AAK sustainability report 2018

30 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. 98% state that selling shea kernels is a good way to make money 70% of the money of the pre-financing is invested for future returns 30% 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 30 Coin with 1 Smiley Money Marked calendar