Update: Konjiehi Women's Enterprise Centre

This is a great example of how every order our customers make has a direct impact on the hard-working women who make Baraka butters and oils.  Every order has an impact.

The building of the Konjiehi Women Enterprise Centre by Baraka is in response to the persistent request by the community for the provision of a place that will facilitate their butter production and other income generation activities.

It will also help improve quality and ensure the production of good quality organic shea butter and other products.

Work on the facility started formally on the 4th of September 2022, a day after the sod cutting ceremony that was led by the chief of Konjiehi and attended by over a hundred community members, most of whom were members of the organic shea cooperative of the community, as well as Baraka's full team from the Upper West Region.

The first phase of the project is to have a machine room that will house the machines to be used for the processing activities, a cement drying and working area and a water well to provide clean potable for butter production and community use. There is also to be a fence wall around the facility to provide security and also contain the activities in specified areas.

PROGRESS

MACHINE ROOM

The machine room, which is the main structure of the facility was commenced on the 4th of September 2022 with the excavation of the foundation and the casting of foundation concrete. The next day saw the building of the first three courses and a further raising of the building to the roofing level.

As of the 25th of September, the machine room has been roofed, leaving the machine room at 70% complete.

The doors and windows will be worked on before plastering of the inner and outer walls of the machine room will be commenced.

Filling of the floor has commenced, once this is completed, we will move in the machines and complete the cement floor.

Front view of the machine room under construction

WATER WELL

A technician was sent to the site to locate the best spot to site the water well.

After a number of rounds, he pointed to a number of spots but advised that drilling of the water well be commenced after the rains.

With the current intensity of the rains, it will be difficult for the drilling machine to have access to the land. Secondly, the water table will be high, and we might strike water early and lose it in the dry season. As such, drilling of the water well will start somewhere in late October or early November, depending on the rains.

FENCE 

The wire fencing for the facility is also currently being worked on. 130 fence poles measuring 6 feet each have been fabricated including three tripod stands for the corners of the fence.

Welded mesh for fence covering has also been acquired. This will be used to cover the spaces in between the poles once erected.

Two gates (the main one and a side one) are currently being fabricated and will be the point of entry into and exit from the enterprise center.

Fabricated poles ready for use in fencing

Tripods for corners of the fence

NEXT STAGES

• Fixing doors and windows in the machine room

• Plastering of walls of the machine room

• Mounting the machines

• Flooring of the machine room

• Painting of structures

• Development of drying platforms

• Fencing of the facility

• Drilling of water well

• Connection of electricity

CONCLUSION

Work is going on as planned, we are on track to getting it all sorted out in early November.

Contribute directly to this project by adding a tip to your order or donate to the Dignity of Income Fund.