[Ghanatrip] Nut Sheller Demo Saturday

[Laura Wendell]

*UNIVERSAL NUT SHELLER AND ONE WORLD MARKET LEAD THE WAY TO FILL BELLIES
IN GHANA*

How many hours does it take to shell 110 lbs of peanuts? Too many,
according to Jock Brandis of The Full Belly Project. His answer to the
problem: invent a Universal Nut Sheller.

While in the West African country of Mali to repair some machinery,
Brandis noticed the long hours women spent shelling peanuts by hand. He
suggested they use a machine for this task but they had no idea where to
find one. He promised to help. Upon his return to the States, Brandis
quickly realized an affordable peanut Sheller did not exist and decided
to invent one. A year later, he returned to the Malian village to keep
his promise.

That was more than five years ago. Today, the Full Belly Project has
placed the Universal Nut Sheller in different villages throughout the
world. And next year, through collaboration with One World Market,
Durham’s only non-profit fair trade store, a village in Ghana will join
that number.

About a year ago, Laura Wendell, Director of One World Market, began
planning a trip to Ghana to meet artisans and co-op groups who make some
of the products carried in the store. Wendell, a former Peace Corps
volunteer in Togo, another West African country, saw a great opportunity
to involve the Full Belly Project and their Universal Nut Sheller.

Wendell was first captivated by the Universal Nut Sheller and The Full
Belly Project when Roey Rosenblith, the organization’s Director of
Outreach and Fulfillment, participated in a workshop together with
Wendell’s husband and a friendship quickly formed. Wendell and
Rosenblith were introduced and soon the idea of working together on a
project was born.

Like many African countries, Ghana is home to the shea nut from which
shea butter, soap and other products are made. Shelling these nuts by
hand is a slow, difficult task normally performed by women and children.
By taking the materials to assemble one or two Universal Nut Shellers to
Ghana, Wendell hopes to ease this burden. The machine can shell a
variety of nuts, including wing beans, pine nuts, neem nuts, shea nuts,
and pecans. The nut Sheller uses two sets of fiberglass molds, some
common metal parts, cement, and sand. The cost of one set of molds and
enough parts to make five machines is only $600, making it a low-cost
solution for rural communities reliant on nuts for food and income.

In anticipation of the trip to Ghana, there will be a demonstration of
the wonders of the Universal Nut Sheller on *May 26, 2007,* from *1-3pm*
at *One World Market on Ninth Street in Durham*. Nut lovers will be
challenged to shell some nuts by hand and then try the Universal Nut
Sheller. All proceeds from sales at One World Market on May 26 will go
toward The Full Belly Project.

So, how many hours does it take to shell 110 lbs of peanuts? Just one
hour if you use the Universal Nut Sheller! Stop by World Market on May
26 to try your hand at shelling peanuts.

For more information, contact:

Laura Wendell, Director, One World Market

Phone: 919-286-2457

E-mail: laura at oneworldmarket.info

www.oneworldmarket.info


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