Delivering Soap to 430,000 Refugees
Earth Company kicked-off its support for Samir with a fundraising campaign for the purchase of three new soap-making machines. A total of US$55,000 was obtained through crowdfunding and individual donations, which enabled the purchase and installation of the machines at Eco-Soap Bank’s Cambodian factory. The funds not only ensures a steady supply of soap for 430,000 Rohingya refugees, but also created employment opportunities for 15 additional women soapmakers.
At a Glance
In a rural Cambodian village, Samir was shocked to see a mother bathe her baby with laundry detergent.
The world disposes of up to 250 million pieces of soap every year. Yet in developing countries like Cambodia, a shortage of basic hygiene products, like bar soap, is the primary cause of infant mortality rates due to preventable diseases like diarrhea.
Learning of this issue, Samir founded Eco-Soap Bank to save lives by enhancing hygiene, protecting the environment from soap waste pollution, and improving the local economy.
Basic Hygiene: Not Only for Public Health but a Human Right
Saving Lives One Recycled Soap at a Time
Roughly 1 million of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are currently living below basic hygiene and sanitation standards. Due to limited resources, these communities are at risk of pathogen transmission which poses serious threats to their health and livelihood. Samir, Eco-Soap Bank, and the UNHCR, are working together to addess this issue and dsitribute up to 5,000,000 bars of ethically made recycled soap to those who need it most in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh.
Empowering Disadvantaged Women
Not only did our support help the procurement three soap machines, but it also provided job opportunities to 15 local disadvantaged women in Cambodia to work at Eco-Soap Bank—giving a stable source of income by becoming soapmakers. More than just mere "soapmakers" these women play an important role as “hygiene ambassadors” in promoting good hygiene habits to their families and communities.
What's Happening at Eco-Soap Bank
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