The majority of the very poorest people live in the driest parts of the Africa. Which, coincidentally, also happens to be the areas where Baobab occurs.
That is why a market for Baobab products is so incredibly valuable to people living in these areas. In southern Africa, Baobab grows in very dry areas, with rainfall of as little as 500mm (19 inches) a year (that’s why our Baobab has such a concentrated vitamin C content). It fruits in the middle of the dry season, when there is nothing else growing and very little in the way of other income earning opportunities for people.
When you earn an average of $100 a year, even a small amount of extra cash goes a very long way. Harvesters are able to multiply their annual cash income many times over just by selling Baobab, enabling them to pay for their children’s education and other essentials. That is why the Baobab trade is so important to people’s livelihoods.
Harvesters are paid upfront when they bring their fruit to rural collection points. As we expand our operations, we hope to continue to widen the scope of impact.
Partnering with Thirst Relief
Thirst Relief develops clean water resources for rural communities in Africa and around the world. The impact of clean water can’t be underestimated. When a community has it’s own clean water resource we see:
- Taking the women and girls off the water trails protects them from sexual assault and kidnapping risks.
- Women and girls do not have to go on long walking trails every day to retrieve water saving them time and enabling them to go to work or school.
- Risk of death is averted. (780 million people currently lack clean water and some estimates say that every 21 seconds someone dies because of a lack of clean water).
- Air pollution is reduced because water doesn’t need to be boiled before drinking it.
- People get well from bacterial infections
- They are able to digest their food properly..
- Malaria pills work better as does all medicine.
- The family chickens start laying eggs again or lay better eggs.
- The family animals (if they have a goat or others) become stronger and healthier.
We feel blessed to partner with this incredible organization. 5% of all profits from the sales of our organic products help Thirst Relief to continue their valuable mission.