Francis, who has grown up in Mukuru slums in Nairobi himself, and runs today his own NGO is one of our partner organizations in our system changer network in Kenya. Some months ago, he – together with other NGO leaders and some of our community volunteers in various locations over Kenya – has been trained in soap making by one of my colleagues. Now, in July he has organized a soap making training for his own community, people who live in Mukuru slums. That’s what he has shared:

“This morning while setting up for the first training session on making soap. I had most of the materials and items needed to train. But not all. But I still took a step of faith to just start with a smaller group of 7 leaders of my smaller groups of 30. Getting a space too was not an easy task especially because of the illegal power that recently during a trial blew my blender for the soap production.

Each participant was looking forward to the training. None believed that we could make such soap without being in a big industry. With big machines. Young and old.

They were all fully ready to take up the task, learn and become the trainers in our next trainings which will happen between today and end of October. From where we will package and launch our soap. Young and old. They followed and participated on this each step. “

It’s not just the what, but also the how…

However, what counts is not just sharing the skills and training people, but also the house and the own behavior. Unconsciously or even consciously there are some small facts making a huge difference.

As Francis said: “Taking them through the whole journey, dressed on the white coat which your colleague Christian gave to me after his last training and glasses, I felt more comfortable and somehow pictured myself.

A small start – and big ambitions

“This was our only mould. Hope that I can get cash to buy more so that we can be able to calculate profits, and also brand our soap, too.

We didn’t have moulds, so we improvised to using plates…This was our only mould. Hope that I can get cash to buy more so that we can be able to calculate profits, and also brand our soap, too.”

Wouldn’t it be great if some of the community members would not just l learn 1. on how to make soap and 2. be able to practice more hygiene, 3. To share and train other communities the same and 4. Last, but not least also be able to set up a small business?

Impact making that matters. Impact making that moves. Thanks, Francis, for sharing how our initial training becomes now a reality that makes a difference in people’s life!