Dear friends,

We are two university students from the University of Copenhagen. We are kindly asking for your help in financing a support project for women collecting shea nuts in northern Ghana.

For the past two months, we have been doing field work in northern Ghana for our masters thesis. We have have had the opportunity to meet over 60 women collecting shea nuts in areas close to Garu in the upper-east region.

Shea is a crucial ingredient in many food and cosmetic products that are predominantly consumed in the Global North. As demand for shea grows, it has become an essential source of income for these women, who are key contributors to the shea industry. However, despite their significant role, the necessary tools and resources to support their work often remain out of reach.

As a thank you for their time in participating in our research, we would like to provide something which can benefit them and support their work with shea nuts. We have a list of needs that they voiced, however depending on how much we are able raise, we will decide on how the allocation of the funds can be best spent. Here are some examples of how the money can be distributed:

- Training for soap production (soap has a higher selling price which helps them increase their ability to access income generating activities)

- Tricycles (aiding their transport of nuts from location to location in order to reduce transportation costs and walking distance with heavy material)

- Equipment for collecting nuts e.g boots and gloves (in order to prevent injuries when picking, as e.g snake bites are common)

- Grinding mill to make shea butter (making the shea butter is a very labor intensive work and machinery to aid the process is helpful and time efficient)

- Community infrastructural support (e.g school benches, boards, and supplies)

If you would like to stay informed or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us in the comments section.

Thank you for your support!

Best,

Karina Kramer and Yasmin