Sinsibere project

Shea butter production

Shea is a traditional African food plant and an important tree for the rural women in Mali. The oil extracted from the shea nuts can be used for many purposes: to make soap, cooking oil, medicine and cosmetic products. Shea butter production is one of the alternative income generating activities supported in Sinsibere project. Sinsibere cooperative’s women have been given training on how to produce high quality products from shea nuts. They receive income from the nuts they bring to the cooperative and can use their new skills to produce shea products also at home.

The shea butter production of the Sinsibere cooperative started in the end of 2008. Women come to the cooperative centre of Bougoula in groups to produce the butter. The work demands physical strength but the women are able to produce butter up to 5 kilograms per day. In 2008 a sample of Sinsibere’s shea butter was tested in a Japanese laboratory and was found to be of excellent quality. Thanks to high quality the Sinsibere shea butter and soap have become very popular in Bamako, the capital of Mali, and also foreign buyers are interested in it.