November Impact & Donations Recap

Jump to content:

• New Eco/Ergonomic Shea Roasters
• Konjeihi Women’s Enterprise Centre construction
• Kombo Nut Collectors Impact
• Processing Platform Commitment
• Children’s Health and Education
• Tapko Women’s Enterprise Centre
• SME of the Year for Sustainability & Social Investment
• and more

November was an exciting month on the donations and impact front.  Your purchases and the products you made, along with the tips you left on checkout (32% of purchases had a tip added) made a huge impact.

Our Giving Tuesday promo didn’t work so well (you were all so generous in your BFCM purchases so not a big deal).

Next year we will do Giving Tuesday differently and instead of asking our customers to make a donation (which they are doing throughout the year anyway) we will just make a donation on everyone’s behalf.  For this year we will be making a donation to allow us to increase the drying platforms at the Konjeihi Women’s Enterprise Centre and allow the women to easily process more of their crops and production.  Watch for the announcement coming soon!

Eco-Ergonomic Shea Nut (and Kombo Nut) Roasters

We installed and tested the new Eco-Ergonomic Shea Nut (and Kombo Nut) Roasters with support from evanhealy and Burn Design Lab. 

Happy times with the new shea roaster

Read more and watch the interview from launch day.

Konjeihi Womens’ Enterprise Centre construction

Haruna inspecting work at the site 

The Konjeihi Womens’ Enterprise Centre construction continued at a furious pace with:

• Completion of the drying platform, 
• Running power lines and connecting electricity, 
• Completion of processing room warehouse and floor, 
• Installation of Nut Crusher and Milling Machines

Razack connecting lights to the machine motors

Mason & son working assiduously on the water stand

Kombo Nut Collectors Impact

Impact on women/families in Kombo/Cocoa Forest: We visited the Kombo/Cocoa Forest and met with women who collect and prepare Cocoa Beans and Kombo Nuts and learnt about the impact your purchases are having.  See a short video narration here.

Into the Kombo Forest

Picking Kombo Nuts

Processing Platform Commitment

Drying Platform Expansion - As a Giving Tuesday Initiative Baraka has committed to expanding the drying platform at the Konjeihi Women’s Enterprise Centre.  The drying platform is key to the income potential of the Centre because that is where women dry and prepare production from their farms (Maize, peanuts (ground nuts) peppers and other crops).  Of course, it is also used for Shea Butter and Kombo Butter Production.

Newly casted drying platform

Drying platform

Children's Health and Education

Children and Families - every purchase you make from Baraka and every purchase of your products containing Baraka ingredients that your customers make from you has a direct impact on women, children and families.  Check out what these mothers have to say in videos from our Motherhood Series.

Tapko Women's Enterprise Centre

With the dry season making work possible again the Tapko Women’s Enterprise Centre construction continue and is nearly complete.

Tapko Women's Enterprise Centre nearly complete

Tapko Village women and chief

Tapko Women’s Enterprise Centre was originally built by Baraka volunteers Greg Horne and his partner who spent some month’s in Tapko completing a tree planting project and building the original Tapko Women’s Enterprise Centre.  The Centre was damaged by storms and needed to be completely rebuilt.   Greg made a major contribution and Baraka supplemented it with funds from the Dignity of Income Fund which is supported by your tips and donations.

SME of the Year for Sustainability & Social Investment

Baraka at the SME of the Year awards ceremony

SME of the Year for Sustainability & Social Investment Award

SME of the Year for Social Investment - (read more) Every purchase you make and every sale you make of products containing Baraka ingredients makes a difference.  Baraka is a small company and the only reason we can make this impact is from your work.  Together we are really doing amazing things.

And more...

Thank you so much for being on this journey with us.  It is truly Why Baraka Exists.

Remember, when you make a purchase you can add a tip that goes directly into the Dignity of Income Fund and you can also contribute directly here.