We have started liquid soap making programmes with many of the groups and schools we work with in Kenya, as part of our sanitation and hygiene work.  The soap can be used for hand washing, as well as cleaning utensils or clothes. It ensures good health and hygiene, keeping everyone healthy and happy. 

Soap making programmes also provide a good source of income, as the materials needed to make the liquid soap are cheap compared to the profit that can be made. 

Hear from members of the Wendo wa Meko Self Help Group about the impact soap making has had on their lives...

Wendo wa Meko Self Help Group with the liquid soap they've made, Makueni County, Kenya

Soap Making with the Wendo wa Meko Self Help Group

The Wendo wa Meko Self Help Group live in Makueni County, Kenya. Just a Drop has previously worked with the group to deliver safe water and a food security programme. At the start of the year the group learnt about liquid soap making, as part of their sanitation and hygiene training.

The group has since started to make and sell liquid soap, which has already generated a good amount of money.  The soap takes two to three hours to make and usually lasts people for around three months, because it's thick and only a little is needed, unlike the small sachets of soap which are slightly cheaper to buy, but usually only last for about 2-3 weeks.

The Wendo wa Meko Self Help Group make 180 litres of liquid soap every week, which they sell for 80 Kenyan shillings (KSh) a litre (60p). Within a week, after selling all the soap, the group earns Ksh 14,400 (£108), or KSh 57,600 in a month (£433). The profits that the group makes are used to buy seeds to grow crops in their farms.

Watch our short film and hear from Christine Musyoki about the soap making programme:

We used to suffer from various water borne diseases like dysentery and diarrhoea before the training. But now that is a thing of the past. We properly wash hands with the soap that we make, handle food and water hygienically, wash our clothes and bathe daily. Our lives have fully transformed for the better. And better still, we are making money out of it. This to me is one of the greatest achievements that makes me happy and proud. - Job Mulinge Nzioki, 55, Wendo wa Meko Self Help Group member

Job Mulinge Nzioki making liquid soap, Makueni County, Kenya

 We appreciated the training so much because it has helped us a lot. We use the soap for bathing, washing clothes, cleaning latrines, cleaning our houses, utensils and washing our hands after visiting the toilets. Personally, through this soap making, I have managed to plant more crops in my farm such as jacaranda, watermelons, mangoes, papaya, tomatoes and kale. We are very grateful for this training as it has changed our lives. - Christine Musyoki, 60, Wendo wa Meko Self Help Group member

Christine Musyoki with her liquid soap

Members of the Wendo wa Meko Self Help Group with the liquid soap they've made