The group
An international group rooted in the rainforest
Afu-Mena Group connects trade, responsible mining, consultancy, knowledge and culture. From Suriname, French Guiana and the Netherlands we build entrepreneurship that adds value to the region where it emerges.
Da.Awani Holding B.V.
Heritage refined, future defined.
Da.Awani Holding B.V. is the strategic holding behind companies, investments, consultancy and international initiatives. Based in the Netherlands, it creates sustainable economic value by connecting entrepreneurship, innovation, knowledge and international cooperation.
The focus is on Europe, Suriname, French Guiana, the Caribbean and the diaspora. The holding builds bridges between markets, cultures, knowledge networks and investment opportunities.
Heritage refined, future defined.
Mission and vision
Why we exist
Mission
Creating sustainable economic and societal value by connecting entrepreneurship, innovation, knowledge and investment.
Vision
An international ecosystem where entrepreneurship, culture, knowledge and capital create sustainable growth, self-reliance and impact for future generations.
Slogan
Empower, Enrich: Cherish Past, Protect Nature!
Cherish what you have. Build what is possible.
Core activities
Four core activities of the holding
Consultancy & Advisory
Advice and guidance for companies, governments and organisations, from strategy to organisational development.
Entrepreneurship & Business Development
Developing entrepreneurship and growing companies, with business model innovation as the method.
Investments & Holdings
Participations and investments that carry and strengthen the activities of the group.
Community Development & CSR
Investing in communities and corporate social responsibility as a fixed part of the work.
Core values
Seven values of the holding
Integrity
Keeping agreements and being open about what is and is not possible.
Leadership
Taking responsibility and giving direction, also when it is uncomfortable.
Innovation
Renewing existing models instead of repeating them.
Sustainability
Making choices that hold up across generations.
Connection
Bringing markets, cultures and networks into contact with each other.
Entrepreneurship
Seeing opportunities and turning them into working companies.
Societal impact
Value that reaches beyond our own balance sheet.
Mission and vision of Afu-Mena
What Afu-Mena itself stands for
Alongside the mission and vision of the holding company, Afu-Mena has its own mission, vision and set of core values. They speak to the work in the region itself.
Mission of Afu-Mena
Cherish and respect nature and culture.
Vision of Afu-Mena
Look beyond the horizon to anticipate change, and thus positively affect the future.
Core values of Afu-Mena
Transparency and openness
Clear contracts and honesty about costs and benefits.
Creativity and innovation
Thinking out of the box and exploring uncharted territory, literally and figuratively.
Sustainability and reliability
A professional organisation with corporate social responsibility as its highest priority.
What Afu-Mena does
Four lines of activity
In the company’s own words.
Management consultancy, business support, coaching and training.
Strengthening the wealth of art and culture among rural communities in the Surinamese interior.
Mining, processing and wholesale export of gold and other minerals.
Production and innovation of traditional Maroon and Indigenous food.
For this work Afu-Mena cooperates with local NGOs, freelance professionals, rural communities and small organisations that support the Maroon and Indigenous peoples, their culture and the environment.
Timeline
The group over time
March 2010
Afu-Mena N.V. is founded
Paulus Boike Tojo founds Afu-Mena N.V. in Suriname.
June 2010
Afu-Mena Consultancy starts
The consultancy practice begins: advice and guidance for entrepreneurs, organisations and communities.
2015
Entrepreneurship training programmes start
The group begins delivering training programmes for entrepreneurs.
October 2015
Afu-Mena Superfoods
The Superfoods business unit starts with products from the rainforest.
2016
Business Model TV is created
Business Model TV is founded as an educational media and knowledge platform for entrepreneurs.
July 2022
Afu-Mena International
The International business unit starts; it holds the gold activities of the group.
Today
The group under Da.Awani Holding B.V.
Afu-Mena Group is structured under Da.Awani Holding B.V., with entities in Suriname, the Netherlands and French Guiana.
Founder
Paulus Boike Tojo MBA (DBA Candidate)
Chief Executive Officer, Afu-Mena Group
Paulus Boike Tojo is an entrepreneur, consultant, trainer and business developer. He was born in 1973 in the Maroon village of Witagron and founded Afu-Mena N.V. in March 2010.
His background lies in art and culture, tourism, mining, training and development, and online sales. He has delivered training programmes since 2015 and created Business Model TV in 2016.
Background and credentials
- MBA International Action Learning, Business School Netherlands, 2015.
- Founder and Managing Director of Afu-Mena since 2010.
- Corporate social responsibility experience in the mining sector at Newmont, 2010 to 2014.
- Languages: Dutch, English, Sranan and Maroon language (Businenge).
Expertise
- Strategic management
- Organisational development
- Entrepreneurship development
- Stakeholder management
- Business model innovation
- Corporate social responsibility
- International trade
- Business development
The team
The people behind the group
The Afu-Mena Group team works from Suriname, the Netherlands and French Guiana.
Paulus Boike Tojo
Chief Executive Officer
Merelyn Koedoe-Abili
Executive Office Manager
Phylicia van Cooten
Coordinator Operations
Michele Donaghue
Coordinator Finance
Xerxes Moestadja
Business Development and Sales
Jelisa Tojo
ICT and Data
Charissa Nathan
Finance
Armando Abioni
Purchasing
Noekie Tojo
Purchasing
Portrait photography will be added later.
Where we work
Three countries, one group
The group works from three countries. Each country has its own role, with its own entities and its own market.
Suriname
Afu-Mena NV · Afu-Mena International NV · Afu-Mena Consultancy NV
The country the group comes from. Here sit the operations, the gold activities and the consultancy practice.
French Guiana
Afu-Mena Guyane
From Cayenne the group works on trade and distribution, textile art, training and Business Model TV.
Netherlands
Da.Awani Holding B.V. · Afu-Mena BV · Ma-Danso BV
The European base of the group: the holding, European activities and the connection with the diaspora.
Read on
See how the group is structured
The operating companies show how the group is built. For questions about working together, we are open to a conversation.