This summer, Lindsey Freeman, our Trade Associate, traveled to the West African nation of Ghana. Lindsey met with local women producers to discuss how U.S. trade preference programs (which help poor countries sell their products in the U.S.) can help women working to lift their families out of poverty.

One of the women Lindsey talked to was Eugenia Akuete, a local producer of shea butter. Eugenia has transformed her life, and those of hundreds of other women, from one of gripping poverty to self-reliance by starting and growing her own shea butter business.

Her story is one of hope, hard work, and community. Most of all, her story is about women's opportunity, and the power it has to lift entire communities out of poverty.

Lindsey and Eugenia

Training for Success: From 80 Pounds to Six Tons Eugenia started making shea butter because she was looking for small products she could sell to earn an income for her family. At first the market was difficult – she was only producing about 80 pounds and it was hard to get the shea butter soaps and lotions she makes to U.S. customers. Then she went to a training that taught women how to better produce their products. She learned how to streamline production and improve quality to meet U.S. standards. Now her business is selling a minimum of six tons a month!

Teaching Other Women to Escape Poverty Through Trade With few resources at first, Eugenia said that her factory "was set up on a shoestring budget," taking special care to "use locally fabricated machinery." Eugenia now has ten employees, most of whom, she proudly noted, are women. Working as a team they have been able to build their business. They now employ three hundred women in northern Ghana who gather nuts for the factory to convert into shea butter. Eugenia pays all her workers more than the government minimum and going market rate. She also gives the women in the North extra orders that are too big for her to fill. Eugenia has an agreement with the women she employs in the North that they invest the extra income in their own shea butter businesses - to eventually buy the machines they need and become self-sufficient. As Eugenia commented, "This work is hard, there is a lot of it…they deserve every penny." When she learns a new skill, Eugenia teaches the other women. Stressing that they are all connected to each other, she explained that it's in her best interest that everyone produce the best quality possible - so that all communities benefit. "They're amazing people" she said proudly.

Some of Eugenia's employees

A machine at Eugenia's factory Eugenia showcasing her shea butter products

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) According to Eugenia, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which works to give African countries access to U.S. markets, has helped women like her by providing the opportunity to export abroad. However she said that AGOA would work better if local producers like herself received technical support. In order to export, she explained, she must be able to contact current and prospective customers, but without internet access and other technologies, she often can't. Women Thrive is proposing increased technical assistance for women like Eugenia. Click here to learn more about our trade solutions. Another barrier for producers is an overly-complex U.S. customs process. According to Eugenia, most U.S. customs officials are not familiar with AGOA and often mis-classify AGOA products like shea butter, keeping them on hold for weeks. As a result many of Eugenia's orders have been cancelled by frustrated customers in the U.S. On one occasion Eugenia lost $3,000 – enough to pay for more than a year's worth of food. Women Thrive is advocating for U.S. custom process improvements that would help women like Eugenia with customs clearance. Click here to learn more about our trade solutions. Eugenia's Message for Americans When asked what she would like to tell Americans, Eugenia said that what women like her need most are tools so that they can help each other and themselves. "Yes we need help," she said, "[but] we are also responsible to other people so that we'll have a multiplying effect. I don't believe in freebies: part of the package of responsibility is that if you are helped you in turn have the responsibility to help someone else"