Soapply Initiative Funds Sanitation and Hygiene Solutions in Africa
Friday, March 30, 2018
By Deena Zaidi
SEATTLE — While working in East Africa, Mera McGrew quickly learned that a simple act like washing hands with soap could prevent child mortality. Her initiative, Soapply, addresses the serious issue of clean water, sanitation and hygiene across the globe.
With each purchase, the company funds up to $10 worth of impact through water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives and aims to leave a lasting positive impact.
Recent research shows that the simple habit of washing hands can help save millions of lives in Africa, and yet it remains one of the most neglected acts across the region. A look at the numbers is even more startling.
More than 3.5 million children under the age of five die from diarrhea and acute lower respiratory tract infections every year, and three-quarters of them live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The more upsetting news is that by adopting clean habits at home, 75 percent of such diseases can be prevented.
With such stats, simple initiatives like Soapply ensure that people understand the importance of using soap and its impacts. Through its business model, Soapply looks at four long-term impacts of handwashing with soap: health and nutrition, education, economics and equity.
Source: Borgen Magazine (link opens in a new window)
- Categories
- Education, Health Care, WASH
