Desert Date Co. is a social enterprise working with over 200 Women and Youths in the desert date value chain in Uganda and South Sudan. 

We have trained these women to collect desert date nuts from desert date trees (Balanites aegyptica).

By only collecting the nuts which have fallen to the ground, we are mitigating deforestation by preventing people from cutting down these trees for charcoal production. We pay premium prices for the collected nuts which are much higher than what the revenue from selling charcoal would be. 

We press desert date oil from these nuts and are using the oil as ingredient for luxurious skin care products.

Forest to Skin - Skincare with a Purpose: www.lopetree.com

We are also selling our ingredients to companies and brands which are interested in using the ingredients for their own products.

We allocate some percentage of the profits from our brands to undertake reforestation programs along the River Nile, specifically along the Albert Nile river belt.

Our Team:

William Butti Obulejo: Co-Founder and Operations Manager, based in Uganda

Lauren Servin: Co-Founder and Technical Officer, in charge of brand development based in Philadelphia, USA

Lucy Alega: Marketing Officer, in charge of social media based in Kampala, Uganda

Moses Amolu: Production Officer and Head of Training

Conservation & Community Impacts:

1.Deforestation Mitigation: The entire area along the Albert Nile river belt is experiencing massive deforestation due to the booming charcoal business. Our enterprise aims to mitigate these challenges of deforestation along that entire belt.

2.Flooding Mitigation: As the forest cover decreases along the Albert Nile river belt, cases of flooding increase causing displacement of homes and incidences of new diseases. Through our enterprise we are able to reduce frequent incidences of flooding.

3.Job Opportunities: Our enterprise has created new and better paying jobs for women and youths in the community. Their income makes it possible to save more money for other emergencies, such as buying medication in case of sickness.

4.Reduced Malnutrition: Incidences of malnutrition among children has drastically reduced as feeding among the community members has improved due to increased income.

Future Aims:

1. Scaling our afforestation program

2. Establishing an ecotourism centre: rafting along the Albert Nile

3. Implementing new collection centres for nuts

4. Building new oil pressing centres

5. Funding schools fees for girls

Images provided.