YOUR IMPACT: Natieu Suntiye

Natieu Suntiye is a shea nut collector and shea butter producer from the Murazu community in Ghana's Upper West Region. A mother of five, 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 has been central to her livelihood for many years.

In this video, Natieu speaks about one of the most significant changes the Baraka relationship has brought to her group. Before Baraka, the women had to sell their shea nuts through middlemen who underpaid them. When Baraka arrived, they began purchasing the nuts directly from the women at a fair price — removing the middlemen entirely and ensuring the women received what their work was worth.

Natieu Suntiye 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 — you can read more about natural approaches for eczema-prone skin, including how traditionally made ingredients like shea butter fit into gentle skincare routines. 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 Natieu Suntiye and what does she do?

Natieu Suntiye is a shea nut collector and shea butter producer from the Murazu community in Ghana's Upper West Region. She is a mother of five and works closely with other women in the Murazu 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 processing into shea butter using traditional hand methods.

What does Natieu say about working with Baraka?

Natieu speaks about a fundamental change in how the women are paid for their work. Before Baraka, the group had to sell their shea nuts through middlemen who underpaid them significantly. Baraka changed that by purchasing the nuts directly from the women at a price that is fair. For Natieu, this shift from exploitation to fair payment is the core of what the Baraka relationship has meant for her community.

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 Natieu Suntiye 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 Natieu Suntiye 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.