YOUR IMPACT: Adams Alimata

Adams Alimata is a shea nut collector and shea butter producer from the Konjahie community in Ghana's Upper West Region. A mother of six, she works closely with other women in the Konjahie certified organic group — one of the producer groups connected to Baraka through the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre. Her work collecting and processing shea nuts is central to both her family's livelihood and the wider cooperative's output.

In this video, Adams speaks about one of the most direct changes the Baraka relationship has brought to her community. Before Baraka, the women had to carry their shea butter and shea nuts to distant locations to sell them. Now, Baraka comes to the Konjahie community to purchase directly. The women keep their product in the community and wait for Baraka to come to them — a shift that saves time, reduces physical burden, and keeps more of the value in the community.

Adams 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 has been central to traditional life in northern Ghana for generations. It is commonly used for dry skin and helps maintain moisture. The process of making it by hand — cracking, grinding, boiling, and skimming — is labour-intensive and skill-intensive. You can read more about how handmade shea butter is made, including what distinguishes it from industrially processed alternatives. The Konjahie group works within a certified organic system, meaning no pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals are used at any stage of harvest or processing.

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 lives behind every batch.

You can also learn more through these related resources: the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre, the fair trade story behind Baraka's ingredients, and ten reasons why handmade shea butter is worth choosing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Adams Alimata and what does she do?

Adams Alimata is a shea nut collector and shea butter producer from the Konjahie community in Ghana's Upper West Region. She is a mother of six and works closely with other women in the Konjahie certified organic group, connected to Baraka through the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre. Her work spans both the collection of wild shea nuts and their hand-processing into shea butter using traditional methods.

What does Adams say about working with Baraka?

Adams speaks about a practical change that has made a real difference for her community. Before Baraka, the women had to carry their shea butter and shea nuts to outside locations to sell them. Now Baraka comes directly to the Konjahie community to make purchases. The women keep their product in the community and Baraka comes to them — removing the burden of transport entirely.

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. Women like Adams Alimata hand-process shea nuts using traditional water-based methods passed down through generations — cracking, grinding, boiling, and skimming by hand, with zero chemical extraction. Baraka has maintained this direct cooperative relationship for over 15 years. More than 90% of the people working with Baraka in Ghana are women.

What is the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre?

The Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre is a women's cooperative in Ghana's Upper West Region through which Baraka sources its shea butter and other ingredients. It operates as a direct, fair-trade cooperative — producers receive a fair-trade premium without intermediaries. Baraka has worked directly with the centre for over 15 years. The cooperative connects multiple certified organic producer groups across the region, including the Konjahie group that Adams Alimata works with.

What does certified organic mean for Baraka shea butter?

For the Konjahie group, certified organic means shea nuts are harvested and processed without pesticides, herbicides, chemicals, or solvents at any stage. The shea trees grow wild and are not cultivated, so the organic status reflects the harvesting and processing practices rather than controlled agriculture. Baraka's ingredients are produced without chemical extraction — hand-processed using traditional water-based methods — and chain-of-custody documentation is available for any order.

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.