72,000 Women and Youth Supported in Creating Jobs within Shea Industry
Over 72,000 Women and Youth in Northern Ghana's Shea Industry Benefit from GHC3 Million Intervention, Creating Dignified Jobs and Business Expansion
The Shea Business Empowerment Programme (SBEP), a three-year initiative, has significantly supported women shea collectors, cooperatives, and Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Northern Ghana’s shea industry. Spearheaded by the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) and funded by the Mastercard Foundation, the program aims to enhance livelihoods and business growth among its beneficiaries. Additional partners include Women for Change, Soft Tribe, Advans Ghana, Agrocenta, and the University for Development Studies (UDS).
At an impact assessment event in Tamale, Aaron Adu, Managing Director of the Global Shea Alliance, highlighted that over GHC3 million has been disbursed to aid beneficiaries in expanding their enterprises and elevating their living standards.
Mr. Adu highlighted that the Shea Business Empowerment Programme (SBEP) has incorporated youth, including students, through internship programs with shea cooperatives to learn and gain practical experience in the industry’s operations.
He noted that the initiative provided 370 tricycles and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to women shea cooperatives, significantly enhancing their operational efficiency and safety. Mr. Adu emphasized a remarkable 100% increase in productivity among women involved in shea collection and aggregation, with each woman now averaging two to four bags of shea.
The programme operates on three core pillars: enhancing aggregation and financial inclusion, formalizing women-led cooperatives as small businesses, and increasing income, market access, and trade to alleviate challenges within the shea industry.
Mr. Adu underscored that the shea industry traditionally skewed towards older women but has now attracted more young participants due to the project’s outreach and opportunities.
