History
When you think of little villages in Africa, what comes on your mind? Probably you imagine straw shacks where poor dressed children play around with rubber tires. Or maybe you envision animals searching for something to eat in a desert area or women cooking cassava or rice on a wood fire?But do you think of coconut palms? I'm not talking about a lost one on the beach, where you can hang a hammock and sip your cocktail while listening to the sound of the sea. But a whole forest of cocos. Yes. That is how Seko looks like. This little village, located at the coast in the south of Togo, was once internationally well known for its coconuts. Since whole families made their living with trading coconut oil, Seko was a prosperous community.
In 2002 Franck left Seko and came to Belgium. But he never thought things would change so quickly. When he revisited his hometown two years ago, his peaceful image of Seko shattered. All the young people left the village, looking for a better life in the capital city Lomé. Old people were sitting at their frontdoor, watching the sun set behind the forest. Nigerian businessmen walked around to buy coconuts as raw material for beautyproducts. Few women remained. Although they were once the driving force of Seko, they had abandoned the tradition in order to earn more money.
As Africans are very attached to their family and tradition, this left Franck heartbroken. What could he do to bring back the beauty of Seko? Yes, indeed. Relight the tradition of making coconut oil and create an attractive reason for the yought to come back to their hometown. And that is how SIKA, which means gold, was born.
