Liquid soap making to improve hand hygiene

Introduction

Safe Water and AIDS Project (SWAP) has been operating in Western Kenya since 2005 with public health programs, research and emergency response. SWAP's mission is to provide innovative solutions for improved health and economic status of communities.

Production of Liquid Soap

Liquid soap is on high demand in the communities we serve. SWAP received Kenya Bureau of Standard approval for the production and distribution for a period of two years. Internal and external control is done by submitting samples for quality control and subjecting it to several tests to meet the desired standards. Production is ongoing, after which labeling is done and it is taken to the central store for safe storage ready for distribution. In the last quarter 400 liters of Liquid Soap was produced. The final product is packed in 5 liters and 150 ml and labeled ready for distribution

Introduction

Safe Water and AIDS Project (SWAP) has been operating in Western Kenya since 2005 with public health programs, research and emergency response. SWAP's mission is to provide innovative solutions for improved health and economic status of communities.

Production of Liquid Soap

Liquid soap is on high demand in the communities we serve. SWAP received Kenya Bureau of Standard approval for the production and distribution for a period of two years. Internal and external control is done by submitting samples for quality control and subjecting it to several tests to meet the desired standards. Production is ongoing, after which labeling is done and it is taken to the central store for safe storage ready for distribution. In the last quarter 400 liters of Liquid Soap was produced. The final products is packed in 5 liters and 150 ml and labeled ready for distribution.

Social Marketing of Liquid Soap

Liquid soap is sold by Community Health Volunteers who are trained by the Ministry of Health on Primary Health Care and are assigned households. They do social marketing of life saving health products among them liquid soap. The community health volunteers are mostly women and from poor backgrounds. Through this sustainable distribution model they improve health of their families and the communities they serve and generate income. They have been involved in village savings and loans and with the loans they invest in procuring more health products at wholesale price which they sell at retail prices. They are recognized by the local leadership and have become useful members of society and self-reliant.

Flood response

SWAP is member of the Western Kenya Humanitarian Hub. The region has frequently experienced flood following erratic rains and climate change. Mostly families living along the lake are occasionally evacuated after their homes are submerged by water. Some lost their shelter, crops and source of income. SWAP is among the first responders visiting affected families and donating food and non-food items. Handwashing stations and liquid soap are distributed and stategically placed at evacuation camps. Local disaster committees and community health volunteers are trained on social behavioral change communication and hand hygiene. These interventions have assisted to prevent disease outbreaks.

Adopt a School

Adopt a School Initiative started during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ombaka Primary School, which also serves as an evacuation center during flood is one of these adopted schools we have continued to support monthly for the past few years. The communities are very vulnerable and the learners are from poor back grounds. A lot of focus has been on WASH improvements and hygiene promotion and therefore monthly liquid soap is together with hand washing stations are issued to the school to improve hand hygiene and to prevent disease outbreaks through the promotion of hand washing. There has been ongoing mentorship and training sessions for the school health club on hygiene promotion and hand washing. Children are given responsibility to ensure the hand washing stations are filled with treated water and liquid soap is placed next to them. Donations to the school also include sanitary pads for eligible girls, a kitchen with clean energy cook stoves and food for the school feeding program to improve the health and nutritional status of the children. The ongoing support has improved the performance of the school and increased enrollment of learners.

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