• 31,451

• Health & Safety Equipment Donated

PILOT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF WOMEN COLLECTORS

• 14,627 Women Trained
• 31,451 Health and Safety Equipment Donated

Shea parkland degradation, resulting from the expansion of rural populations, clearing of land for commercial agriculture and other climate factors has pushed shea collection areas further away from communities, causing women shea collectors to travel long distances and consequently expose them to more risks whilst collecting shea fruits. In 2021, sustainability partners committed more to ensuring that collection is carried out in a safer way by providing health and safety equipment to collectors. These included 2,530 and 5,130 pairs of boots and gloves, 100 rollers and 11 tricycles. To compliment the equipment, 14,627 women shea collectors in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo received practical training on the prevention of snake bites, inhalation of smoke and the prevention of burns during processing.

“ In the past, a lot of us always got bitten by snakes because we do the collection with our bare hands. But now that we have our gloves and boots, we go even further into the bush to collect. Not only are we protected, we are also collecting more than before.”
-Antoine Aliza, Nanèbou, Benin