Context
Due to unhygienic practices, Cameroon is one of the countries most affected by diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid fever and hepatitis. In fact, personal and environmental hygiene education is not commonly passed on during childhood.
As a result, LifeTime Projects co-created a cooperative of handmade soaps with Atta’s women, entirely managed by the women from the village.
Presentation of the mission
Thanks to Mama Astadiko (a member of the Femmes d’Atta association) and her initiative, the production of handmade soaps provides women in Atta the opportunity to educate themselves in the role of soap maker, to acquire new skills and business acumen, and finally to be able to develop and maintain a business to earn a decent living.
This project also allows these women to become ambassadors in the development of their local community as they benefit from the passing of knowledge through each generation.
In the long term, this will provide the people of Atta with the chance to improve their living conditions, to have dignified work and to earn a stable salary. The Savon d’Atta project will also include education and awareness campaigns regarding hygiene and the prevention of diseases with the aim of encouraging people to use soap.
Thus, the Savon d’Atta project deals with challenges on two fronts: reinforcing feminine empowerment by creating jobs, and addressing the issues of diseases caused by a lack of hygiene in Cameroon.
Your involvement
As a volunteer you can bring your skills from various backgrounds to help women in Atta with the process of creating their businesses. Knowing how to make a soap is undeniably an asset, but we are also looking for skills relating to entrepreneurship such as marketing, communication or business management.