Sanerigu shea soap factory makes strides
Production time at the Handmade Guild, a factory that produces soap and shea butter products in the Sanerigu District in the Northern Region, is an “all-hands-on-deck affair.”
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The ever busy factory is owned by the PagSung Shea nut Pickers and Sheabutter Processors Association, which has a membership of 1600 from about 70 communities.
Members pay GH¢5 for the running of the association.
The association was founded and incorporated in October 2008.
UNDP support
Under the able leadership of Safia Alhassan, the association, established in 2006, received support from Africa 2000 network, a UNDP integrated poverty reduction programme.
Ms Alhassan, a 54-year-old Home Economics teacher who also doubles as the President of the association, said under the programme, trainers from Japan took some of the women through soap making using local raw materials - shea nuts and shea butter.
With their newly acquired skills, the trained women produced soap and pomade for sale and also trained other members of the association.
Products of the factory
This saw the birth of the Handmade Guild factory, which currently produces shea soap, Baobab soap, Virgin Shea soap, Henna Soap and Morringa soap.
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“Most of our products are exported to countries including Japan, the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK),” Madam Alhassan stated.
She said shea soap, which serves as a raw material for many products, was highly patronised internationally.
The products, including raw materials such as coconut oil, shea butter, caustic soda, also sell well on the local market.
According to Madam Alhassan, the profit from products sold by the Handmade Guild factory was shared among members.