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From Shea Nuts to Globally Accepted Shea Butter: UNIDO supports Rita and Bandisuglo Women to impact others
Rita Dampson began her entrepreneurial journey from home, crafting Kente fabrics and making soap. In 2011, a friend challenged Rita to train other women, leading her to gather women to process Shea nuts into handcrafted butter. Two years later, she established a processing centre at Gupanayili, followed by a black soap centre at Tamale.
Rita states, “In 2011, I decided to register as a company and have not regretted it. The opportunities I had from UNIDO later in 2021 and the various standardized training I received for my handcraft-making formulation made me redesign my handcraft soap factory, which has been modernized alongside the processing of the black soap. With UNIDO's guidance, I used the right equipment for my handcraft soap formulations and have been trained to use standardized measurements for ingredients. My bar soaps and lotions too are improved and now getting the attention of many customers."
She paid a beautiful tribute to her beloved late father, Dampson, by naming her company Ritadamps. Her deep bond with her father and the cherished memories they shared became the driving force behind her unwavering determination to establish herself as a successful entrepreneur.
Explaining the significance behind the company name, she expressed, "I named my company Ritadamps as a heartfelt homage to my dear father, Dampson, with whom I shared an incredibly close bond until his passing. I wanted to ensure that his memory would always be a part of my entrepreneurial journey, hence the decision to blend his name with mine, despite being married."
Prior to delving into the world of black soap processing, Rita's journey began when her sister's friend recognized the immense potential of black soap. Together, they embarked on a quest for knowledge and sought guidance from a master soapmaker.
Since then, Rita has imparted her expertise to over 3000 women, empowering them with the skills and artistry of Shea and black soap processing.
"I used to sell my products in poly wraps but thanks to the WACOMP's training, I now have quality packaging for all my products and, the customers are pleased with the new packaging. Also, after my Masterclass training in cosmetics formulation specially organised by UNIDO, I have been approached by several NGOs operating in the Northern region to train more young girls in handcraft soap making, packaging and high-grade unrefined shea butter and black soap. Not only have I empowered older women in my processing cluster but provided support to over 3000 women in Quality Shea not picking and butter processing in the Gapanyili and Tamale communities.”
Hajia Rita Dampson, CEO, Dampco Ventures and Head of the Bandisuglo Shea Processing Centre
UNIDO Interventions:
To formalize the processing of Rita's Shea and Black soap, UNIDO, through the West Africa Competitiveness Programme, supported her business by offering technical assistance in marketing, branding, product design, packaging, and meeting various conformity requirements.
Rita is dedicated to growing Ritadam Ventures and expanding it into a factory that will produce products which will be a popular choice for many households worldwide.
She revealed that WACOMP's support has increased consumer satisfaction and made her products more appealing.
Rita mentioned, "After the WACOMP project provided me with various training, I now have quality packaging for all my products, and customers are pleased with the new packaging."
UNIDO also supported Rita and her cooperative with equipment and helped standardize their operations using the right utensils.
Due to the lack of certification, inappropriate equipment, and insufficient quality pre-processing of the nuts, including household utensils, we could not get our production processes certified. UNIDO also supported us with a Kneader, Crusher, Mill, and Soap Mould, which has increased our production capacity and improved our quality, allowing us to sell to clients in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Canada.
In 2021, WACOMP-Ghana organized a Training of Trainers (ToT) for various shea processing groups and clusters in the Northern, Upper East, and Upper West regions. The focus was "How to process shea butter to meet export quality parameters with emphasis on moisture and free fatty acid content."
“Since we underwent the training to standardize the quality of shea butter processing and reduce moisture and fatty acid content, we have exported our product to Malaysia. Our client believes that the butter we supplied is the best shea butter we have ever supplied!" revealed Rita.
“I have always shared the knowledge I gained through WACOMP-Ghana with others. Following my Masterclass training in cosmetics formulation, I have been approached by various NGOs to educate young girls in handcrafted soap making, packaging, and the production of high-grade unrefined shea butter and black soap. This has helped to sustain their economic empowerment and livelihoods in our rural communities."
H.E Ambassador Irchard Razaaly (R) with Rita Dampson holding some of the newly packaged products
Rita, who is a member of the Northern UNIDO Cosmetics Cluster, consistently undergoes sensitization on the importance of standards and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for Shea butter. This aims to improve processing methods while ensuring that the beneficial bioactive ingredients in shea kernels are retained in the final shea butter for export.
This support system not only allows the various representatives to mobilize their cooperatives to sustain the quality of the raw material but also improves its market access, securing new clients willing to buy Ghanaian high-quality shea butter
“WACOMP – Ghana cluster has helped the cosmetic and personal care products sector by exposing us to key measures to enhance our competitiveness. The cosmetics cluster in Tamale brought all those in cosmetics together, allowing us to get to know and trade among ourselves. We also share ideas that help the growth and sustenance of the cluster. The various trainings we have received from WACOMP in quality infrastructure, product packaging, and good branding have made us more competitive," Rita added.
Rita's impact and commitment to following a standardized way of producing shea nuts to shea butter processing, as trained by WACOMP, earned her more jobs and contracts to train more women in her communities and other regions.Recently, Rita was contacted by the Global Shea Alliance to train more members of the alliance and help them set up pickers and processors. This is to follow all the formalized structures that UNIDO helped her adopt. A two-year contract has been signed to empower more women to thrive in rural communities.
Rita preparing a handcraft soap at one of WACOMP's soap formulation workshops
Rita training some of her cooperative members
Some of the workers of the Bandisuglo Shea Processing Centre with UNIDO and EU Delegation during a working visit
