Adams Alimata on Earning Income as a Shea Processor in Ghana

Adams Alimata is a shea butter processor working in Ghana's Upper West Region as part of the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre cooperative. She is one of the women who processes shea butter using traditional hand methods as part of Baraka's direct supply chain, and whose earned income from that work supports her family's daily life.

In this video, Alimata speaks about what her work as a shea processor makes possible. She reflects on how earned income from shea production contributes to her family's well-being — a direct account of how traditional skills and locally rooted supply chains translate into household income and stability. Her words speak to what it means to earn a livelihood through work rather than aid, and what that difference means in practice.

Alimata is one of the women whose work makes Baraka shea butter possible. Baraka sources shea butter directly through the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Ghana's Upper West Region — a cooperative relationship maintained for over 15 years. Every batch is hand-processed using traditional water-based methods with zero chemical extraction, and complete chain-of-custody documentation is available for any order. The women who produce this ingredient receive a fair-trade premium directly, without intermediaries.

Shea butter is commonly used for dry skin and is traditionally used for moisturising — you can read more about how it is sourced and made in How to Source Shea Butter for Soap Making and How Handmade Shea Butter is Made. Alimata's story is also part of a wider account of the cooperative and the women behind Baraka's ingredients — read more at The Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre and Fair Trade Shea Butter: The Konjeihi Story.

Alimata's story and the income outcomes documented across Baraka's shea supply chain are part of Baraka's Social and Environmental Impact Report.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Adams Alimata and what does she do?

Adams Alimata is a shea butter processor and member of the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Ghana's Upper West Region. She processes shea butter using traditional hand methods as part of Baraka's direct supply chain. In this video, she speaks about what her earned income from shea processing makes possible — reflecting on how her work contributes to her family's well-being and future in her own words.

Where does Alimata work and what cooperative is she part of?

Alimata works in Ghana's Upper West Region as part of the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre, the cooperative through which Baraka has sourced shea butter directly for over 15 years. Her role is as a shea butter processor, working with traditional hand-processing methods that use no chemical extraction at any stage. The cooperative structure ensures that the fair-trade premium she earns reaches her directly, without passing through intermediaries.

What does Alimata say about earning income through shea processing?

Alimata speaks about what earned income from shea processing means for her family. She reflects on how her work contributes to their well-being and future — describing the difference that comes from earning a livelihood through traditional skills and a stable supply chain rather than through aid. Her account connects the daily work of shea processing directly to household income and what it makes possible.

Who makes Baraka shea butter?

Baraka shea butter is made by women at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Ghana's Upper West Region, where Baraka has maintained a direct cooperative relationship for over 15 years. The shea butter is hand-processed using traditional water-based methods with no chemical extraction at any stage. Producers like Adams Alimata are not contracted labourers or paid spokespeople — they are the women whose ongoing work makes each batch possible. Their names and stories are shared as part of Baraka's transparency commitment.

How does buying from Baraka support women like Alimata?

Every purchase of Baraka shea butter contributes to the fair-trade premium paid directly to the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre, without intermediaries. That premium reaches the women who do the work — processors like Alimata — and flows from there into the decisions they make for their families. The cooperative structure is designed so that the connection between a purchase and a producer remains direct and traceable.

About the Author

Wayne Dunn is the founder of Baraka Impact and a former Professor of Practice in Sustainability at McGill University. He holds an M.Sc. in Management from Stanford and has spent over 15 years working directly with the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Ghana's Upper West Region to source traditionally made shea butter and natural oils. He shares DIY skincare recipes and ingredient guides designed to be made at home with real ingredients — and sourced with full transparency about where they come from.