At 5 a.m., before the sun even considers rising over Sass Town, the first fire is lit. Thick smoke from the coconut husk drifts into the cool morning air as James stokes the flames beneath the coconut dehydrator. Soon, others arrive—women with babies tied to their backs, men with calloused hands ready for work.
The rhythmic thunk of machetes begins as husks fly from coconuts, revealing the rough brown shells underneath. It’s another day of oil-making, a craft that’s bringing new opportunity to this quiet coastal community.
Inside the processing shed, the real work begins. Coconuts are cracked open, their sweet water drained before the shells with the meat intact are skillfully maneuvered against the grinder. The shredded coconut is spread on top of the dehydrator, where the fire James started earlier burns steadily, drying the flakes until they are ready for pressing. The air is thick with the scent of warm coconut, and voices rise in chatter and laughter as hands move quickly, repeating the steps that have become second nature.
This oil? It can flow. It means I can pay school fees. I can buy medicine if my children are sick. It means a better life."
At the center of it all stands the hydraulic press, a simple but powerful machine that turns dry coconut into pure, clear oil. It takes strength to extract every last drop—so much strength that workers take turns hanging from the press’s chain, using their full body weight to force the oil out. A few jokes fly as men dangle midair, their feet barely touching the ground before the press finally yields its prize.
Rose wipes her hands on her skirt and watches as another jug fills. "We work hard because we want this to work," she says, adjusting the scarf wrapped around her head. "Here in the village, jobs are scarce. Before this, I depended on selling fish at the market, but the ocean isn’t always kind. This oil? It can flow. It means I can pay school fees. I can buy medicine if my children are sick. It means a better life."
For the people of Sass Town, coconut oil is more than just a product—it’s a future. And with each bottle sold, that future gets a little brighter.
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