Kuga, Nov. 29, GNA - A sheanut processing project, estimated at 88,000 Ghana cedis has been commissioned at Kuga a suburb of Yendi in the Yendi Municipality of the Northern Region. It comprises administration block, shea butter storage facility, kitchen for processing machine rooms, sheanut storage rooms and a mechanized borehole.

The Yendi Catholic Bishop, Most Rev Vincent Sowah Boi-Nai who inaugurated the project said the project was funded by the Diocese Muenstie Germany.

Bishop Boi-Nai said the aim of the project is to help the rural poor women who are engaged in shea butter production to be able to produce quality shea butter for export. He said, even though it is a church project it is for all women in the diocese.

He appealed to Christians, Muslims and traditional worshipers who are engaged in the production of shea butter to be able to work together and see poverty as the common enemy and forget of tribal, ethnic and religious differences.

Bishop Boi-Nai said the women will be supported with loans from the diocese Muenstie Germany and Catholic Diocese of Yendi, without interest and payable within three years. He said the church decided to establish the project after the 1994 ethnic conflict to support women who lost their husbands to enable them to support their children.

He stated that the women will be well-trained to produce quality and better shea butter which will be marketable in all parts of the world.

Bishop Boi-Nai called on the women to form cooperative groups to be able to register with the Department of Cooperatives to join the production of the shea butter to benefit from loans. The Development Coordinator of the Yendi Diocese, Mr William Abakisi assured that the women that arrangement have been made with the buyers and exporters by the church to solve their problems of marketing.

Mr Abakisi therefore advised the women to work very hard because the demand by the exporters is so huge that if they do not work day and night they will not be able to meet their demand.

He stated that if they disappoint a customer the information will go round that they are not reliable and they will be blacklisted. He indicated that in due course similar facilities will be established at Tatale, Saboba, Bimbilla, Chereponi and Chamba. He said more than 500 women from seven women cooperative groups are benefiting from the project.

The Northern Regional Cooperative Officer, Mr Fuseini Mohammed who presented certificates of registration to the seven women cooperative groups said the certificates indicate that the women groups are duly registered and can take legal action against any customer who fails to pay for their products.

Mr Fuseini stated that the certificates will also help them to obtain loans from the banks and other credit organizations. He announced that Department of Cooperative works with any current government in power.

He advised the women to work in consultation with the Yendi Municipal Cooperative Officer for more training to be able to work successfully and also keep their funds well through savings with the banks.

Mr Fuseini said the Department of Cooperatives will also be able to train them on their business plans.

He mentioned some of the groups which received the certificates as Kuga Banabebu Women Cooperative Sheanut Processing and Marketing Society, Yendi Cathedral Christian Mothers Sheanut Processing and Marketing Association, and Nadundo Women Cooperative Sheanut Processing and Marketing Society.