The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Stephanie S. Sullivan has handed over a Shea butter warehouse and processing centre to the Yurillim Women’s Community Co-operative at Gizaa-Gunda in the Kumbungu District of the Northern Region.
The facility which was funded by the US government through the USAID; is a partnership between the community women, the Global Shea alliance, Savanna Fruit Company and the Presby Agricultural Services.
Madam Sullivan the community event, witnessed by chiefs and people of Gizaa-Gunda, expressed her country’s determination to support in the Ghana’s development particularly in ensuring inclusive and sustainable development.
The US Ambassador said economic growth and job creation were at the heart of the American people and hence such development assistance, which is hoped, would lead to empowering women and communities.
TheYurillim Women’s Community Co-operative in the Kumbungu district, which is one of which 37 facilities with a warehouse, processes the shea nuts into butter, which is an important ingredient in food and the cosmetic industry.
Under the USAID funded shea alliances project, the rural women have had their capacity built in picking the shea fruits, quality processing and handling of the shea and there is ready market for their produce which would lead to improved livelihoods for the rural women and their households.
Director of the Presby Agricultural Services, Dan Kolbilla urged the local assemblies to strictly enforce their by-laws on the protection of economic trees in order to save these against illegal cutting by some community members for fuel wood.
Rapheal Gonzalez, Managing Director of Savanna Fruits Company assured of his company’s readiness to by the shea process thereby creating sustainable livelihood for the women.
On behalf of the Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, the Chief Director at the Northern Regional co-ordinating council, Alhaji Issahaku Alhassan, commended the US government for its support to the region’s development.
