Building and using the Tabiasu Women's Enterprise Centre

This video covers both the construction and the active use of the Tabiasu Women's Enterprise Centre — a dedicated shea nut processing facility built by Baraka in the Tabiasu community in Ghana's Upper West Region. The construction was carried out primarily with local labour and local materials, including hand-made mud bricks, with the specific intention of maximising the local economic impact of the build and minimising its environmental footprint.

The video includes a live discussion of the construction approach — why Baraka chose to build with local materials and labour, how that decision reflects its broader commitment to keeping value in the communities it works with, and what that looks like in practice. The footage also shows local women actively using the centre to process shea nuts in preparation for making shea butter, giving a direct view of the facility in operation.

The women using the Tabiasu Women's Enterprise Centre are part of the supply chain that makes Baraka shea butter possible. Baraka sources shea butter directly through the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre network 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.

The Tabiasu Women's Enterprise Centre is one part of a wider cooperative infrastructure. For buyers and formulators evaluating sourcing partners, the approach to construction — local labour, local materials, mud brick, minimal environmental footprint — is a verifiable signal of how Baraka treats community investment. You can read more about the cooperative structure in the guide to the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre, and about supply chain transparency in the guide to what chain-of-custody means for natural ingredients.

Over 90% of the people working with Baraka in Ghana are women. Every purchase supports their ability to work with dignity, earn a fair income, and build futures for their families. To understand the full scope of this work, you can read Baraka's Social and Environmental Impact Report, which details the cooperative's progress and the investments behind every batch.

You can also learn more through these related resources: the fair trade story behind Baraka's ingredients, natural ingredient certifications explained, and how handmade shea butter is made.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Tabiasu Women's Enterprise Centre?

The Tabiasu Women's Enterprise Centre is a dedicated shea nut processing facility built by Baraka in the Tabiasu community in Ghana's Upper West Region. It was constructed primarily with local labour and local materials — including hand-made mud bricks — to maximise the local economic impact of the build and minimise its environmental footprint. The centre is actively used by women in the Tabiasu community to process shea nuts in preparation for making shea butter.

Why did Baraka build the centre with local labour and materials?

Baraka chose local labour and local materials — including hand-made mud bricks — because this approach keeps the economic benefit of the construction within the community. Rather than importing materials or bringing in outside contractors, the build was designed to generate local employment and use locally sourced resources. This decision also minimises the environmental footprint of the construction. It is part of Baraka's broader commitment to ensuring that investment in infrastructure benefits the communities it works with directly.

How is the Tabiasu Women's Enterprise Centre used?

The centre is used by women in the Tabiasu community to process shea nuts — the first stage in the production of shea butter. Processing shea nuts requires space and conditions that the centre provides, improving both the working environment and the consistency of the product. The video shows women actively using the facility, giving a direct view of the centre in operation rather than just as a completed structure.

What is the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre?

The Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre is the cooperative network through which Baraka sources its shea butter and other ingredients from Ghana's Upper West Region. It operates as a direct, fair-trade cooperative — producers receive a fair-trade premium without intermediaries. Baraka has worked directly with this network for over 15 years. The Tabiasu Women's Enterprise Centre is one of the community facilities within this broader cooperative structure.

How can buyers verify Baraka's supply chain and community investment claims?

Baraka provides complete chain-of-custody documentation for any order — every step from shea nut harvest through processing, packing, and shipping is documented and traceable. The construction approach for the Tabiasu Women's Enterprise Centre — local labour, local materials, minimal environmental footprint — is verifiable on the ground and described in detail in this video. The Social and Environmental Impact Report provides further documentation of Baraka's community investments. Contact Baraka directly for supply chain documentation.

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.