Khaya Cookies: Cookies with a Conscience

Khaya Cookies on Behind the Brand

The folks over at Motto Agency have devoted today to us!
 
We’ve been selected as their Behind the Brand feature, with an interview with Alicia and free cookie giveaways today only!
 
Check out their Facebook page to read all about it!

All About Our Apricots

A Story in Pictures

These days more and more people are curious about where their food comes from, ourselves included. Here’s how one ingredient – organic apricots – get from the farm into our cookies.

 

The apricots we use for our Granola Fruit Krunchi come from Tierhoek Organic Farm, 2 hours’ drive outside of Cape Town.

 

Workers clean, pit and prepare the apricots for drying. As you can see, much of the process is done by hand.

 

Bruce and Alison Gilson, the owners of the farm, help the workers attend school, and some are learning to read and write for the first time. In addition, these workers’ children are helped with daycare and school fees, and help purchase school uniforms and books for them.

 

The apricots go to the oven for drying.

 

Then, they’re packed and sent to our factory and mixed with granola, dates, and other delicious ingredients to make the Krunchi.

The End. Enjoy!

Spring has Sprung – A Season of Renewal – Just a Few Reflections as our Latest Container Leaves Cape Town for the U.S. Packed with Khaya Cookies.

Spring has almost sprung although for those of us on the East Coast it doesn’t quite feel like it.

Spring is my favorite time of the year.  It is about renewal. Wikipedia tells us that the word spring can not only refer to the season but “broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth”. That is what this Spring is about for Khaya and me. It’s been a tough year for Khaya. We’ve struggled with sales. We have lots and lots of competiton. Try and compete with Whole Foods 365 Brand or don’t we all love Oreo™, Cookies (yes, I admit I love them!).  It is a tough market out there. But, this isn’t about cookies to me.  This is about the renewal and rebirth that this Company I have built from scratch gives the women and men who I employ in South Africa.  It is about the sense of renewal I feel every time we put a container on the water. It means that out there, I know someone cares about making a difference or as you have all heard me say many times over, “Creating Opportunity One Bite at a Time.” These are Khaya Cookies and they truly help Create Opportunity One Bite at a Time. Just ask Andiswa one of my very first workers.   With the help of The Khaya Cookie Company she will graduate from Cape Technikon University on 14 April.  This is an incredible accomplishment for a young girl who grew up in the townships of South Africa. 

So what I say to you as we are coming upon this season of renewal and rebirth – thank you to each and every one of you for caring and buying Khaya Cookies. Even that one pack you purchased has truly helped Create Opportunity One Bite at a Time.

All my best,

Alicia
Founder & CEO

Do Good/Look Good - Socially Conscious Fashion

In case you’ve ever wondered how to do good while looking good, I’ve found some legitimately fashionable companies that also do great things for others.

You've probably heard of Tom's Shoes - we blogged about them last year. But here are some others for you to check out:

 

Keza's bright, chunky jewelry are real statement pieces. But by wearing them, you can make an even bigger statement - helping Rwandan women break out of poverty and create opportunities for themselves and their families – something that we at Khaya can really get behind. You can read more about their mission (and why they chose to get into fashion) here.

Keza's Nuru necklace

 

Finally, Warby Parker eyewear is the greatest. If I were Oprah they would be my new favorite thing. The designs are terrifically on-point modernizations of vintage styles (they even offer a monocle if you think you can pull it off) and for each pair you buy, Warby Parker works with nonprofits to distribute another pair to those who need them. The best part is that none of the styles costs more than $95 – lenses included! You can try as many pairs as you like at home for free, so there’s no downside to buying online. As someone who has spent over $500 on a single pair of specs that didn’t look half as awesome, and didn’t help anyone else in the process, I’m officially in love.

The Huxley

Keep these guys in mind on your next e-shopping trip. You'll be able to look awesome and make someone else's life better at the same time!

Khaya Cookie Company - How you Can Help Us Help Haiti One Box of Khaya Cookies at a Time

I have seen disasters firsthand. In 2000  I witnessed the after-effects left by a combination of a cyclone and the flooding of three rivers in Mozambique.  This event caused catastrophic floods in January and February of that year.  I was there to see the devastation those floods caused.  Some 700 persons were killed, 300,000 persons were left homeless and 750,000 persons were affected by these floods in Southern Mozambique.  This is nothing in comparison to what has happened in Haiti.  This is beyond my comprehension. These scenes shaped the course of my future and ultimately made my mind up that one day, I would try and help others in same way, shape or form.  This “form” turned out to be sustainable job creation.  I believe a job provides a person with a sense of dignity and pride and ultimately can save a person’s life, spirit and soul. Because of my firm belief in hand-ups and not hands-outs, I have spent much time researching the non-profit that I would like to donate a portion of Khaya’s proceeds to.  I chose Action Against Hunger.  They received a 4 Star Rating from Charity Navigator.

WHAT DOES ACTION AGAINST HUNGER DO?

They  combat global hunger and save lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection, and treatment of malnutrition, especially during and after emergency situations of conflict, war and natural disaster.  From crisis to sustainability, they work to tackle the underlying causes of malnutrition and its effects.   They do this by using their expertise in nutrition, food security, water and sanitation, health and advocacy

WHY DID I CHOSE ACTION AGAINST HUNGER?

They integrate their programs with local and national systems. This ensures that short-term interventions become long-term solutions.  I believe very strongly in long-term solutions, such as job creation.  If you would like to read more about them, please see their rating on Charity Navigator http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3212 and their website http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/

WHAT IS THE KHAYA COOKIE COMPANY DOING?

For every box sold of our antioxidant rich Grapeseed Shortbreads, we will give ONE HALF of our proceeds to Action Against Hunger.  Please help us make a significant contribution.  You get our Grapeseed Shortbreads loaded with antioxidants from South African grapes surrounded by tangy currants in our crisp shortbread cookie and you get to help out Haiti and the women of South Africa who are employed making our Khaya Cookies.  You can't go wrong here!