YOUR IMPACT: Anbanaah Celina

Anbanaah Celina is a shea nut collector and shea butter producer from the Oli community in Ghana's Upper West Region. A mother of six, she works closely with other women in the Oli certified organic group — one of the producer groups connected to Baraka through the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre. Her work collecting and processing shea nuts is central to her family's livelihood and her contribution to the wider cooperative.

In this video, Anbanaah speaks about two things Baraka has changed for her community. First, Baraka helped the women understand the full value of shea nuts — something that wasn't clear before. Second, and more concretely: before Baraka, the women took their shea nuts to the Namvuli market, where buyers paid very poor prices. Baraka changed that entirely — purchasing directly from the Oli community at a fair price, without the women having to travel or accept below-value payment.

Anbanaah Celina is one of the women whose work makes Baraka shea butter possible. Baraka sources shea butter directly through the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Ghana's Upper West Region — a cooperative relationship maintained for over 15 years. Every batch is hand-processed using traditional water-based methods with zero chemical extraction, and complete chain-of-custody documentation is available for any order. The women who produce this ingredient receive a fair-trade premium directly, without intermediaries.

Shea butter is commonly used for dry skin and helps maintain moisture. It is traditionally used across a range of skincare applications, including on the face — you can read more about whether shea butter is good for the face, including how traditionally made, unrefined shea butter is commonly used for facial skin. The Oli group works within a certified organic system, meaning no pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals are used at any stage of harvest or processing.

Over 90% of the people working with Baraka in Ghana are women. Every purchase supports their ability to work with dignity, earn a fair income, and build futures for their families. To understand the full scope of this work, you can read Baraka's Social and Environmental Impact Report, which details the cooperative's progress and the lives behind every batch.

You can also learn more through these related resources: the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre, the fair trade story behind Baraka's ingredients, and how handmade shea butter is made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Anbanaah Celina and what does she do?

Anbanaah Celina is a shea nut collector and shea butter producer from the Oli community in Ghana's Upper West Region. She is a mother of six and works closely with other women in the Oli certified organic group, connected to Baraka through the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre. Her work spans both the collection of wild shea nuts and their hand-processing into shea butter using traditional methods.

What does Anbanaah say about working with Baraka?

Anbanaah speaks about two changes Baraka brought to her community. First, Baraka helped the women understand the true value of their shea nuts — knowledge they didn't have before. Second, before Baraka arrived, the women took their nuts to the Namvuli market where buyers paid very little. Baraka replaced that arrangement by coming directly to the Oli community to purchase at a fair price, removing both the travel burden and the exploitation by low-paying intermediaries.

Who makes Baraka shea butter?

Baraka shea butter is made by women at the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Ghana's Upper West Region. Women like Anbanaah Celina hand-process shea nuts using traditional water-based methods passed down through generations — cracking, grinding, boiling, and skimming by hand, with zero chemical extraction. Baraka has maintained this direct cooperative relationship for over 15 years. More than 90% of the people working with Baraka in Ghana are women.

What is the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre?

The Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre is a women's cooperative in Ghana's Upper West Region through which Baraka sources its shea butter and other ingredients. It operates as a direct, fair-trade cooperative — producers receive a fair-trade premium without intermediaries. Baraka has worked directly with the centre for over 15 years. The cooperative connects multiple certified organic producer groups across the region, including the Oli group that Anbanaah Celina works with.

What does certified organic mean for Baraka shea butter?

For the Oli group, certified organic means shea nuts are harvested and processed without pesticides, herbicides, chemicals, or solvents at any stage. The shea trees grow wild and are not cultivated, so the organic status reflects the harvesting and processing practices rather than controlled agriculture. Baraka's ingredients are produced without chemical extraction — hand-processed using traditional water-based methods — and chain-of-custody documentation is available for any order.

About the Author

Wayne Dunn is the founder of Baraka Impact and a former Professor of Practice in Sustainability at McGill University. He holds an M.Sc. in Management from Stanford and has spent over 15 years working directly with the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Ghana's Upper West Region to source traditionally made shea butter and natural oils. He shares DIY skincare recipes and ingredient guides designed to be made at home with real ingredients — and sourced with full transparency about where they come from.