Shea Yeleen

Hello Friends! I’m really excited to announce that this Sunday, January 29th, I will be featured on Nappturalite Radio which is a show catered towards promoting natural hair and body care for women.

Tune in THIS Sunday from 6:00pm – 8:00pm eastern time to hear some great information about my recent trip to Ghana, the nourishing and moisturizing benefits of Shea Yeleen’s products, as well as details on the work that is being done to promote economic empowerment for women shea producers in West Africa.

You won’t want to miss it! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nappturalite

Hello Friends! It’s giveaway time again. During my Ghana site visit, i’ve had the opportunity to touch bases again with some of the wonderful shea butter producers that we have the opportunity of working with for developing some of the highly moisturizing Shea Yeleen products are distributed.

All you have to do to participate in the contest is name TWO of the women shea producers that Shea Yeleen partners with in Ghana. (Here’s a helpful hint: check previous Folklife blog posts for more details). The first person to answer the question correctly will win a free Shea Yeleen product. It’s that simple!

Feel free to check out the website at www.sheayeleen.com to see some of the great products that you’ll have a chance to win. Thanks so much for your support!

Sudan, Pieri, Jonglei State — Women carrying water from a hand pump in the village to their homes in South Sudan. Photographer © Sven Torfinn

My current site visit to Ghana reminds me of global disparities often forgotten at home in the US. I have witnessed that every person and every place may be quite different culturally, economically, and socially, but one thing we all universally need is water. Our bodies are made up of about 80% water, and we can survive 10 days without food, but only about 3-5 days without water.

In the US, I take water for granted. Every day I wake up, head to the bathroom, and simply turn on the faucets to shower and brush my teeth. It’s so simple – just turn a knob and water comes gushing out – I never think twice.

When I travel and work in communities like those in rural Ghana, I have to think about water. It’s not always as simple as turning a knob. I was only in Ghana for a few days before I started to see little girls and boys going to wells to draw water and transporting it home on their heads to provide for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. On average the weight of the water is about 40 lbs, and each person in the developing world uses about 10 liters of water a day in comparison to 400 liters for an American.

I am amazed that in the 21st century approximately 1 billion people do not have access to clean water – 37% of those people live in Sub Saharan Africa. ( WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation. “Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water 2010.” Available at www.wssinfo.org ).

Lack of infrastructure, development, and national sanitation projects are a major part of the issue. African governments do not invest in water and sewage systems, relying mostly on nonprofit and development organizations to provide these services. An issue this large won’t be solved unless we all do our part to ensure that basic necessities are afforded to all human beings.

Visit a site like charitywater.org to make a difference TODAY.

My site visit trip to Ghana is well underway and over the last week I have visited 4 different groups in northern Ghana. The goal of my trip is to touch base with groups that Shea Yeleen has been working with and to also meet new groups to identify opportunities for expansion and collaboration.

Yesterday I met with a shea butter cluster initiative that is made up of about 500 women from various groups outside of Tamale, Ghana. About 40 leaders from the 14 groups attended the meeting. We discussed market challenges, and I facilitated a cost and pricing exercise to help the groups understand if they are selling at a profit based on their costs. I was surprised to learn that the groups have a difficult time with keeping their costs consistent because of constant price fluctuations for their raw materials. We decided to develop a plan to develop a cost sharing strategy to assist the groups in keeping costs low so that they can reap more profits for their shea butter.

Today I will be traveling with the American Embassy to Bolgatanga to facilitate a workshop on women’s entrepreneurship. I am excited to meet with women entrepreneurs who are taking the leap of faith to start business as a means to generate income and improve their communities. Small businesses are the cornerstone of any robust economy and I am happy to see that more women in Ghana are deciding to run their own businesses.

I never knew what eczema was until I started Shea Yeleen. Customers would tell me that the natural unrefined shea body balm was the only thing that helped their dry itchy skin. I started to do some research to learn more about this skin condition.

Eczema is an uncomfortable skin condition that causes extreme inflammation and irritation. It consists of itchy rashes that can easily be triggered by almost anything that touches the skin (i.e. various fabrics, ointments, perfume, etc.) and stress. Since eczema dehydrates the skin, the best thing to help heal eczema is a great moisturizer.

Shea butter works so well for combatting eczema because of it’s high oil content and levels of fatty acids that deeply penetrate the skin and cause skin cell regeneration. Its the best choice for healthy skin because it is natural without additives, preservatives, and chemicals.

Please keep in mind, that I am definitely not a physician, nor do I play one one tv. Check with your doctor regarding eczema or any skin condition you have to be certain there are no allergies to mindful of, or a special prescription that is needed. If your physician approves, please feel free to give shea butter a try.

Check out our natural unrefined shea butter body balms at www.sheayeleen.com. I’d love to hear how it helps your skin!

Missed out on all of the Black Friday sales? In need of an awesome gift for a friend or family member and stumped on what it should be?

Try one of Shea Yeleen’s gift boxes for a unique and useful present idea. Not only will you be spreading holiday cheer, but you’ll also be making a huge difference in the lives of shea producers in West Africa.

Give the gift that makes a difference. The standard gift box comes with a full size body butter and soap. If you’d like to customize your box, please contact us at info@sheayeleen.org.

Without further ado, I am delighted to share the name of the latest winner of Shea Yeleen’s Giveaway Wednesday contest. She answered the following question:

“If you could live anywhere in the world, domestically or internationally, and assist in making a progressive change, where would you live and why?”

The winner was Ndidi Amadi. She gave such a thoughtful response, and it was truly rewarding to hear about her philanthropic desires. She will be receiving one of Shea Yeleen’s nourishing shea butter products. Her response can be seen here.

“I would chose to live in haiti because i would want to take hope back to the country, which already has a beautiful culture. i would also want to take the gospel of jesus christ, because their is no better hope to give than the saviour of the world. i would take love because love is the only thing that has the ability to change lives. i would also take basic human necessities, such as water, food, clothes, etc, because people cannot receive hope and love when they are starving. i would chose haiti because i still believe in the beauty of haiti.”

Stay tuned for Shea Yeleen’s next contest. Don’t miss out on the chance to win a free prize! Be sure to check out our website to learn more about Shea Yeleen and our products.

It’s no secret these days that shea butter is incredibly beneficial for hair. It serves as a wonderful moisturizer after a nice wash and condition, and also helps to make the hair soft, shiny, and manageable.

Want to learn more about how Shea Yeleen products can do wonders for your hair? Visit our youtube channel for great application tips.

The video is featured below! Be sure to check it out, comment, rate, and pass it on to friends. It’s supporters like you that help us make a significant difference in the lives of women shea butter producers in West Africa.

Visit www.sheayeleen.com to view and purchase Shea Yeleen products. Thanks for your support!

Cyber Monday is an opportunity to take advantage of great shopping deals right from the convenience of your own computer. No lines, waiting, or store hassles. How exciting is that? The sale is from now until 11:59pm this evening.

Don’t miss out on these awesome Shea Yeleen savings! All of our skin nourishing soaps, body balms, and body butters have been reduced for your shopping enjoyment. Please check out the sale by clicking here.

We are also running a separate promotion that will save you 20% on your order if you refer a friend to sign up for our newsletter. Your friend will receive the same coupon as well! Don’t delay in getting your order TODAY.

Happy shopping!