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We have a

DREAM

#DIPALIYA

We are a community of 1,000 women

Together we make Shea butter

#DIPALIYA

#DIPALIYA

A smoothie

A smoothie

We are united as a
working community

DIPALIYA

means dare to live your dream

who said that?

Our dreams

01 Peace in the community
‍
02 Healthy food on the table
‍
03 Respect for traditional values
‍
04 Safe place to work and live

who said that?

Our Challenges

01 Low payments
‍
02 Pollution by chemicals
‍
03 No access to international market
‍
04 Green-washing

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Our plan

Create the conditions for self-sufficiency while
‍upholding our traditions for community and culture
‍
‍

who said that?

Inviting Mr Alain to Ghana

2011

As representatives of the Dagomba tribe, Saakuba village and Dipaliya Woman's Association, invited Mr Alain for an official gathering with the woman from Dipaliya, Chiefs of Sakuuba village and Kumbungu District

The beginning of our collaboration

2014

Mr Umar Mohammed, community leader in Kumbungu and Tamale District invites Mr Alain to join him in his efforts to improve life conditions for the women of Dipaliya

First grinder and mill purchased

2014

Saved production costs and increased spending income for the women substantially

Building our first Shea butter processing centre

2015

Unfortunately the building collapsed during a heavy storm. Started campaign for a new centre

First contract for export

2015

Established a memorandum of understanding and production contract with The Savannah Fruits Company

International contracts expanded

2016

Larger production contracts for the international markets

Crowd funding for a new centre

2017

Started the Buy-A-Brick campaign, raised EUR250k for building a new centre

Preparing and planning building of our new centre

2018

Purchased land, made a building plan, selected Dayshena for building the facility

Registration as a Women's Cooperative

2018

Dipaliya women group officially registered as a Women's Cooperative

A giant leap forward

2019

Built the largest centre in Ghana for Shea butter handcraft, and exported our first container as Dipaliya

Official opening of the centre

2019

With The District Chief Executive of the Kumbungu District, Hon. Abdul Salam Hamza Abdul Fatawu, Chiefs of Saakuba, Zangbalung, Dalun, Yipeligu, Wuba, Faandu and Yaring, and 15 Youth Chiefs from Kumbungu and Tamale

Production of first container

2019

A sponsor pre-funded purchase of the Shea nuts, production, transport and refining of the Sheabutter for us to enter the international markets directly

Arrival of our container in Europe

2020

2 weeks after our Shea butter was ready for sale to cosmetics companies, COVID broke out

COVID lockdown

2020

Our Shea butter centre has not been in production for the whole year due to COVID lockdowns

Pressure from COVID lockdowns

2021

Growing social and economical pressure on our communities due to continuation of COVID lockdowns

Initiating Dipaliya Community Investment Fund

2022

Fund to invests in facilities for Shea butter making and setting up the Dipaliya organic community farm

New partnerships and a new start

2022

Partnered with Workground as sister community and reopening the centre for production

History

who said that?

Dipaliya Community Investment Fund

The Ghana-registered Dipaliya Community Investment Fund uses sales revenues from Shea butter for improving production, upcycling production waste and implementation of organic community farming. Together, the projects below help creating life conditions for a sustainable local economy.

Project I

Upcyle Shea production waste into biofuel

What are you doing with your production waste?

Currently nothing, it is piling up on our land

Why?

Reduction of production waste, less trees used for fire-wood and cost-saving of 5-10% in purchasing of fire-wood

How?

Buy machines for processing the waste into fire briquettes and build a facility to house the machines and the fire briquettes

Ask

EUR25,000

Project II

Register and organize Dipaliya organic community farming cooperative

Why are you not helping your neighbours anymore?

It's because of the chemicals

Why?

We want to replace chemical farming with traditional knowledge and skills for organic farming, which also increases social cohesion within our communities

How?

Registering as a farmers cooperative, organizing land for demonstration plot, training farmers in organic farming, and working as a collective on the land

Ask

EUR50,000

Project III

Produce our own organic pesticides

What do you need to make your own organic pesticides?

A machine and a building to process Neem seeds into organic pesticides

Why?

The chemicals are killing our lands, communities and people. We want our next generations to be able to live off the land in a healthy and sustainable way

How?

Purchase of a Neem press machine and build a facility to house the machine, raw materials and end product

Ask

EUR35,000

Project IV

Farmers cooperative

What would you do to preserve the land?

By using our self-made organic fertilizers

Why?

To create a healthy soil that lasts for generations. We want to preserve our lands, enabling next generations to have a sustainable future in the rural areas where they are born

How?

Registering and organizing the cooperative. starting with a demonstration plot. Implementing a regional master-apprentice learning program

Ask

EUR150,000

Project V

Facility for organic fertilizers

Why do you want to make your own organic fertilizers?

The imported chemicals although cheaper, are harming our soil.

Why?

To create a healthy soil that lasts for generations. We want to preserve our lands, enabling next generations to have a sustainable future in the rural areas where they are born

How?

Purchase and installation of the facility and building a construction for processing and storage

Ask

EUR120,000

We are

#Dipaliya

Dipaliya Women’s Association is a member of the
Global Shea Alliance

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