As an organization, we work extremely hard to protect the environment. This conscious habit is what we imbibe in our young students.
Also, we find ways to maintain our core philosophies: education, entrepreneurship and employment whiles focusing on the planet and people.
To prove to our students that waste is wealth in disguise and that traveling is one way of exploring and spotting business opportunities, we taught them how to produce African Black Soap (Alata Samina) from distilled water, plantain leaves, cocoa pods, palm kernel oil, Shea butter, and other agricultural materials.
This organic soap initiative was inspired by my vacation trip to the Ashanti Region in August 2019 when I found myself amid nature: beautiful rain-forest, colder climate, and food in abundance. It was a sight, sound and smells I shall forever hold.
My stay was a lot of adventure and learning as I visited many plantation farms of cocoa, rice, orange, plantain, cassava, and some livestock farms. At the cocoa plantation, I was introduced to potash made from the pods and peels of cocoa and plantain respectively.
I was amazed to learn that potash forms the base of African Black Soap. On my return to the Volta Region, I took some quantity of potash with me. My students and I experimented with this quantity after taking an online class in soap making. Our final result turns out excellent.
There is a huge business potential with regards to agricultural waste; this we want to exploit further to protect the planet whiles making a profit. Interestingly, African Black Soap has many skin benefits: antibacterial, moisturizing, soothe irritation, anti-inflammatory, fight acne, anti-fungal, etc.
Our students in the business club were delighted to have produced the soap. Teachers and some parents, on the other hand, were happy to receive a pail of soap each. Our club members also took away their share to try at home.
It’s amazing how wealth resides in waste in Ghana but we recognize them not.
