Making Soap with Local Women's group

Jpe Moyo Local Women's Group, Majengo, Moshi

As part of the free school/nursery volunteer project, the local women who started the group meet twice a week to discuss ways to make money.  They has been a bit of bitching between the ladies and the group has split.  Some have gone off with the tailor and the Leader is making most of the bag making profit.  The Chickens kept in the house on the property have been sold now, and they are over making bracelets, so I came up with the idea of perhaps making soap with Aloe Vera (as this grows everywhere).  

I have never made soap before, so google became my best friends for the last few days as I researched whether I could actually make soap from shop bought soap (as the actual process from scratch is complicated and God Knows where we can buy the ingredients from in town!!)

So I saw this bar of soap in a coffee shop in town and bought it for 2000 Tsh ($1.25) and showed them it as an idea. (This soap was made 16 hrs drive away by a convent and proceeds go to the orphanage there)

 

I explained the process I had researched, and they were happy to give it a go.  My Swahili is limited, but my charades actions are awesome, so are my drawings to explain!

I bought 2 bars of the cheapest soap (sabuni) I could find in the supermarket for 900 Tsh unfortunately, it was all scented, but I though - oh well, it's an experiment! I bought some coconut oil for 1000Tsh and some cling film for 2900Tsh = 5700 Tsh (approx $3.50 total) and the women arrived at school with their Aloe Vera, pots, and fire and so we began... (the kids were forgotten about today sadly, but they were happy playing for longer than normal, and even quite interested in what we were doing)

Aloe Vera Juice added to melted soap
+ 4 spoons of coconut oil

We grated the soap bars, covered them in water to soften for a while and then heated the mixture to boiling until melted.

Melting the soap

Aloe Vera, also grated and then filtered for the juice.

Pouring into the molds

Molds made from a variety of shapes

Leaving them to set

I am really hoping that the women will now be able to sell their product.  We also discussed other possibilities, such as adding passionfruit seeds, oat, lemon, mint, honey and whatever local produce they can get. 2 bars plus other ingredients cost me 5700 Tsh and we made 10 bars. So there is some profit to be made, if they can sell locally and to Mzungu (white people!)