Ripples co-develops, co-designs, and cooperates with the women and leaders of African villages and communities. We do not simply drop off care packages and move on. We have a team on ground and travel/check in regularly. During our visits we hold town hall meetings and we listen to the problems facing each and every community where we operate in. We want these women to create and take ownership of these programs they develop with sustainability and success in mind.
Our Approach
Ripples USA works with women and leaders of communities to develop programs based on their specific needs. Rather than develop a program and then introduce it to a community in an attempt to address their needs, we listen to their needs before co-developing programs with them. But it doesn’t stop there. We continue to stay in constant contact with Ripples villages to ensure the programs are running efficiently, what improvements can be made, and how else we can help uplift the community.
Our Impact
Ghana
Shea Butter
Shea butter production wasn’t new to the area. But Ripples found a way, along with the women business owners and leaders, to map the production and grade the quality of their Shea Butter. Improve the quality of their product through Shea nut grading, and Shea butter production grading improved their ability to market and sell their products internationally.
Nigeria
Medical Outreach
Ripples did not start as a medical non-profit. However, as we began sitting down at town hall meetings for feedback, we found our that we were losing 20% of productivity due to children and family members taking ill. Women were forced to stay home to care for sick children or care for themselves, treating illnesses for weeks that Western countries can treat in days. Ripples Medical Outreach was co-created with the women to address this problem.
Madagascar
Madagascar is a country that is rich in natural resources hence why Ripples, in partnership with local women, decided to create a variety of programs utilizing those resources. Today, Ripples women in Madagascar are skilled in the art of producing and exporting pottery and spices in both domestic and international markets. Additionally, Ripples has trained 1,500 women in sustainable farming techniques to ensure lasting and profitable resources for the future.