Shea Butter & West Africa

A fabulous video explaining the many benefits of shea butter and how it is harvested and made can be found here

The following explains our partner's work ethics and their philosophy which Cebra supports and commits to 100%.
(c) Agbanga Karite

Empowerment and Fair Trade
We return 10% of our sales to West Africa to fund community enhancement projects. These projects are designed to help lift our communities out of poverty and become self-sustaining. Our projects focus on the future emphasizing the environment, gender equality education and empowering communities. For more information visit www.empowermentalliance.org.

Empowerment
Women are the backbone of African societies. It is time to honour their contributions by working towards gender equality. One way to do this is to place fair monetary value on the unique skills of African women, such as hand crafting shea butter and compensate them with fair values for their products and knowledge. This economic and moral boost encourages gender equality in the family institution. Over the past 4 years, our Fair Trade cooperative members in Central Togo have seen a shift in family equality. Their regular salaries help them support their families and give them more voice in their communities.

Education
We believe that the future of Africa lies in the hands of the young and that if young Africans are helped with the dilemmas they face - such as harsh poverty and lack of infrastructure - they will in turn help Africa in the future. We have several ongoing projects, including donating school supplies, roofs and furniture and our bicycles for education project in which we collect used bicycles in the United Staes to distribute to students in rural Togo.

Environment
Protection if sub-Saharan Africa's complex and diverse environment is essential to the quality of life of present and future generations, especially as our climates change due to global warming. We are currently focusing on one major problem, deforestation, through our Reforestation and Shea Tree Protection programs. To date we have distributed trees to more than 150 households in Central Togo. We hope to plant more than 500 tress next year, as well as expand the project throughout other regions of Togo and West Africa.

Sustainable Skin Care
Now, more than ever before, it is important to make decisions that take into consideration the wellbeing of the generations to come. To us, sustainable means making choices and actions that improve current and future living conditions for our communities while maintaining the cultural and bio-diversities of our planet, including:

1. Using sustainably harvested wild crafted and traditionally extracted unrefined shea butter for the base of our skin and hair care products
2. Poviding fair wages and prices to our shea butter cooperative members and farmers
3. Dedicating 10% of sales proceeds to community enhancement projects in Africa and other parts of the world

The motivation to commit to these principles comes from the hope that our actions will:

1. Improve current living standards and promote gender equality and feelings of self worth for individuals in our communities
2. Help break the cycle of poverty in Africa and preserve indigenous resources and knowledge for future generations
3. Increase awareness of how individual actions and choices affect communities worldwide"

Shea Butter

Shea Butter is the oil from the nuts of wild Shea trees (Vitellaria paradoxa) scattered throughout the wooded savanna of West and Central Africa. Shea Butter has been used for centuries in Africa and is completely enmeshed within the history and culture of the West African savanna. Shea Butter is mentioned in almost all African historical documents, including a reference as early as Cleopatra’s Egypt, which mentions caravans bearing clay jars of Shea Butter for cosmetic use. Funeral beds of kings were carved in the wood of old Shea Trees, and Shea Butter has always been a staple of African pharmacology.

Indigenous Knowledge for Skin Care

Shea Butter has been used for centuries in Africa as a decongestant, an anti-inflammatory for sprains and arthritis, healing salve, lotion for hair and skin care, and cooking oil. However, the protective and emollient properties of Shea Butter are most valued for skin care. In recent clinical trials, Shea Butter was found to help to protect skin against climate and UV aggressions, prevent wrinkle formation, soothe irritated and chapped skin, and moisturize the epidermis. Shea Butter also enhances cell regeneration and capillary circulation, which helps prevent and minimize stretch marks, inflammations, and scarring.

Handcrafted & unrefined Shea Butter contains the maximum amount of healing and moisturizing properties. Chemically extracted and refined Shea Butter is white and odorless and has reduced beneficial properties. Read more about the benefits of Unrefined Oils and Butters.

Try Shea Butter on these conditions:

• Wrinkles
• Dry Skin
• Psoriasis
• Massage
• Hair care
• Stretch marks
• Burns
• Arthritis
• Chapped lips
• Sun damage
• Cracked and dry heels or elbows
• Small wounds and scrapes
• Diaper rash (prevention and relief)
• Insect bites & stings
• Muscle fatigue, aches & tension
• Pets (skin infections, dry skin & coats)

How to use Shea Butter

For direct application to the skin, take a small amount in the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together to warm up the butter until it is smooth and liquid. Then apply to your skin. If you are concerned about an oily feeling, use only a small amount or apply the Shea Butter before going to bed. Shea Butter absorbs quickly into the skin, but there will be a few minutes that it feels oily. Shea Butter can also be applied to your hair. Some people apply it before washing to protect the hair from harsh shampoos. It can also be applied after washing as a conditioner. Apply it in the same manner as to the skin.

Fair Trade Shea Butter

Unrefined shea butter is a valuable natural resource for West Africa and could be an important tool in empowering local communities. However, most shea butter on the market in the United States and Europe is not fairly traded. The women who gather shea nuts and hand craft this remarkable oil receive only a tiny fraction of the final price.

It is estimated to take 20 to 30 hours of labour to produce one kilogram of hand crafted shea butter, which is traded at $1 or less in today’s market. A woman making shea butter in West Africa will receive only a fraction of this price. Therefore, a person working for 30 hours, almost a week’s worth of work, will not receive even a dollar for her efforts. Even if she received the whole dollar, this does not even begin to reach living wage standards.

Through our direct involvement in the entire process — from gathering the wild shea nuts and crafting the butter, to distribution locally and abroad — our members receive fair and steady incomes. In addition, 10% of sales will go directly back to our community in the form of community enhancement projects, AIDS and malaria outreach, and educational scholarships. We believe in “building African self-empowerment the moral way” and truly appreciate your involvement in reaching our goals.

Published with kind permission of (c) text & pictures: Agbanga Karite