Olowo-n'djo's Blog – Alaffia
Lessons from Ina
Lessons from Ina
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
My mother’s name is Ina. She raised me alongside seven other children in an 8’ x 10’ room in Kaboli Togo West Africa. You may think that sounds small, and frankly, it was, but there was never a shortage of love, integrity or kinship within those walls. These hallmarks of home made it feel large. ...
Read MorePacific North West Retailer Road Trip 2021
Pacific North West Retailer Road Trip 2021
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
I'm writing to you today to share my gratitude and update you on the road trip I embarked on at the beginning of September. Over the course of seven days, I shared my blessed to visit friends and retailers across the Pacific Northwest. I began my journey Olympia, WA and stopped in 15 cities on th...
Read MoreFGM
FGM
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
FGM or Female Genital Mutilation is personal to me because my mother, Ina, was a victim of this practice. It’s not commonplace or culturally based in Africa as a standard, though you will still find it practiced as a means of controlling or governing women's sexuality. Because it’s an illegal pra...
Read MoreBeautiful Arrival
Beautiful Arrival
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
I've long awaited this opportunity to unveil the newest addition to our community empowerment projects. Our signature Maternal Care Project, Beautiful Arrival, is expanding into the U.S. Not only is this name appropriate because of the important work of ushering in new life and helping mothers ...
Read MoreCommunity Empowerment Projects: 2020 Social Impact
Community Empowerment Projects: 2020 Social Impact
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
Greetings Alaffia friends and family. I’m writing to tell you of this year’s success and most joyous aspect of our work together—our Community Empowerment Projects and 2020 impact numbers. Spring is in full swing, and we have so much growth to show for it. In one year’s time and with your produc...
Read MoreAlaffia on CNN African Voices: Changemakers
Alaffia on CNN African Voices: Changemakers
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
As many of you may already know, Alaffia was recently featured on CNN International in a segment called African Voices: Changemakers. It is such an honor to be recognized for the change that we’re establishing in West Africa and to be given this recent springboard to further illuminate our work ...
Read MoreTogo Gets An Agricultural Reboot - Reforestation Project
Togo Gets An Agricultural Reboot - Reforestation Project
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
As you well know, a main impetus of Alaffia’s beginning was when I met Rose in the 90’s as she was serving my hometown as a sustainable agriculture volunteer in the Peace Corps. As fate would have it, we became partners in both life and business. Her wisdom of ethnobotany, the study of the relati...
Read MoreBaby Alaffia
Baby Alaffia
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
Abide, a midwife who served the women in our Maternal Health Empowerment Project, was riding her motorcycle and came across a young woman, Hodalo, on the side of the road who was distressed and in pain. Hodalo was in labor and had been personally affected by FGM earlier in her life, which can mak...
Read MoreWhat Happens In Togo: Agbavi Beach
What Happens In Togo: Agbavi Beach
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
Agbavi Beach in Togo, West Africa holds a special place for me because it was where my mother, Ina, and I shared our last stroll on the beach together before she became too ill to walk. It was a kind of magical place for both of us to regroup, plan and reminiscence about how far we’d come with ou...
Read MoreThe Legacy of Chadwick Boseman
The Legacy of Chadwick Boseman
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
Trying to process the magnitude of the loss of Chadwick Boseman and the collective outpouring of sadness is to not only realize his immense talent but also what he came to represent to so many. Chadwick’s performance of T’Challa in “Black Panther” contained such deep levels of humanity, humility,...
Read MoreMuch More Than a Basket
Much More Than a Basket
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
There’s more than meets the eye with our Alaffia Authentic African Handwoven Baskets. Weaving the baskets is highly collaborative with multiple co-op and collective partners. Baskets are woven with wild-harvested Savannah grass—panicum or elephant grass—from the Blitta collective in Togo. Grass c...
Read MoreI Am A Dreamer
I Am A Dreamer
by Olowo-n'djo Tchala
It's my great honor to be part of the IconTalks documentary “I Am A Dreamer,” an exploration of history, social justice and economic empowerment. In partnership with the Motion Picture Association, the powerful film features commentary from a group of esteemed leaders and activists, such as the l...
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