Rising junior Carolyn Erving is spending the summer in Oakland, Calif., doing an internship through the Environmental Studies department. Erving is working with Kuli Kuli, a startup founded by Whitman alumna Lisa Curtis ’10.

Kuli Kuli makes various food products out of moringa, a green superfood grown on tropical moringa trees. A central part of Kuli Kuli’s mission is to partner with female Ghanaian farmers who harvest the moringa and to help these women sustain themselves financially, rather than simply giving them a handout.

“I’ve been very passionate about how Kuli Kuli maintains relationships,” said Erving. “They’re not just coming here to provide a quick fix solution; we empower these women so they can improve their lives … It’s more of a long-term solution helping to solve a huge world problem.”

Kuli Kuli has been quite successful in aiding their partners. According to Erving, the women they work with now earn approximately three times Ghana’s national average.

Kuli Kuli is in the running for a $25,000 grant that would help further their success. The grant is provided by the clothing company Ledbury.

“[Ledbury is] pretty successful so they wanted to share their startup expertise and kind of act as a mentor for other startups. [Kuli Kuli] was selected along with three other companies to compete for the grant,” said Erving.

The grant is awarded in part based on popular vote, so every vote from a Kuli Kuli supporter increases their chances of winning. To learn more about the Ledbury Launch Fund and to vote for Kuli Kuli, please visit www.ledbury.com/launch. Voting ends on June 24.

More information about Kuli Kuli is available on their website, www.kulikulifoods.com

Update: We are pleased to announce that Kuli Kuli Foods won the grant!