Enactus  Nationals  –  Project  Soaprise  Script    

 
1.   Introduction  –  Product  Development  and  Needs  Assessment    
According  to  UNICEF,  in  India,  39  out  of  1000  children  under  the  age  of  5  die  annually,  mostly  
due   to   preventable   diseases   such   as   pneumonia   and   diarrhoea.   Unhygienic   practices   and  
unsanitary  water  acted  as  the  major  causes  of  diarrhoea.  These  diseases  could,  to  an  extent,  
be  controlled  by  the  simple  use  of  soap  at  regularly.  Additionally,  everyday  millions  of  partially  
used  soap  bars  are  discarded  by  hotels  across  India.  With  these  facts  in  mind,  we  set  out  to  
develop  Project  Soaprise.    
 
We  conducted  various  needs  assessment  surveys  across  backward  regions  in  Delhi-­NCR  and  
found  that  most  children  were  unaware  of  proper  hand  hygiene  habits,  did  not  have  access  to  
soap  and  even  if  they  did,  they  were  not  in  the  habit  of  using  it  regularly.  We  knew  that  ordinary  
soap  bars  would  not  cut  it  &  we  had  to  develop  something  that  children  would  be  excited  to  use  
regularly  –  this  became  the  foundation  of  our  primary  product  –  the  TOY  SOAP.  The  toy  soap  
is  an  antibacterial  soap  with  a  toy  embedded  in  it.  Our  soaps  are  available  in  attractive  shapes,  
colours  and  fragrances  with  its  highlight  being  the  toy  that  has  incentivized  hundreds  of  children  
to  use  soap  regularly.    
 
As  the  toy  soap  was  sold  at  competitive  prices  to  improve  hygiene  habits  in  backward  regions,  
it   wasn’t   profitable   enough   to   sustain   our   project,   due   to   which   we   developed   our   second  
product  –  the  LOOFAH  SOAP  -­  a  moisturizing  and  exfoliating  handmade  soap  with  a  natural  
loofah  embedded  in  it.  This  soap  was  targeted  towards  higher  income  sections  of  the  society,  
making  our  business  model  financially  sustainable.    
 
With  the  help  of  our  NGO  partner  –  Humana  People  to  People  India,  we  were  introduced  to  our  
community   –   Karkar   Mandan   in   Ghaziabad,   Uttar   Pradesh.   Here,   we   found   not   only   a  
community  to  market  our  product  but  also  our  4  primary  beneficiaries  responsible  for  recycling,  
production  and  packaging  of  soaps.  These  women  are  housewives  belonging  to  low  income  
households,  looking  to  improve  their  livelihood  through  an  additional  source  of  income.    
 
Simultaneously,   we   collaborated   with   hotels   to   provide   us   with   our   primary   raw   material   –  
partially  used  soaps.  This  gave  the  hotels  an  opportunity  to  contribute  towards  a  noble  cause  
and  improve  their  image  without  incurring  any  additional  costs.  
 
2.   Beneficiaries  –  [Video]  
 
3.   Flow  of  Operations/Business  Model  
In  our  model,  the  soaps  are  collected  by  our  partner  hotels  and  handed  over  to  us  on  a  monthly  
or  bi-­monthly  basis,  based  on  the  quantity.  These  soaps  are  then  taken  to  our  production  unit  
in  Karkar  Mandan  in  Ghaziabad  where  our  beneficiaries  thoroughly  clean  the  soaps,  boil  them,  
add  essential  oils  as  well  as  the  toy  or  loofah.  These  soaps  are  sold  in  two  different  markets  –  
urban  and  rural  at  competitive  prices.  
 
4.   Production  
Before   the   initiation   of   formal   production,   the   four   beneficiaries   were   trained   for   a   month   to  
follow  a  fixed  procedure  for  recycling  each  batch  of  soaps  uniformly.    Soft  skill  sessions  were  
also  conducted  to  make  them  more  comfortable  in  conversing  and  answering  questions  about  
their   upcoming   business.   Our   team   also   conducted   an   online   crowd-­funding   campaign   to  
kickstart   the   project   through   which   we   were   able   to   reach   our   goal   of   Rs   50,000   and  
subsequently  set  up  our  production  unit  in  Karkar.  
 
Simultaneously,  to  ensure  safe  usage  and  provide  credibility,  our  products  were  certified  by  the  
ITS   Laboratory,   an   NABL   Accredited   and   Government   approved   laboratory.   The   products  
successfully   passed   the   quality   test,   the   allergy   test   and   the   anti-­bacterial   test,   thereby  
maintaining  the  basic  hygiene  level.  
 
Finally,  with  the  aim  to  inculcate  better  sanitary  practices,  the  beneficiaries  began  production  
in  July  2018.  
 5.   Marketing  and  Sales  
We  undertook  several  efforts  to  introduce  our  product  in  the  rural  and  urban  market.
Within   the   vicinity   of  Karkar   Village,   the  team   conducted   several   awareness   campaigns   and  
sensitisation  drives  on  occasions  such  as  World  Handwashing  Day,  Children’s  Day,  Diwali,  etc.  
These   campaigns   involved   the   children   and   parents   through   various   games   and   interactive  
sessions.  The  aim  was  to  educate  them  about  the  importance  of  handwashing  thereby  enabling  
them   to   adopt   better   hygiene   practices.  In   addition   to  this,   a   wall   was   painted   in  the   village,  
depicting  our  mascot  -­  Bubbly  purchasing  and  using  our  toy  soap.  

All   these   initiatives   helped   the   project   reach   various   families   and   local   shopkeepers   which  
boosted  our  sales  in  the  village.  We  tapped  the  urban  markets  for  our  soaps  through  various  
Diwali   mela   stalls   &   college   fests   as   well   as   offline   retail   stores.   Social   media   pages   for   the  
project   were   launched   and   actively   updated   to   increase   our   reach   and   spread   awareness  
through   various   infographics,   product   pictures   and   posters   depicting   healthier   hand   hygiene  
practices.  We  also  tapped  online  selling  avenues  to  have  a  more  prominent  digital  presence.  
 
6.   Collaborations  
Over  the  past  year,  we’ve  collaborated  with  multiple  hotels  in  Gurgaon  and  Delhi  such  as  Ibis,  
City  Club,  and  several  hotels  in  Paharganj  with  the  most  prominent  collaborations  being  with  
Umrao  Hotel  and  Plazzio  Hotel.  Through  these  mutually  beneficial  collaborations,  we’ve  been  
able  to  successfully  recycle  hundreds  of  kilograms  of  partially  used  soaps.
 
Our  collaboration  with  Ultra  international  has  allowed  us  to  procure  essential  oils  free  of  cost.  
These  essential  oils  impart  important  characteristics  to  our  soaps,  making  them  antibacterial,  
moisturizing   and   luxurious.   Furthermore,   our   NGO   partner,   Humana   People   to   People   India  
has  supported  us  every  step  of  the  way  from  connecting  us  to  the  beneficiaries  to  setting  up  
production.
 
7.   Impact    
Project  Soaprise  has  successfully  created  a  threefold  impact.

Firstly,  since  July  2018,  we  have  sold  3150  units  of  soap  (2500  toy  and  650  loofah).  This  has  
helped  in  reducing  the  large  amount  of  diseases  which  are  caused  due  to  poor  sanitation  and  
lack  of  hygienic  practices.  Through  interactive  sessions  and  campaigns  done  by  our  team,  we  
have   spread   awareness   amongst   the   less   fortunate   about   better   hygiene   and   sanitation  
practices.  It  has,  thus,  indirectly  impacted  over  200  families  of  and  around  Karkar  Village.

Secondly,  the  project  has  created  employment  for  4  women  who  earlier  had  no  avenue  of  work.  
It  has  made  sales  in  rural  and  urban  areas  worth  Rs.1.3  lakh  since  its  initiation.  As  90%  of  our  
proceeds  are  channelized  as  income  for  the  beneficiaries,  they  now  have  a  stable  source  of  
income  which  has  enhanced  their  standard  of  living  and  made  them  financially  independent.

Thirdly,   through   a   monthly   collection   of   40-­45   kgs   of   soaps   from   our   partner   hotels,   Project  
Soaprise  has  recycled  over  400kgs  of  partially  used  soaps  in  the  past  year.  The  project  has,  
thus,   achieved   its   goal   of   waste   management   by   reducing   the   amount   of   soap   waste   which  
would  otherwise  be  disposed  of  in  landfills.  
 
8.   Scalability  
Working  on  a  product  such  as  soap  allows  us  a  massive  scope  for  expansion.  In  the  coming  
months,  we  will  be  looking  into  increasing  our  range  of  products  –  introducing  more  luxury  and  
affordable  soaps  as  well  as  liquid  soaps.  To  support  this  expansion,  we’ll  also  be  collaborating  
with  more  hotels  in  and  around  Delhi.
 
Furthermore,   after   maximising   the   income   of   the   beneficiaries   in   Karkar   Mandan,   we’ll   be  
setting  up  another  production  unit  in  Seelampur,  and  we  are  in  the  process  of  collaborating  with  
an  NGO  operating  there  to  support  us  in  the  same.
 
We  have  also  been  able  to  identify  other  backward  regions  in  Delhi  such  as  Yamuna  Khadar  
(a  slum  area  in  East  Delhi)  to  market  our  soap  and  conduct  awareness  drives  to  improve  their  
hygiene  practices  as  well.