Kukura means growth in Shona and that is what we stand for. We believe that rural communities in Africa can grow and thrive by harvesting and adding value to naturally available products found in their communities. As a diverse group of enthusiastic social entrepreneurs, we intend to grow ourselves by expanding our experience with sustainable fair trade, the value and respect for nature and adding value to indigenous organic products. Thereby, making a contribution to the growth and sustainability of local communities in Zimbabwe.
Our approach & values
We value nature
At Kukura, our approach focuses on organic wild harvesting and growing of all our products. We view our products as gifts from nature and so throughout our value chain we promote the philosophy that nature provides many treasures that should be used and treated with respect.
Our Xeminia, Mongongo, Marula and Moringa nuts are harvested directly from the wild and we train our communities on organic wild harvesting. Additionally, we are learning from and supporting indigenous knowledge on the special cosmetic properties in the products we process. We want to introduce this knowledge into the global cosmetic marketplace so that cosmetic companies can utilize more of these nourishing ingredients in their products.
We are fair
Our whole production process takes place in Zimbabwe, from the harvesting of the fruits to the pressing of the oils. Throughout the process, we ensure that our employees and the communities we work with receive fair prices and pay.
We favour building long-term relationships with our partners that foster mutually beneficial working networks. Together with the communities that harvest our products, we explore opportunities for improving their livelihoods by contributing a percentage of profits to addressing community needs.
We promote sustainable growth
We believe in sustainable, green, and fair value chains. By paying fair prices and training our harvesters in sustainable harvesting, we are contributing to rural social economic development and improved livelihoods in local communities.
Furthermore, with an emphasis on (semi) dry areas with limited economic activities, Kukura is providing opportunities for income generation for vulnerable rural households. This is especially true for women (particularly single parents and widows many of whom have limited sources of income) who are being uplifted and empowered through the work they do with Kukura.
The Kukura model
Kukura works closely with rural communities in three regions of Zimbabwe. Following a training on organic wild harvesting, local teams wild harvest the ripe fruits and extract the nuts which are then dried in the sun. To ensure quality control the nuts are then cracked at a central location, where the kernels removed for cold press extraction of oil. The entire value chain employs local people thereby increasing employment opportunities.
Kukura has a presence in Zimbabwe and Europe, which means that we can maintain close relationships with the communities we work with and our customers.
Our team
We are a diverse team with backgrounds in (community) development, agri-business, and international trade, based both in Europe and Zimbabwe. As a team, we share a strong belief in organic, fair trade business and through Kukura want to make our own small contribution to a better world.