Washington Business Winter 2018 | Washington Business | Page 42

business backgrounder | industry
This is How Private Enterprise Alleviates Poverty
Alaffia leads by example, building bridges between
Washington and Africa.
Jason Hagey
The Tumwater-based fair trade skin care company was founded for the purpose of lifting people out of
poverty and empowering women. Now in growth mode, leaders in the U.S. and Togo are taking notice.
At A Glance
Alaffia was founded on the
belief that private enterprise can
be used as a tool to eliminate
poverty and empower women.
The company employs
thousands of women in Togo,
Africa, both directly and through
a cooperative, gathering the raw
ingredients that are shipped
to the U.S. and used to make a
popular line of natural skin care
and body products.
2017 was a busy year for the
growing company, starting with
being featured in AWB’s Grow
Here advertising campaign.
Alaffia also hosted a visit to
Washington state from the U.S.
ambassador to Togo,
and participated in a trade
summit in Togo that drew
leaders from 38 nations.
Alaffia.com
42 association of washington business
In April, then-AWB Board
Chair Wendy Sancewich sat
down with 25 women leaders
from across Washington’s
employer community for a
leadership luncheon with
four members of the Alaffia
Empowerment Council.
— Olowo-n’djo Tchala, co-founder and CEO, Alaffia
The Alaffia Empowerment
Council consists of women
leaders from Togo, Africa, where Tumwater-based Alaffia employs thousands of women.
During the lunch meeting, the women described how the council works to alleviate
poverty in Africa and empower women through economic opportunity and health and
well-being support.
The council is just one of the ways that Alaffia, a mission-driven, fair trade skin care
company, is working to improve life in Olympia and in the West African nation of Togo,
which ranks among the world’s poorest countries.
“It’s not about taking your profit and
giving it away. It’s not about that. It’s
about simply looking to your
community and seeing what support
you can provide.”