GIVING BACK IS ESSENTIAL
Our philanthropic initiatives stems in empowering women through entrepreneurship
Ajike Shea Centre
Located in Savelong-Yong, Northern Region, Ghana
Images provided by Ajike Shea Centre
“When I came in contact with the women, I would give them both new and used clothing items and cash donations. I knew that in as much as those were helping them, it wasn’t going to solve the problem of poverty in their communities but a sustainable and stable income would. From writing my project work in my final year at the university on ‘Gender Discrimination, The right of a Woman in Perspective’ in 2005 to my humanitarian work with women empowerment groups including Women International League for Peace & Freedom, (WILPF) Ghana Chapter and a member of the CommNet, a fraction of Women Peace Institute, Koffi Anan International Peace Keeping Institute, Ghana, I knew I had to do something to change the situation of these women and their communities as a whole. For me, it is more of a purpose than a passion.”
- Ajike Adebimpe Dsani, Founder of Ajike Shea Center
Ajike Shea Centre is a social enterprise which was established to empower rural women who are the backbones of their families.
Ajike Dsani, a Nigerian woman from Ibadan, who resides in Ghana came in contact with one of the women in the community from whom she buys Shea butter for her personal usage. She learnt of their hardship and how the middlemen of the Shea export industry have been taking advantage of their situation.
She started visiting the women in their communities after a long journey from the city of Accra. There she witnessed first-hand the unfairness and suffering these women faced on a daily basis to produce Shea. She witnessed very old women in their 70’s still producing Shea butter because according to them, “they would go hungry if they stopped and so they continue until they can no longer walk to the wild to pick the Shea nuts nor have the physical power to kneel during Shea butter production. Their children are unable to support their aged mothers because they are all in the village as subsistence farmers who also have to depend on their mothers for support. “
Ajike took it upon herself to create solutions and positive changes in their community.
Temi discovered the Ajike Shea centre while searching for fair-trade shea centers back in her home country, Nigeria. She knew she had to assist Ajike on this important initiative somehow, she began to brainstorm on how she could get the communities nearby the shea centre the funding they need and deserve. She wanted to do more aside from purchasing Shea directly from Ajike, cutting out the middlemen.
As Essentials by Temi grew, Temi kept in contact with Ajike for updates on the women, their families and the school being built for all the children from the surrounding communities to get the education they needed and deserved. This school construction project has been funded thus far by Ajike and the sales / orders she receives.
Essentials by temi pledges to donate proceeds from our annual shea butter-based products sales to the Ajike Shea Centre. We hope to continue supporting female entrepreneurs such as Ajike and businesses like hers.
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