Help 120 Women in Dio Build a Shea Butter Facility

Summary

Shea Yeleen seeks to build a processing facility in Dio, Mali to help women improve their cooperative shea butter business, and train members on how to produce and sell shea products globally.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

Shea butter production, historically a reliable source of income for women, is a developing sector in Mali’s economy. The rising demand for shea butter from international companies that produce beauty products presents a unique opportunity for women-owned shea businesses to increase their income. However, the lack of proper production facilities creates an obstacle for shea butter producers. Constructing a shea butter processing and storage will benefit 120 women from 7 villages surrounding Dio.

How will this project solve this problem?

A shea butter facility will provide a central location for women from Dio and 7 surrounding villages to store and process their shea nuts. It will also serve as a location for business training and the administrative headquarters for the cooperative.

Potential Long Term Impact

The improved quality of shea butter produced at this facility will enable the women to increase their profits, thereby growing their business, allowing them to care for their families, and empowering them to become decision makers in their community.

Project Message

"I joined the cooperative to make money to send my children to school."
- Mme Niare , President of Cooperative

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources