Community development is at the heart of our business. Without the support of the women in our rural villages, not a single drop of oil would reach the shelves. The generational knowledge and hard work of these ladies are what makes it possible for Rou Organics to share our African Oils with the world.
With the economic hardship in the rural communities in our outlying areas, it has become common practice for men to work in the big cities, leaving their wives and children in the villages while they seek employment. On average, these households receive R460 ($26) per month in social grants and live mainly from produce grown in small subsistence gardens. These areas are underserviced with a very limited infrastructure and little to no access to running water, medicine and schools.
The employment generated through harvesting of the various fruit and seeds have become a very important income to hundreds of families. Through our social development programs Rou Organics and our partners can contribute significantly to the drilling of boreholes, school improvement and clinics in these communities. Each barrel of oil that is sold has a direct influence on the lives and livelihood of countless women and their children.