Sahara Botanicals would create sustainable livelihoods in conflict-affected communities by producing value-added, environmentally sustainable, all-natural body care products.
Thanks for sharing your idea. It sounds like it will take five to seven years for you to begin exporting shea butter. While there will be some folks who are initially employed, much of the work won't take place for several years. Is there anything you can do in the short term to provide jobs for some of the refugees and locals? What do you think?
Also is there anything you can learn from the shea butter production facilities in Ghana and Burkina Faso that you mentioned?
I appreciate the training component that you have included and like your idea to employ equal numbers of refugees and locals. I wonder what these individuals think of your idea. Have you broached it with them?
to Jenn Gross
I have a much more detailed 5-year plan that I will post here soon that details the people who will be working prior to the five year point. Generally those will be people involved in the construction of the facilities, women who are training as shea butter producers, and local literacy tutors. The training on shea butter production in the first five years will be with existing trees in the area (not the orchard) so we will also be purchasing nuts from local farmers thereby supplementing their income in the short term.
I'm looking into a visit to Ghana and Burkina Faso to meet with the researchers who've done studies on producing high-yield karite trees as well as visit the pilot shea plantation in Burkina to learn from what has already been done by them.
Finally, this idea comes from the time I was working in Chad previously. While there, I was monitoring environmental programs, one of which was a nursery that distributed, among other things, karite trees. I discussed generally the idea with them, although admittedly at the time, the idea was not as well-formed as it is now. I'm currently trying to reconnect with the NGOs that were on the ground when I was there, to see if they can put me in touch with local leadership (both Chadian and refugee) so I can begin discussing specifics with them.
jenngross said 2 years ago
Thanks for sharing your idea. It sounds like it will take five to seven years for you to begin exporting shea butter. While there will be some folks who are initially employed, much of the work won't take place for several years. Is there anything you can do in the short term to provide jobs for some of the refugees and locals? What do you think?
Also is there anything you can learn from the shea butter production facilities in Ghana and Burkina Faso that you mentioned?
I appreciate the training component that you have included and like your idea to employ equal numbers of refugees and locals. I wonder what these individuals think of your idea. Have you broached it with them?
AGetson said 2 years ago
Nice Job Stephanie!!!
segetson said 2 years ago
to Jenn Gross
I have a much more detailed 5-year plan that I will post here soon that details the people who will be working prior to the five year point. Generally those will be people involved in the construction of the facilities, women who are training as shea butter producers, and local literacy tutors. The training on shea butter production in the first five years will be with existing trees in the area (not the orchard) so we will also be purchasing nuts from local farmers thereby supplementing their income in the short term.
I'm looking into a visit to Ghana and Burkina Faso to meet with the researchers who've done studies on producing high-yield karite trees as well as visit the pilot shea plantation in Burkina to learn from what has already been done by them.
Finally, this idea comes from the time I was working in Chad previously. While there, I was monitoring environmental programs, one of which was a nursery that distributed, among other things, karite trees. I discussed generally the idea with them, although admittedly at the time, the idea was not as well-formed as it is now. I'm currently trying to reconnect with the NGOs that were on the ground when I was there, to see if they can put me in touch with local leadership (both Chadian and refugee) so I can begin discussing specifics with them.