Alaffia Named Winner of the 2018 U.S. Secretary of State's Award for Corporate Excellence

Alaffia’s women’s economic empowerment programs will be recognized in Washington D.C. ceremony

Washington D.C. – The U.S. Department of State announced today that Alaffia will be awarded the 2018 Award for Corporate Excellence in Women’s Economic Empowerment at a ceremony in Washington D.C. on October 5, 2018. The award will be presented by Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and Assistant Secretary of State Manisha Singh, who oversees the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the State Department.

Alaffia founders Olowo-n’djo Tchala and Prairie Rose Hyde will travel to Washington D.C. to receive the award.

Tchala, who is currently traveling in West Africa, expressed his gratitude for the prestigious award. “All of us at Alaffia are humbled to receive this recognition from the U.S. State Department and its wonderful embassy officials who serve around the world.”  

“We are especially grateful this will shine additional light on the need to create economic opportunity for women and better education for children, something Alaffia has worked tirelessly to do in West Africa,” said Tchala. 

“Economic engagement in our collective poor communities means a safer, more peaceful world. On behalf of the more than 14,000 women who are members of our fair-trade cooperatives in Africa, and our U.S.-based employees in Tumwater, Washington, we express our deepest appreciation for this tremendous honor.”

Alaffia employees and contract “gatherers,” who are mostly women, number more than 14,000 in West Africa. They collect shea nuts, coconuts, herbs and grasses, and, at Alaffia fair-trade cooperatives in Togo and Ghana, create shea butter, coconut oil, baskets and essence used in Alaffia beauty and body care products. These raw materials are then shipped to Alaffia’s manufacturing plant in Tumwater where 145 people are employed. The materials are refined, packaged and prepared for distribution throughout the U.S. and 10 countries. 

Alaffia’s non-profit empowerment and sustainability initiatives have resulted in 59,775 trees planted, 34,640 school supply recipients, 8,253 bikes distributed, 25,588 eyeglasses donated, 12 schools constructed and more than 4,800 babies safely delivered in West Africa.

About Alaffia

Alaffia was founded in 2003 in the Olympia, Washington garage of husband and wife team, Olowo-n’djo Tchala and Prairie Rose Hyde. Alaffia crafts popular beauty and body care products using traditional African methods. Alaffia is “Fair for Life” certified by the Institute for Marketecology (IMO), one of the most renowned international inspection and certification agencies for organic and fair trade accountability. To learn more, visit Alaffia.com.

Download a photo of Olowo-n’djo Tchala and Prairie Rose Hyde here.