Olowo-n’djo Tchala hungered to start his own business. The founder of personal and homecare brand, Ayéya, was born into poverty in Kaboli, Togo, West Africa. He grew up watching his mother’s fierce dedication to her community. In the early 1990s, he dropped out of school to accompany her on treks to farms in the sweltering heat during harvest season. The pair would bring back vegetables to feed their family of eight children, and to village elders who couldn’t walk. 

“One of the greatest things I learned from her is hard work,” Tchala told Happi via Zoom from Ghana.

Organizational Theory

Tchala applied this work ethic to his studies at the University of California, Davis. The public land-grant research university is lauded for its agricultural and environmental sciences. He was brought to the institution by his wife at the time. She was a student and whom he met when she visited his village with the Peace Corps. At UC-Davis, Tchala earned a degree in organizational theory. He was propelled by his curiosity to understand capitalism and the global system. 

A recipient of the US Secretary of State’s 2018 Award for Corporate Excellence in Women’s Economic Empowerment, Tchala is a member of the US Trade Advisory Committee on Africa. In 2019, Tchala was invited to the White House to discuss the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative. 

A Life in Balance 

His life’s mission to address systemic poverty and inequality in his homeland continues with the launch of second his venture. Ayéya is a personal and homecare brand. Its name is the Kabolian word for a life in balance. 

“I have found a way in my role that can work for the communities in West Africa and in America,” he said. “A mother in West Africa can use her skills to put food on the table; a family in America can use those products. [We aim] to do what is moral and right by both communities and use the market as a solution.”

This reciprocity is the foundation for Ayéya’s success. Tchala made use of Africa’s shea and coconut trees. The Ayéya line includes bar soaps and bath bombs. Homecare products include waterless dish and laundry detergent tablets, and an all-purpose cleaner. All products are housed in upcycled packaging that is 90% plastic-free. 

The products will provide economic independence to women in Africa through fair wages and employment. With full control over the supply chain, the brand is impacting the lives of 350,000 people in Togo and Ghana, according to Olowo-n’djo. 

The brand launched this past month at Whole Foods and Sprouts locations across the US, retailers who share its values of high-quality goods, sustainability and job security. 

Proceeds from Ayéya will go toward establishing clean water wells in Ghana and Togo, with a goal to provide clean water for five million people in the next five years.