’djo’s country, Togo, where they had met.

They looked around and thought, 'Why not use something indigenous and traditionally used by the people of Togo, like shea butter?' Shea butter fit their criteria: it’s a sustainable product needed by the world market that can provide women in Togo with an income to support their families, and empowerment.

These few words represent what this company is all about: “Advancing Gender Equality and Alleviating Poverty through the Fair Trade of Handcrafted Shea Butter.”

This company wants to change the world. In just the past year, they were able to employ fifteen more women in their Togo womens' cooperative, and they installed solar panels to help them use computers at night.

If all goes well, they plan to install solar panels at the local school within the next year. They are currently constructing a nursery, and they plant 1,000 trees annually. This year, they’re helping to plant an additional 4,000 trees, and hire an arborist.

And there is more—they also have a bike project: they collect bicycles from the Seattle area to send to Togo to help children have a form of transportation to attend school.

Back to the first line: Olowo-n’djo is coming. He will be here July 28th at 7pm at the Coralville New Pi. Please come hear his story. I guarantee it will change your life, or at the very least, turn you on to some really cool products. Bring your tissues.

To register please go to www.newpi.coop/ClassesEvents/EventCalendar.