Global Soap Project distributed 25 tons of soap in 20 counties affected by poverty, so far

Nov 9, 2011 11:00 GMT  ·  By
The Global Soap Project is benefiting from the support of Hilton Worldwide, which means that 3,750 major hotels will agree to donate their supply of no-longer-needed soap for a good cause.
   The Global Soap Project is benefiting from the support of Hilton Worldwide, which means that 3,750 major hotels will agree to donate their supply of no-longer-needed soap for a good cause.

Our modern society provides the perfect framework for social inequities. Global Soap Project hopes to change this context, by recycling soap coming from hotels while allowing people from developing countries to stay healthy.

A lot of untouched or partially used soap ends up in landfills every year, due to hotels' regulation which comply the cleaning staff to replace the soap bars in every room, even if they were never actually used.

At the same time, in other parts of the globe, poor people who live while spending less than $1 a day have to choose between soap and bread, and in most of the cases the choice is in favor of their stomach's needs.

Dirty hands imply several illnesses, which are often deadly in countries dominated by poverty, such as diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, which manage to take the lives of 3.5 million children every year, according a study powered by a non-profit organization.

The Global Soap Project is benefiting from the support of Hilton Worldwide, which means that 3,750 major hotels will agree to donate their supply of no-longer-needed soap for a good cause.

The initiative will describe a win-win situation. The facilities will get rid of their stocks of used soap bars while the foundation will make sure that, after a recycling process, the brand new products will be able to protect the vulnerable segment of the population against the common hygiene-related illnesses.

"When living as a refugee in Kenya, I realized soap was hard to come by, even completely nonexistent sometimes."

"Even when available, those living on less than a dollar a day had to choose between buying food or soap. People were suffering from illness simply because they couldn’t wash their hands," said Derreck Kayongo, Global Soap Project founder.

During the first year of this charitable collaboration, officials expect that their supplies will lead to the creation and distribution of approximately 1 million new and highly-appreciated soap bars, which will go to the individuals who need them the most.

While evaluating the entire potential of its project, the founder says that, so far, he is excited to announce that it managed to spread 25 tons of soap in 20 counties in which poverty goes hand in hand with the lack of hygiene, all across the globe.