How Ghanaian entrepreneur is expanding shea business to give elderly women employment

Ajike Shea Centre is a social enterprise which was established to empower rural women who are the backbones of their families.

The enterprise produces shea products including soap, body cream and oil made from only natural additives.

Ajike Shea Centre Pulse Ghana

"Our products are plant-based. They are natural. We only use edible additives, we don't use artificial colouring in all our products. we use edibles like moringa and neem to colour green, and turmeric to colour yellow, amongst others. The products are good for everyone. Whether dry skin, oily skin, women or men or children, we have products to suit everybody," Ajike Dsani said at the shop opening at East Legon.

Located in the Northern Region of Ghana, West Africa, the centre was created not only to provide sustainable stable income in the Shea butter production but so that these women can also start other businesses that would be an additional source of income so they are able to send their children to school throughout the year.

When Ajike came in contact with one of the women in the community from whom she buys Shea butter for her hair and body butter, she learnt of their hardship and how middlemen have been taking advantage of their situation.

She saw their suffering and hardship first-hand as she saw very old women in their 70’s still producing Shea butter because according to them, they would go hungry if they stopped and so they continue until they can no longer walk to the wild to pick the Shea nuts nor have the physical power to kneel during Shea butter production.

Their children also cannot support their aged mothers because they are all in the village as subsistence farmers who also have to depend on their mothers for support.

Ajike Shea Centre Pulse Ghana

Before the centre, these women would risk snake bites in the wild to pick Shea nuts that drop from the Shea trees during harvest season, produce unrefined Shea butter after a series of tedious processes and get to sell their Shea nuts and butter cheaply to middlemen on credit who will pay 3 weeks later after these middlemen sell with a very high-profit margin. Producing at the centre allows them to be in charge as they not only get paid by the centre for the fresh Shea nuts they have picked but in addition, they are employed and get paid for the production of their Shea nuts into butter.

Ajike Shea Centre currently has situated a shop at East Legon where one can get their products.