Established in 2009 and literally translating as ‘house of benefits of shea kernels’, our Kolo Nafaso direct sourcing program now operates in three West African countries and has opened up new opportunities for hundreds of thousands of women shea collectors to improve their lives and livelihoods, together with those of their families and communities.

The program focuses on women’s empowerment through direct trade. External audits and qualitative studies confirm its contribution to alleviating poverty, improving health and safety, and providing better business opportunities and environmental benefits through ongoing partnerships such as our collaboration with Saha Global to bring clean, safe drinking water to northern Ghana and customer impact projects, including tree planting initiatives, energy-efficient cookstove training projects, and village savings and loan associations (VSLAs).