Hippo Friendly Shea Butter from the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary Region

The shea butter used in Vermont Soap is purchased from the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary due to the organic, socially responsible, and environmental practices held by the establishment. Our finished products are only as good as what we put in them, and we pride ourselves on choosing responsibly sourced ingredients. It’s part of our Mission Statement:

We pledge to conduct our business in an environmentally aware manner emphasizing reuse and recycling, the use of natural base ingredients, and the application of appropriate technology.

The Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary, established in 1999, is the home to one of the last two remaining hippo populations in Ghana. Located at the extreme north-western corner of the Upper West Region of Ghana, it consists of a 40-kilometres stretch down the length of the Black VoltaRiver which forms the region’s western boundary with Burkina Faso.

The sanctuary has benefited both the hippos and humans. Poaching has been eliminated and the hippo population has stabilized. The money brought in by tourism and shea nut collection has allowed the community to build schools and health facilities, and invest in solar power and water infrastructure, improving the lives of some 10,000 residents.

Within the sanctuary, there is a great opportunity to harvest shea nuts due to the high demand for shea butter in other parts of the world. The Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary applied for and was granted organic, fair trade and conservation certification for this project, and now have nearly 2,000 women collecting shea nuts for the cooperative. This income – along with the tourism money – allows the Sanctuary to be completely financially sustainable, allowing it to continue it’s vital work with the hippos.