The Process: The Women Behind Shea
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The Women Behind Shea Butter
Be a part of the process of curating a space for stories about women behind the production of shea.
Hanahana Beauty is an all-natural skincare line that is dedicated to uplifting women of color through the creation of homemade products and the development of a platform for conversation and highlighting black women’s experiences. By contributing to this project, The Process, you will help shed light on the women behind the production of shea butter and their method. Your support is a direct contribution to the radical transformation of how we engage with branding and cultural products.
About me:
Hi, I’m Abena Boamah-Acheampong—an educator, grad student, and the founder of Hanahana Beauty. Hanahana began from the simple desire to truly feel confident in my own skin, hence our slogan "Stay Smooth + Confident." Four years ago, I embarked on a journey of clean skincare and decided to go back to what I knew growing up as a child of Ghanaian American immigrants: shea butter.
After researching and exploring the healing properties of natural butters and oils, I began experimenting with crafting my own products any chance I could. Family and friends tested my butters/products, loved them, and suggested I sell them. After some coaxing, I decided to launch Hanahana Beauty .
What we're doing:
This past summer I sought to gain a better understanding of the production of shea butter, so I went straight to the source: the women behind the production of shea in Tamale, Ghana. The global shea butter value stands at more than $3.5 billion. You can find shea butter in almost every skincare product. There are women's groups, such as the Katariga Women’s Group, all over West Africa that are working 6 days a week, up to 10 hours a day, to make this essential product, and their story is not being told and no knows who they are.
The Process: The Women Behind the Production of Shea Butter is a traveling exhibition that not only highlights the importance of knowing these women’s stories but educating people on the actual process of making shea butter. I want to provide a space that inspires more transparency in the beauty industry, through photos, video, and interviews with the women behind the production.
The funds will be used to curate the exhibition, which will travel to five different cities within the next 8 months, starting in Accra, Ghana, in December. The tour will go to Chicago in March 2018, and continue to New York City, Oakland, and Columbus, Ohio. Your financial support will cover overhead expenses for each phase of the exhibition and additional proceeds will go directly to the Katariga Women, toward a more equitable world where they also have access to the market to improve their quality of life.
The Process will create more visibility for the makers of raw shea butter and illuminate the labor of black women around the globe. I want people to see the process, and connect with the women who create the most essential product in skincare.
Thank you so much for your support. We welcome donations large and small, and appreciate your efforts to share the campaign with as many people as possible!
Be a part of the process of curating a space for stories about women behind the production of shea.
Hanahana Beauty is an all-natural skincare line that is dedicated to uplifting women of color through the creation of homemade products and the development of a platform for conversation and highlighting black women’s experiences. By contributing to this project, The Process, you will help shed light on the women behind the production of shea butter and their method. Your support is a direct contribution to the radical transformation of how we engage with branding and cultural products.
About me:
Hi, I’m Abena Boamah-Acheampong—an educator, grad student, and the founder of Hanahana Beauty. Hanahana began from the simple desire to truly feel confident in my own skin, hence our slogan "Stay Smooth + Confident." Four years ago, I embarked on a journey of clean skincare and decided to go back to what I knew growing up as a child of Ghanaian American immigrants: shea butter.
After researching and exploring the healing properties of natural butters and oils, I began experimenting with crafting my own products any chance I could. Family and friends tested my butters/products, loved them, and suggested I sell them. After some coaxing, I decided to launch Hanahana Beauty .
What we're doing:
This past summer I sought to gain a better understanding of the production of shea butter, so I went straight to the source: the women behind the production of shea in Tamale, Ghana. The global shea butter value stands at more than $3.5 billion. You can find shea butter in almost every skincare product. There are women's groups, such as the Katariga Women’s Group, all over West Africa that are working 6 days a week, up to 10 hours a day, to make this essential product, and their story is not being told and no knows who they are.
The Process: The Women Behind the Production of Shea Butter is a traveling exhibition that not only highlights the importance of knowing these women’s stories but educating people on the actual process of making shea butter. I want to provide a space that inspires more transparency in the beauty industry, through photos, video, and interviews with the women behind the production.
The funds will be used to curate the exhibition, which will travel to five different cities within the next 8 months, starting in Accra, Ghana, in December. The tour will go to Chicago in March 2018, and continue to New York City, Oakland, and Columbus, Ohio. Your financial support will cover overhead expenses for each phase of the exhibition and additional proceeds will go directly to the Katariga Women, toward a more equitable world where they also have access to the market to improve their quality of life.
The Process will create more visibility for the makers of raw shea butter and illuminate the labor of black women around the globe. I want people to see the process, and connect with the women who create the most essential product in skincare.
Thank you so much for your support. We welcome donations large and small, and appreciate your efforts to share the campaign with as many people as possible!
Organizer
Abena Boamah-Acheampong
Organizer
Chicago, IL
