The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019 43 schools to offer hands-on experience with science, technology, engineer- ing and math. We also teamed up with American companies, U.S. alumni of exchange programs and the Togolese govern- ment to create a nonprofit organi- zation to promote environmental education and carry out community cleanup activities, which regularly drew several hundred volunteers. In health care, we enlisted an American company to pay the shipping costs of donated medical equipment from the United States to outfit hospitals in Togo’s underdeveloped rural areas. We also leveraged U.S. Defense Department funding to attract an American company to help renovate and equip a health clinic in a populous Lomé neighborhood. Our most fruitful partnership was with the Olympia, Wash- ington-based company Alaffia, which makes natural skin and hair care products from African ingredients like shea butter and coconut oil. Founded by a returned Peace Corps Volunteer and her Togolese husband, Alaffia operates on a fair trade and social entrepreneurship model that emphasizes doing good works while generating jobs and making profits. This “conscious capitalism” approach is rapidly gaining popularity in the United States, where American consumers increasingly demand products that are responsibly sourced and environmentally sustainable. For African countries with agriculture-based economies, fair trade and social entrepre- neurship represent exciting new opportunities to supply natu- ral and organic products, and to increase economic prosperity for their citizens. Inspired by Alaffia’s success, Embassy Lomé made social entrepreneurship a centerpiece of our trade promotion activi- ties. I visited the company’s Washington state headquarters to highlight both the creation of American jobs and the social impact in Africa. We organized a campaign to educate the Togolese about social entrepreneurship and opportunities in the fast-growing $200 billion American market for natural, organic and fair-trade products. We showcased American and Togolese social enterprises at the embassy’s Independence Day celebration and organized a major conference on social entrepreneurship. Following that conference, the Togolese government established a special public-private task force to promote social enterprises and recommend policy changes to facilitate their formation. After we highlighted social entrepreneurship and fair trade at the AGOA Forum in Lomé, organic supermarket giant Whole Foods Market sent a delegation to Togo to deepen its supply chain connections with West Africa. The government of Togo is considering a “fair-trade friendly” marketing campaign for the country. Embassy Lomé’s business part- nerships produced winning results for everyone involved. We helped American companies showcase their corporate citizen- ship while enhancing the business climate and demonstrated the tangible ways that diplomats assist U.S. businesses over- seas. By promoting social entrepreneurship and fair trade, we enhanced America’s image, communicating that U.S. consum- ers are responsible global citizens who care about the welfare of producers in developing countries. We showed that fair trade raises rural incomes and reduces dependence on foreign aid by helping producers tap rapidly growing new markets. We helped change the Togolese mind- set about the role of government, and proved that citizens can work with businesses to make positive changes in their com- munity. Our embassy partnerships were a multiplier that vastly stretched our limited resources, inspired our staff members and improved morale. The Secretary of State’s Office of Global Partnerships recognized our efforts with its annual Partnership Excellence Award and cited Lomé as an “Embassy to Watch” in its 2018 annual report. Alaffia was the recipient of the 2018 Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence for Women’s Economic Empowerment. David R. Gilmour is a career member of the Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor. He served as deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs at State from 2011 until his appointment as ambassador to Togo in December 2015. Prior to that, he served as director of the Office of Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of African Affairs, deputy chief of mission for U.S. Embassy Panama City, and public affairs counselor for U.S. Mission Geneva. He also served as deputy chief of mission in Lilongwe and as public affairs officer for U.S. Consulate General Sydney. Ambassador Gilmour’s earlier assignments include Cameroon, Costa Rica, Senegal and South Africa. We collaborated on projects that offered businesses the opportunity to demonstrate good corporate citizenship.