Shea Butter

Since we started blogging I never really explained what Shea butter is or where I was working or talked about the organization I work for.
The Shea tree grows naturally in the wild of the dry Savannah belt of West Africa. Its range stretches from Senegal in the west to Sudan in the east, and into the foothills of the Ethiopian highlands. Shea trees thrive in 19 countries across the African continent.
Shea butter has been produced and used by Africans for centuries as a hydrating cream for new born babies and women, and more surprisingly as a cooking oil.
The transformation of Shea butter has been an activity exclusively done by women, in their spare time between harvest seasons. The Shea butter helps rural families to fulfill their immediate financial needs as they frequently sell it. In the past 20 years, cosmetic and food (chocolate) companies have been more and more interested in its hydrating properties and for its natural fat. The demand fpr Shea butter is growing exponentially every year, but the supply chain, has had difficulties to get organised and realise the economic potential.
In this context, many NGOs are working with women producing shea butter because 1) there is a market for shea butter at the local, regional and international level and 2) because by organising the producers (often women) into economic groups and sensitising them on the market potential and the impact it could have on their income thus contributing to fighting poverty.
The Projet Karité started in 2004 in collaboration between the Ministry of promotion of women, children and family, the CECI (Centre d’Etude et de Cooperation Internationale) and UNIDO United Nation industrial Development Organisation). This projet`s objective is to fight poverty especially among women in rural communities in 4 of Mali`s regions. Since its starts, the project has created 8 cooperatives and trained more than 4000 women in the production techniques and in financial and cooperative management. From this project a brand called Kaloje was created. The work of all these women was recognised at the 2nd Shea butter international conference last year by receiving the first prize for quality. The project is reaching its end and is focusing on the management of these cooperatives to help them become independent and sustainable. As part of my work, I’m in charge of training them in financial management and in helping with the creation of the commercial structure to facilitate the selling of the product locally and internationally.
I find that many of the women I work with don’t realize the economic potential…
Up until now some of the challenges I encountered are the low level of education in the rural communities which makes training more difficult to give, the low level of organisation and little trust that men give to women.