"I was in a tough situation, my husband was seriously ill and then he passed away," says Yacoubou Safa, a resident of Banigri in central Benin. She is also a member of Antisua, an association of rural women working in the production and processing of shea in Benin.
"I've been able to survive with my children due to the money I earn from shea, which is my only income-generating activity."
Oroudama Alima, Antisua's treasurer in Banigri, adds: "Because of this project, we have enough to food on the table, and we can even pay for school supplies for our children."
For these two women and other Antisua association members across the country, the initiative they are referring to has been a lifeline.
Financed by the African Development Fund (ADF), the African Development Bank's concessional window, the Community Forest Management Support Project - Phase II (PAGEFCOM-II) has been rolled out in five of Benin's départements: Atlantique, Zou, Collines, Borgou and Donga, covering a total area of 59,746 km², or 52.06% of the country's territory.
The $11.19 million the project has been backed by a loan of $6,65 million and a grant of 841 000 dollars from the ADF and has also benefitted from a $2,5 million grant from the Global Environment Facility. It has been rolled out over the five-year period 2017 to December 2024.
Its aim is to contribute to sustainable development through the sustainable restoration of forest ecosystems and the development of green economy value chains.
The project's implementation has several positive spin-offs, notably through the sustainable promotion of non-timber forest product chains, such as shea kernels, honey (beekeeping), pods from the African locust bean, saba (saba senegalensis), baobab fruit, detarium fruit, acacia pods, and leaves and bark used in traditional pharmacopoeia.
But in addition to providing income for the women of Banigri, the project has also helped to reduce the arduous burden of their work, thereby improving its members' quality of life.
"Previously, we had to process a lot of seeds, and we didn't even have basins to carry the nuts; we had to use our skirts," says Oroudama Alima, recalling the difficult working conditions. "Each woman took care of a certain quantity, and the crushing was done by hand. We suffered terrible pain and swollen hands. We regularly fell ill. Through the support of this project, the machines do that part of the work now instead of us, and we're less tired."
Yacoubou Bio Kourô, the Antisua treasurer in the village of Sinahou, explains, "since the start of the project, working conditions have changed considerably". Previously processing shea nuts used to require long hours for shelling, washing and drying, from early morning until late at night.
More than 180,000 people, 50.86 percent of them women, have benefitted directly from the project, meaning some 427,000 people in the area have benefitted indirectly.
The project is also helping to combat the effects of climate change and boost women's resilience. Collecting and processing shea nuts brings in around $226 (FCFA 137,000) annually for each of the women involved.
Acutely aware of the importance of this project, which has enabled them to build their economic and financial resilience, the women from Banigri and Sinahou are calling for it to be strengthened to ensure it lasts. They want support in terms of equipment and inputs to improve its chances.
"We're asking the project to help us buy almonds. We have the capacity to collect and process a lot of shea nuts, but it's hard for us to find almonds," notes Yacoubou Safa.
The project is also supporting the women through training: they have been trained on new skills, and provided with machines to make shelling and cleaning the nuts easier. They have also been supplied with protective equipment, gloves and boots for comfort and safety.
"We need a pump, an extra pipe to improve the clarity of the oil, better visibility to increase sales, a much larger building and electricity," concludes Yacoubou Bio Kourô.
