YOUR IMPACT: Dorzie Lucy

Dorzie Lucy is a shea nut collector and shea butter producer from the Murazu community in Ghana's Upper West Region. A mother of six, she works closely with other women in the Murazu 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, Dorzie speaks about what the Baraka relationship has meant for her community. She describes how Baraka has supported the group in multiple ways — purchasing their shea nuts, purchasing their processed shea butter, and providing additional support that helps the women care for themselves and their families. Her words reflect the direct, practical difference that a long-term fair-trade partnership makes at the community level.

Dorzie Lucy 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. It is also traditionally used as a base ingredient in natural skincare, and you can read more about how shea butter is used for sensitive and dry skin conditions including eczema-prone skin. The Murazu 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 how handmade shea butter is made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Dorzie Lucy and what does she do?

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

What does Dorzie say about working with Baraka?

Dorzie speaks about the multiple ways Baraka has supported her group — purchasing their shea nuts, purchasing their finished shea butter, and providing additional funds that help the women care for themselves. In her own words, the Baraka relationship has come to them in a whole lot of ways, and that breadth of support is what makes the cooperative relationship meaningful for her community at a practical, everyday level.

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 Dorzie Lucy 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 producer groups across the region, including the Murazu certified organic group that Dorzie Lucy works with.

What does "certified organic" mean for Baraka shea butter?

For the Murazu 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.