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Brücke · Le pont: greater income thanks to shea butter

Mehrere Frauen sitzen vor farbigen Containern. Eine hält einen Eimer mit Sheabutter hoch.

Brücke · Le pont helps eliminate poverty and contributes to sustainable development.

Benin is one of the 25 poorest countries in the world and has a widespread malnutrition problem. Today, a total of 200,000 women in the country collect and process shea nuts. However, profits primarily go to large companies, not small-scale producers. In many families, women are the primary breadwinners, but they can barely live from their income. Shea butter production allows them to increase their modest income. However, it requires improvements on many different levels. On the one hand, their work processes are rudimentary, and suitable work equipment is lacking. On the other hand, many of the wild trees, which are important for the ecosystem, have fallen victim to widespread slashing and burning practices. The significance of the trees for the ecosystem is immense. They can be better protected by building awareness and through reforestation.

Frauen verarbeiten Kariténüsse im Freien

A project participant fills a container with freshly produced shea butter to sell.

Project goal

To improve the living conditions of 3,600 people who collect shea nuts and produce shea better thanks to greater income, while also preserving shea trees in the project area.

Information on the organisation

Brücke · Le pont helps improve work and living conditions of disadvantaged people in Africa and Latin America, thus helping eliminate poverty and contributing to sustainable development. Brücke · Le pont is a private aid organisation that is both politically and religiously neutral.

Impressions

Gruppe von Frauen draussen

A visit by the programme officer at Brücke · Le pont (fourth from left) in Benin. Together with the project team, she visits a group of shea butter producers while they work.

Eine Frau trennt die Kariténüsse von den Schalen

The production of shea butter comprises several steps. The nuts must first be dried and peeled before they can be cooked.

Eine Frau füllt Sheabutter von einer Schüssel in eine Glas.

After the nuts have been cooked, they are laboriously beaten into a nut butter.

Eine Frau füllt Sheabutter von einer Schüssel in einen anderen Container.

A project participant fills a container with freshly produced shea butter to sell.

Photos: © Brücke · Le pont

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