How women can capitalize on learning, producing and making a living out of soap-making activities in the post-COVID era
October 15, 2020
I strongly sense that soap is the new gold so let me tell you why I think the making of hand washing soap and hand sanitizers is the gold mine discovered for the COVID era.
As life returns to some level of normalcy with restrictions being eased, people are free to travel, have weddings, funerals, child christenings, visit tourist sites and hold cultural events. All these events and engagements enable the spread of the ravaging COVID-19 and exposed many to the novel coronavirus.
The current state of affairs reminds me of those days when we were taught about hygiene in our science classes and we were not taking it seriously. We were actually calling it a waste of time but with the devastating harm caused by COVID-19, it makes a lot of sense to recall the rules of hand hygiene which is established by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be used in practice and become part of our lifestyle.
Hand washing has become very important in the fight against COVID-19 and basic necessities that are useful for prevention of the pandemic includes the use of soaps (liquid and bar), antiseptics, disinfectants and sanitizers. Learning how to make soaps, antiseptics, bleach and sanitizers in this day and age is like mining gold because manufacturing and selling these items have become very lucrative.
In the wake of the global pandemic, big companies took advantage of venturing into the production of soaps and hand sanitizers because the market was readily available and they had the huge capitals and capacity to invest. However, many women and girls have been part of the value chain as they have become mostly retailers for their commodities.
The good news is that it is possible for women and girls to start their own businesses where they can be producers, distributors, retailers and even users of these very valuable items. All these hygiene-keeping items can be made with the agenda of women being business owners to make an income which like gold, goes a long way to support the financial burden of families and even communities.
STAR Women is taking a step in the right direction to organize a training on making soaps, antiseptic, bleach, disinfectant, sanitizer and many other items which can be used firstly as a critical chemical for the prevention of the coronavirus and also help in reducing the spread of the virus within communities and the country at large.
It is just a day workshop that will enable women and girls who participate in the training to learn the skill very well to come up with their own ideas of setting up their businesses or even forming partnerships with existing businesses who can sell what they produce. So now, you see why soap is the new gold and learning how to make it is more than finding a gold mine and hitting a jackpot! If you or any woman you know would be interested in this STAR Masterclass on Saturday, 7th November, 2020, please click on the link below to register:
Written by Pauline Otchere-Duah
Media and Communications Assistant
STAR Women