Thanks to the dedicated globe trotters at the Sundara Fund (Soap with a Mission), there are now SoapStandles fighting the goo(d) fight against soap waste / gooey-ness / slipping out of hands in Uganda.
There are a number of well-intentioned groups that recycle soap to under-resourced areas, but Sundara is really smart about it... using relationships in the area, they take the soap, process it and get it to people 'on the ground' so it reaches the right people (kids) and empowers local women. In their own words, "The hospitality industry throws away billions of bars of gently used soap into landfills every single year. Sundara takes those bars before they hit the trash and cleans and sanitizes them so they are pathogen-free, cannot transmit disease and are fit for use again. We employ a holistic approach to soap recycling, relying on community members for leadership, giving dignified jobs to underprivileged women and focusing on intensive hygiene education in a sustainable movement to reduce preventable hygiene related death and disease." http://sundarafund.org
Sundara is worthy of your support, and we're proud to work with them. Here's a report from Michelle Fusco, Sundara's Director of Program Development:
Our team has safely returned home from Uganda. We had such a wonderful time taking photos with your soap standles- I'm so excited to share these with you.
One of our incredible volunteers, Kim, gave a speech (which was translated) to the entire community on what the purpose of the standles are. Everyone loved it and immediately after, Kim and I spotted one woman explaining to her friend what the standles do- it was great to see the community respond so well to your amazing product.
Sundara bars with "mini" SoapStandles, ready to go! (photo by Danny Forest)
(photo by Jjumba Martin)
(photo by Jjumba Martin)
Explaining the different benefits from using the SoapStandle (photo by Jjumba Martin)
(photo by Jjumba Martin)
(photo by Jjumba Martin)
The best soap travel case in the world... soap stays 'fixed' so air can circulate 360° - no goo in the case or on your hand -- what's not to love?
(photo by Jjumba Martin)
Thank you Michelle, Kim, Audrey (and Erin)!