The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Mrs. Pamela Bridgewater, has inaugurated a shea butter production facility for the Buli Women's Shea butter Processing Group at Buli in the Wa West District.

The ambassador made available about ¢100 million from her special Self-Help Fund for the execution of the project while the people provided labour, sand and stone and part of the transportation cost of the equipment for the centre.

The centre is equipped with a grinding mill, a shea nut crusher, shea paste kneader, roaster, diesel engine, installation materials and service tools, all provided by the US government.

Mrs. Bridgewater said application for funds for the project was among over 350 others and commended the Buli women's group for completing the work on schedule.

She said the embassy had since 1990 spent about one million dollars from the Fund to sponsor micro-projects for various groups spread across the country.

The demand for shea butter for the manufacture of body and hair products, she noted, was rising in the USA and urged the people to take interest in the growth and development of the shea nut industry to meet international demand and standards.

The Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. Ambrose Dery, advised the men not to take over control of the facility and push the women to the background since the men in the region were noted for taking such actions to undermine the development of their spouses.

He noted with satisfaction, the contribution of the United States in supporting the development of the region, especially in the reduction of child mortality.

Reverend Frank Awuah Fordjour of the Church of Pentecost said the Buli Women's Group sought to promote the welfare of its members through engagement in self-help projects like farming, shea-nut picking and shea-butter production.

The group therefore made a request to the Church to help them to establish a shea butter processing and milling centre to facilitate shea butter production and in line with that request, the Church applied to the US embassy for help.