FADE IN:
EXT. GHANAIAN SAVANNAH - DAY
Under the shade of a sacred Karite tree, AMINA (60s), the matriarch of her village, leads a cooperative of women. Their laughter and conversation are a rhythmic accompaniment to their labor.
This is an ancient alchemy. Hands, strong and knowing, crack the harvested nuts, roast them over an open fire, and grind them into a rich paste. They knead and clarify the mixture in large calabashes, their movements a tradition passed through generations.
They are creating Shea Butter. "Women's Gold."
EXT. VILLAGE CENTER - DAY
A modern truck, belonging to THE BUYER (40s), kicks up dust as it arrives. He is the face of the outside world, the gatekeeper to the market.
He weighs the large, carefully prepared balls of Shea butter. The women of the cooperative watch, their hopes held in a fragile silence. The Buyer taps his calculator, sighs, and names his price. It is low.
AMINA
(in Twi)
Ka no bio. Yɛn adwuma fata sen saa.
(Say it again. Our work is worth more than this.)
THE BUYER
(in Twi)
Hwɛ, Amina. Amansan gua no ayɛ mmerɛ. Eyi ne ne boɔ. Fa anaa gyae.
(Look, Amina. The global market is soft. This is the price. Take it or leave it.)
He has all the leverage. The deal is made. He drives away with their gold, leaving behind a pittance that must be stretched to feed, clothe, and care for an entire community.
INT. AMINA'S HOME - NIGHT
Amina sits with her granddaughter, NAFISA (20s), who is home from university. Nafisa holds up her glowing phone. On the screen is a luxury cosmetic cream, sold in Paris. The price is a fortune.
NAFISA
(in Twi)
Ɛyɛ yɛn sradeɛ no. Wɔde tɔn bo a ɛkyɛn nea yɛn nyinaa yɛyɛ wɔ afe baako mu.
(This is our butter. They sell one jar for more than our whole village makes in a year.)
She swipes the screen. It now shows the Apenzar Guild website.
NAFISA (CONT'D)
(in Twi)
Saa nkurɔfoɔ yi... wɔka nsɛm foforɔ. Wɔnntɔ. Wɔma tumi.
(These people... they speak a different language. They don't just buy. They empower.)
EXT. VILLAGE CENTER - WEEKS LATER
The Apenzar team, led by AVA (40s), arrives. Their approach is different. They do not come to trade. They come to listen. They are invited to sit with the village elders, with Amina at the head.
AVA
(in English)
Amina, we are not here to buy your Shea butter. We are here because we believe the people who create the value should own the value.
Ava doesn't present an invoice. She presents a proposal for "Community Capitalization." A full acquisition of the cooperative's operations by The Guild.
She details the offer: a life-changing cash buyout, not for one person, but for the entire cooperative, to be used to build a new school and a medical clinic. And on top of that, a permanent equity stake for the cooperative in the new global brand they will build together.
AVA (CONT'D)
(in English)
You will no longer be at the beginning of the supply chain. You will be at the center of it. You will be the owners.
EXT. VILLAGE CENTER - MONTHS LATER
A new, modern processing facility, funded by the acquisition, is operational. The traditional methods are preserved but enhanced for scale and quality.
Amina oversees the operations, no longer just a matriarch, but a CEO. Nafisa stands beside her, managing the logistics on the Apenzar OS.
The Buyer's truck arrives, but this time, it is there to take delivery of the finished product, branded with their cooperative's name and the Apenzar seal, ready for export at a premium price. The power dynamic has shifted forever. This is sovereignty, achieved.
FADE OUT.