Did you know!?

Did you know?!
Women produce more than 80% of the food in Africa, yet they own only 1% of the land.

Part of my job here has been to capture the stories of women of Pagsung. I thought I’d share one of them. Enjoy!

Memunatu on her compound!

Memunatu Adam is a fifty year old widow who has become a role model to her children and women within her community. Memunatu has been apart of Pagsung since its inception and has taken a leading role in many of its activities. To Memunatus family she is a strong, ambitious woman who has overcome the challenges of losing her husband and having to send her first born to Accra to work as a domestic servant. To her community she is a woman who, against all odds has been able to purchase her own land and build a secure home for her children, grandchildren and extended family. Memunatu attributes much of that success to the vision of Pagsung a group of shea butter pickers and processors which seeks “to strengthen and empower women through knowledge and skill development in order for them to improve upon their livelihoods.” A member of Pagsung, Memunatu joined the Sagnerigu training centre as a way to increase her shea butter business. Noting the benefits of joining an established shea network, she states “I was already doing shea butter but knew that with increased training on quality shea and joining a group of women similar to myself my business would grow and I would be able to earn more income to support my family”. Memunatu has since been able to purchase two plots of land and has built a three bedroom house for herself and her extended family. The land has given Memunatu the peace of mind in supporting her family, allowing her children to live with her and be able to save enough money to eventually purchase their own land. The land has also enabled Memunatu to start up other income generating projects such as her side business of “henna” a naturally gown plant which is used as a dye. The income from both the Shea butter as well as henna has evolved into a steady income for Memunatu, one which enables her to support her children’s education and allowed for her to bring her daughter back home which has given her the peace of mind of knowing her daughter is safe.
May not look like much to many but this is Incredible achievement

Memunatu explains: “Owning my own land proves that women are resilient and are able to move past challenges, Pagsung supported my interest for independence by teaching me important skills such as quality shea butter ,basic business and literacy”. Now that Memunatu doesn’t have to worry so much about finding any means to support her children, she is able to earn enough money through her shea and henna sales, this has enabled her enough time to join functional literacy classes supported by Pagsung and join other groups which empower both her and her families’ sustainable living. Memunatu is not only a role model to both rural women in the Northern region but women in situations (facing challenges) such as hers in rural areas around the world.