Gladys is the Vice President of the Christian Mother’s Association (CMA) shea butter cooperative in Damongo, Ghana. Gladys is 38 years old, married with four children, and takes care of additional dependents, her 85 year old mother, and her sister’s four children. Her sister’s children live with her because her sister recently died from [...]
As many of you may know from a previous post, Shea Yeleen has the privileged honor of being invited to participate in the 44th Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This incredible event will take place from June 30th – July 4th and July 7th – 11th on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This year [...]
Some call shea butter “women’s gold” because it is one of the few economic commodities women control in Sahelian Africa. The earliest mention of shea butter comes from the 14th century when Muslim scholars recorded its value in the local economy. Exclusive to the sub-Sahara, shea butter’s use in cooking, as lamp oil, ointment, moisturizer [...]
