Pusu-Namongo: The Akoma Cooperative Women’s Group in Pusu-Namongo in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, have received a significant boost with the installation of a multipurpose shea butter processing machine aimed at enhancing production and improving livelihoods.
According to Ghana News Agency, the newly installed facility, which covers the entire shea butter production value chain, from nut cracking to final butter extraction, has the capacity to process at least one tonne of shea nuts daily. Additionally, selected women would be trained on operations of the machine, and this is expected to significantly increase productivity and income levels of the rural women engaged in the shea industry.
The initiative was spearheaded by Freeworld International in collaboration with African Ally, two non-governmental organizations (NGOs), under a project titled ‘Empowering Women Groups in the Struggle for Survival in Some Rural Communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana.’ The year-long project, which began in July 2024 and concluded in May 2025, was funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany through the Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Speaking at the inauguration of the facility at Pusu-Namongo, Dr. Eric Ambe Asoh, the Chief Executive Officer of African Ally, said the intervention was a bold step toward empowering rural women economically, improving their working conditions, and positioning them to meet growing market demands for shea products. The CEO said the intervention would enable the women to increase their production capacity and engage in other income-generating ventures.
In addition to training in quality shea butter production that meets international standards, the women were also supported with alternative livelihood initiatives, including small ruminant and guinea fowl rearing, as well as dawadawa, soybean, rice production, and parboiling. He added that the women were also trained in leadership, record-keeping, business and financial management, and the operations of Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) schemes, all aimed at fostering financial independence among the beneficiaries.
Mr. Benjamin Kwadwo Appiah, Executive Director of Freeworld International, said two tablets preloaded with all the training materials from the project were donated to the women to enhance knowledge transfer and ensure sustainability. Mr. Appiah expressed hope that the beneficiaries would replicate the knowledge gained to others within the community.
Dr. David Anambam, Technical Director of Freeworld International, revealed that the idea for the project was born out of research conducted in 2014, which showed that local women were still producing shea butter manually under strenuous conditions. He expressed confidence that the new machine would improve productivity and overall livelihoods in the community, while urging the women to adopt a strong maintenance culture to ensure the longevity of the equipment.
Mrs. Juliana Sampana, Chairperson of the Akoma Cooperative Women’s Group, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the project implementers and partners, noting that the training had greatly enhanced their ability to manage their businesses efficiently for better returns. ‘This machine will greatly reduce the time and effort we put into processing shea butter. We are committed to maintaining it to ensure it serves us and generations to come,’ she pledged.