Shea Butter and African Black Soap

Kaboli was founded by Odé Amoun, a hunter from Nigeria, nine generations ago. Odé Amoun came to the area two times a year to hunt. The area is on the top of a hill and was surrounded by dense forest, therefore he thought is was a good and safe place to stay. To test this, he left two chickens - a rooster and a hen - with these words, "if this is good land, then when I return there will be many chickens here." After about six months, Odé Amoun returned and saw there were nine chickens. He decided to stay and made his home further down the hill at a spot where a small creek attracted wildlife life buffalo and elephants. This spot and Ita Gingelé, where he left the two chickens, are sacred to the village. Ita Gingelé is regarded as the home of the village ancestors and is the site of the Yam Festival every other August. After Odé Amoun settled, he made another trip to Nigeria and brought more people with him. Today, the nieghborhoods of the town are named after the nine original founders who followed the hunter to the area.

Kaboli is a large town with a population over 13,000. Kaboli is located on a major crossroads between the central regions of Togo and Benin. As a result, the town is a major trading center for agricultural commodities. Every Saturday there is a large market, with trucks and traders coming from major towns in both Benin and Togo to trade for bulk foods, including maize, sorghum, beans, peanuts, manioc, and yams. Livestock and agricultural implements are also traded in this market.

Kaboli and the surrounding area are known in Togo for shea nuts and shea butter. Agbanga Karite Group has several nut gathering and storage centers in Kaboli.

Kaboli is also well known for its Yam Festival, held every other August. The Yam Festival celebrates the history of the town and gives thanks to the ancestors for the yam harvest.

See pictures of Kaboli in our Central Region slide show

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