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Kolo Nafaso – direct feedback from the women
AAK regularly conducts surveys to receive feedback
from the shea-collecting women we directly work
with. In 2018, we conducted surveys in Burkina Faso
and Ghana. Almost 1,000 women responded to our
questionnaire.
To conduct such a big survey we need to mobilize
many resources. But for us, it is very important to
reach out to the women and receive feedback so that
we can improve our way of working. It is also a good
opportunity for AAK to better understand the practices
and challenges around shea collection and post-harvest
practices.
The survey was also a good mean to do our due
diligence on human rights, for example, by making sure
there is no child labor in our supply chain.
78 percent of the women say that their children
participate
in collecting shea.
99.7 percent say it doesn’t prevent them from going
to school.
Two women from Ghana explained that a few mornings
a year, during the peak of the shea picking season,
they would take their daughters out of school and bring
them to collect shea to contribute to the family’s income.
Then they would go back to the village and cook lunch
for their daughters before sending them to school in the
afternoon.
These girls do go to school and therefore we do not
consider this child labor.
Another important fact to check for AAK is if the
money from the sold shea goes to the women, or if their
husbands, who own the land, are taking the money. Our
survey shows that 94 percent of the money goes to the
women which then will benefit the whole family.
The women invest in different small businesses such
as producing and selling foodstuffs, soaps, clothes,
which then generate a positive impact on the livelihoods
of the households.
Marked 70%calendar
of the money of
the pre-financing
is invested for
future returns
98%
state that selling
shea kernels is a
good way to make
money
30%Money
of the money of
the pre-financing
is spent to ensure
food security and
basic needs
92%
of the women are
satisfied with the
way AAK works
with the group
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Coin with 1 Smiley