Sheanut Butter Project

Lasajang Community Project (LCP) Scottish Charity Number SC037448

Ordinary People Making Extraordinary Differences!

SHEANUT BUTTER PROJECT

Sheanut Butter is one of the Africa’s most sustainable natural resources. The Shea trees grow naturally in the savannah of West Africa and do not need irrigation, fertilizer, or pesticides. It takes at least 25 years for a Shea tree to produce large numbers of fruits.

Sheanut Butter has been used for centuries in Africa for its moisturising and healing properties, where it has been used to protect and condition skin, which have been damaged, by the sun and wind (benefits of sheanut butter).

The Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland awarded our charity £11,450 to improve sheanut butter production in the village Pulima in northern Ghana. During May 2009 we provided equipment for the mechanical extraction of the butter increasing the output, saving the women manual energy and reducing the amount of firewood required (see our gallery below).

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We are selling pure sheanut butter produced by the local women from Pulima village in northern Ghana. By helping the women make a decent living they are much better placed to support their families.

The shea nuts are a great source of income, and are pounded to produce butter which can be used for cooking, body lotion and medicinal purposes. What is left can be used as a fuel, and then the ash can be used to produce soap. The shell of the nut is also used as fertiliser.

Buy our pure Sheanut butter for dry skin and other skin conditions

All the work was done manually, but the award means there is now mechanical equipment which not only makes people’s lives easier by making the work easier but also means they can now produce enough to sell. The extra money they earn makes a huge difference to them and to their children.

OUR GALLERY

Click on a photo below to enlarge

Photographs showing the implementation of our sheanut production project in Pulima village, northern Ghana during May 2009.

Children in Pulima who will benefit from their mother's improved income

Manually pounding the sheanuts by the physically demanding traditional method

PULIMA SHEANUT CO-OPERATIVE

Pulima Sheanut Co-operative is made up of approximately 250 women and their families in Pulima, a small rural village in the Upper West Region of northern Ghana. The Upper West Region is the poorest region in Ghana and the villagers survive by subsistence farming. The women in Pulima supplement their income by making and selling sheanut butter.

The grinding, roasting and kneading equipment has reduced approximately 3 hours from the daily workload of the women. The grinding mill has replaced the women pounding the nuts by hand, which is a physically demanding process. The roaster equipment has reduced the amount of firewood collected by the women by 80%. The women have more time to spend on educating their children and the increased income will improve their living conditions.

Sheanuts spread out on the ground for drying

Benefits of Sheanut Butter:

Sheanut Butter is naturally rich in Vitamins A, E, and F, as well as a number of other vitamins and minerals. Vitamins A and E help to soothe, hydrate, and balance the skin. They also provide skin collagen, which assists with wrinkles and other signs of ageing. Vitamin F contains essential fatty acids, and helps protect and revitalize damaged skin and hair. It promotes skin renewal, increases the circulation, and accelerates wound healing.

The top 10 benefits are:

Moisturiser for Dry Skin
Eczema Cream
Blemish Cream
For Softer Smoother Skin
For Burns
Wrinkle Reduction Cream
Moisturiser for Dry Hair
Anti-aging Cream
Anti-itch Cream
Skin Abrasions