As part of its community engagement efforts, the Gbele Resource Reserve has handed over a newly constructed shea nut storage facility to the Dimajang No. 1 community in the Sissala East Municipality of the Upper West Region of Ghana.

The brief but vibrant ceremony took place on Friday, May 9, 2025, at the forecourt of the Chief’s Palace. In attendance were the community chief, representatives of women’s and youth groups, unit committee members, and other guests.

In his keynote address, Mr. Badu Samuel Dwumor, District Manager of the Forestry Services Division in Sissala East, officially handed over the facility on behalf of the Gbele Park Manager, Dr. Polycarp Maabir. He explained that the Gbele Resource Reserve, in partnership with the Savannah Fruits Company, began implementing an organic shea value chain development project as far back as 2014.

According to Mr. Dwumor, the project, part of an alternative livelihood initiative, aims to empower women in beneficiary communities organized into groups known as Organic Shea Collectors. To support their work, the Reserve has been constructing storage facilities to strengthen the value chain.

Under the Sustainable Land and Water Management Project, four storage facilities were initially constructed. Mr. Dwumor noted that four more are being added under the Ghana Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project (GLRSSMP). Two were completed in 2024 at Gbele and Timmie in the Sissala West District, making the newly completed Dimajang facility the third.

In his concluding remarks, he urged the community to maintain the facility regularly and advised that any revenue generated from renting the facility should be reinvested in its upkeep.

Speaking on behalf of the community, Madam Musah Ayishetu, leader of the women’s group supported by the Savannah Fruits Company, expressed heartfelt gratitude for the facility. She pledged the community’s commitment to maintaining it for long-term sustainability.

The ceremony concluded with a symbolic inspection of the facility by all present, marking the official handover.