Country of Residence
Nigeria
Age
18
Project title
Project Nova
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
Project Nova helps girls in my community turn locally available palm kernel oil into a more comfortable and affordable homemade body cream. Inspired by my grandmother’s method, I began teaching girls how to process the oil instead of using it raw. This helps reduce greasiness, unpleasant smells and stained clothes while giving girls useful knowledge, confidence and, eventually, opportunities for livelihood.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Pilot-Stage (We’ve tried an activity or two)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
I grew up close to my grandmother, who makes a homemade cream from palm kernel oil. Over time, I noticed something that made me curious. Some of my friends and other girls in my community complained about the palm kernel oil they used on their skin. They said it smelled, felt too greasy and stained their clothes. Yet many of them continued using it because they could not afford regular body creams. I could not understand why the palm kernel cream my grandmother made seemed different. It did not have the same strong smell or leave the same greasy feeling. I eventually asked my grandmother what she did differently. She explained that she did not simply use raw palm kernel oil. She added other locally available ingredients and processed it into a smoother cream. That conversation was when things clicked for me. I realized that the girls were not necessarily choosing to use an uncomfortable product. Many of them simply did not know that palm kernel oil could be processed differently. This inspired me to start Project Nova. Instead of keeping what I had learned to myself, I began sharing the knowledge with other girls and showing them how the oil could be processed into a more comfortable cream. Project Nova started from something very close to home: seeing a problem among girls around me and realizing that a solution was already within my community.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
In my community, some girls and young women use raw palm kernel oil as body cream because it is locally available and more affordable than many commercial creams. The problem is that raw palm kernel oil can be very greasy, have an unpleasant smell and stain clothes. These experiences can make girls uncomfortable and less confident, especially when they want to go to school, attend social activities or go to other public spaces. I began noticing this through my friends and other girls around me. I saw them complain about the smell and stains while still having to use the oil because they had limited affordable alternatives. What concerned me most was that the problem was not only about money or access to skincare products. There was also a knowledge gap. Many girls did not know that palm kernel oil could be processed differently to make it more comfortable to use. This matters to me because I believe girls should be able to care for themselves with dignity and confidence, regardless of their financial circumstances. I also believe that solutions to community problems do not always have to come from outside the community. Project Nova is my attempt to share knowledge that already exists within my own community and make it useful to more girls.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
Project Nova addresses this problem by teaching girls how to process locally available palm kernel oil into a smoother homemade body cream instead of using the raw oil directly. I learned the basic method from my grandmother and began applying what she taught me to create the cream. The process involves combining palm kernel oil with other locally available ingredients and carefully measuring, mixing, cooling and packaging the mixture. However, the most important part of Project Nova is not simply producing the cream. I want girls to understand the process themselves. I bring girls together, demonstrate how the oil can be processed and allow them to learn from the process. I have already shared samples with girls and women in my community and at school. About 15 people have tested the cream so far, and their feedback has encouraged me to continue. Some reported that their skin felt softer and smoother and that the cream was less greasy. One girl also told me that her clothes were no longer stained as they had been when she used raw oil. I see this as the beginning rather than the final solution. I want to learn more about safe and standardized cream production so that I can improve what I have learned from my grandmother and teach other girls more effectively. My long-term vision is to create a model where girls can learn to make an affordable, locally produced cream for themselves and eventually use the skill as a source of livelihood.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
Project Nova has already reached approximately 15 girls and women through free samples, demonstrations and conversations about how palm kernel oil can be processed differently. The girls who tested the cream gave me feedback about their experiences. Many said they preferred it to using raw palm kernel oil because it felt smoother on their skin and was less greasy. One girl also reported that her clothes were no longer stained after using the cream. Beyond the cream itself, I believe the project is creating an important change in how girls see the resources around them. Instead of seeing palm kernel oil only as something they have to use because they cannot afford commercial products, they can begin to see it as something they can learn to process and use differently. The project is still at an early stage, but I hope to reach many more girls through practical demonstrations and peer learning. Over time, I want girls to gain both knowledge and confidence from Project Nova, while also creating opportunities for those who want to turn the skill into a source of income.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
What makes my project different is that it begins with a solution that already exists within my community. Rather than introducing an expensive product that girls may not be able to afford, I am building on a local resource that is already familiar to them: palm kernel oil. My grandmother’s method showed me that the problem was not necessarily the oil itself, but how it was being used. I am taking that knowledge and sharing it with other girls who face the same challenge. The project also connects personal care with knowledge-sharing and future economic opportunity. Girls are not only receiving a finished product; they can learn how to process the oil themselves and understand how locally available materials can be turned into something useful. I also want to explore how the palm kernel production process can become more sustainable. I have started researching the possibility of using palm kernel husks that are often discarded as another resource that could potentially be connected to farmers. In the future, I want to learn more about standardized cream production so that the knowledge I received from my grandmother can be developed responsibly and taught to more girls. The innovation is therefore not simply the cream. It is the idea of taking an existing community resource, improving how it is used, sharing the knowledge with girls and creating a pathway through which the same process can eventually support livelihoods.
How many people are on your team?
3
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
Our team currently has three members: me, my classmate and my younger sister. I lead the idea and handle the production process. My classmate helps with packaging, while my sister helps with sourcing materials. We work together after school and discuss each production process before beginning. As the project grows, I would like to involve a teacher as an adviser, especially as I learn more about safe production, labelling and how to share the skill with more girls.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next 12 months, I want to strengthen my knowledge before expanding Project Nova. I want to learn more about cream production, safety, formulation and standardization so that I can improve the method I learned from my grandmother. My next goal is to develop a more consistent and reliable homemade cream that remains locally accessible and affordable to girls in my community. As I learn, I want to begin teaching more girls how to process palm kernel oil rather than simply giving them the finished product. I hope this will allow more girls to gain a practical skill that they can use for themselves and potentially develop into a source of livelihood. I also want to build relationships with my school, market women and other people in my community who can help me reach more girls. Another part of my vision is to reduce waste from the production process. I want to explore ways of collecting and connecting palm kernel husks, which are often discarded, with farmers who can use or purchase them. My long-term goal is to build Project Nova into a community-based model where local resources become useful products, girls gain practical knowledge, and the process creates opportunities for both personal wellbeing and economic independence.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I have been engaging girls through free samples, demonstrations and conversations about the problems associated with using raw palm kernel oil and the possibility of processing it differently. So far, about 15 girls and women have tested the cream and shared their experiences with me. Some have also helped with packaging and shared information about the project with other people. I want Project Nova to grow through practical learning rather than simply telling girls about the idea. My plan is to organize demonstrations in schools and markets where girls can see how the oil is processed and learn the process themselves. I also want girls who learn the process to share the knowledge with others. This will allow the project to grow through peer-to-peer learning and make it possible for more girls to benefit even when I am not physically present. As the project develops, I hope to teach girls not only how to make the cream, but also how locally available resources can be turned into useful products and possible livelihood opportunities. For me, encouraging others to join Project Nova means giving girls knowledge they can pass on, rather than simply giving them a product.
