Ellah-Mae’s promises 100% pure women’s Gold
MyZambia MyAfrica Ltd. (UK)
Pure women’s Gold
For centuries Shea butter has been called women’s Gold because it provides income to millions of women across West and East Africa. The hydrating, nourishing and renewal properties of Shea butter has been an open secret for generations amongst Africans. Extracting and processing Shea butter is labour intensive. Therefore the work is carried out manually by rural women using traditional methods that have a low Carbon footprint.
Big picture
The international Shea butter market is projected to reach $2.9 (US) billion by 2025. Most of the Shea butter is used in the food industry. The demand for Shea butter in Europe is growing and is driven by consumer’s preference for natural cosmetics.
Who we are
The Covid-19 pandemic has further strengthened the universal business case for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Registered as a Trademark in the UK, Ellah-Mae's is the CSR arm of our business. Our primary focus is sourcing and supplying ethically produced 100% pure unrefined raw Shea butter from Tamale, Northern Ghana. Our Team has insight into the challenges of doing ethical business in Africa. Our experience of working in the UK public sector has led us to appreciate that while people hear statistics, they feel stories.
The story behind Ellah-Mae's brand
Our brand name Ellah-Mae’s was inspired by the life of my paternal great grandmother Mwenzi Mwanza, who was the first known female Chief in Eastern Zambia, Southern Africa. The narrative that relates to Mwenzi is that she was an ordinary woman who was catapulted into extraordinary events. Mwenzi was born into royalty around 1875. She was taken into slavery with her husband, 3 young sons, her sister, brother-in-law and their children. After several years, Mwenzi escaped from her latest owners, taking advantage of a raid on her captors by what she described as a European army. By this time she had long been separated from her family, except for her youngest son. She never saw her family again. What happened to them remains unknown but what is undisputed is that there was an established Arab slave trade in the region that supplied human labour to Zanzibar. Zanzibar is an archipelago 40 km off the coast of Tanzania in East Africa. Mwenzi courageously walked through dangerous terrain back to her village with her son. Upon their return, Mwenzi took her rightful place as Chief as there were no surviving adult male heirs. She quickly remarried and bore children. 6 of them survived into adulthood.
Ghana remains open for business
Ghana has made progress to improve the ease of doing business, according to the World Bank Group Doing Business Report (2019). The Ghanaian Government have coined the term, ‘The Year of the Return’, an initiative intended to encourage people of African descent to settle and invest in Ghana.
Quality is everything
Our in-country partner is Sylvia Okyere, the CEO of Golden Crumbs Ltd. (Ghana). Sylvia is responsible for sourcing the handmade Shea butter produced by rural women in co-operatives. Sylvia is an accountant and an MBA holder. She spent 26 years in America but chose to return to Ghana in 2012 to contribute to the economic development of her beloved country.
Lifehacks
Mwenzi died peacefully in 1936. My great grandmother’s life speaks to 3 truths to me.
* Nothing worth doing comes easy.
* I must always trust my struggle.
* Unexpected chaos can be a perfect gateway to my legacy.
How we can add value to your brand
Is your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy outdated and struggling to keep up with your competitors? Our Team understands that more businesses are recognising the global power of positive branding and that corporate ethics are increasingly scrutinised by clients, investors and regulators. Our Team is committed to enabling your business to generate a compelling return on your investment. Please do take full advantage of our free, initial, no-obligation consultation about investing in sustainably produced 100% pure unrefined raw Shea butter from Tamale, Northern Ghana. All queries to:
Leya Kawamba Kemp
Director
MyZambia MyAfrica Ltd. (UK)
Email: leya@myzambiamyafrica.com
Mobile: +44 7950 932 465
www.myzambiamyafrica.com