{"id":411959,"date":"2026-02-06T23:23:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T23:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/411959\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T23:23:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T23:23:13","slug":"people-said-i-was-into-juju-when-i-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/411959\/","title":{"rendered":"People said I was into ‘juju’ when I started"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Hamamat <\/a>Hamamat Montia started the Shea Butter Museum in 2006<\/p>\n

Former beauty queen and CEO of the Shea Butter Museum, Hamamat Montia, has opened up about the ridicule and backlash she faced when she first began promoting traditional shea butter production and cultural preservation.<\/p>\n

Speaking about her journey in an interview with Bola Ray, Hamamat revealed that when she started the initiative, many people misunderstood her intentions and accused her of engaging in occultic practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople were calling me names and asking questions like, \u2018Why is she in the village being covered with herbs?\u2019 People used to say I was mad or that I was doing juju,\u201d she recounted.<\/p>\n

President Mahama reacts to IShowSpeed’s viral shea butter massage in Ghana<\/a><\/p>\n

According to her, at the time, embracing village life and indigenous practices was frowned upon, especially for someone who had been exposed to the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack then, people weren\u2019t proud to show that they came from a village. I was doing it, and so a lot of people didn\u2019t like it. They asked how someone who had travelled the world would come and sit in the village,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Hamamat explained that her decision was driven by the purpose to preserve the rich Ghanaian heritage rather than public approval.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, your calling is to go back home. It\u2019s not always about going to America or London. Sometimes, you go there to suffer. The spirits or the ancestors are telling you to go back home,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n

She stressed that Africa\u2019s natural resources hold immense value if properly appreciated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is value in palm oil. There is value even in our sand, our sun, our trees, our seeds, and our rocks,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Hamamat also noted that following a visit by popular American livestreamer IShowSpeed in January, the museum has seen a surge in interest and is now fully booked until April 2026.<\/p>\n

Watch the video below:<\/p>\n

When I started the Shea Butter Museum 20 years ago, some people accused me of being insane or practising “juju”… – Hamamat Montia (CEO, Shea Butter Museum)#GHOneNews<\/a> #EIBNetwork<\/a> #GHOneTV<\/a> #NewsAlert<\/a> #StarrFM<\/a> #StarrChat<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/0CU2da98NH<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 GHOne TV (@ghonetv) February 6, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

ID\/AE<\/p>\n

Social media uproar as Ghanaians, Zambians clash over Mahama’s fashion choices:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n