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Global Handwashing Day is a worldwide advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases.

Handwashing is essential for strong healthcare systems. In a survey of healthcare facilities in 54 countries, the World Health Organization and UNICEF recently found that 35% did not have soap and water for handwashing. This represents a serious risk to both patients and healthcare providers. Good hygiene is necessary for good nutrition, particularly for children in the first 1,000 days of life. And, handwashing stations in schools can both help reduce absenteeism and enable girls to manage their menstrual cycles safely and with dignity.

We’re thrilled to be announced as a finalist in the 2017 Premier’s Sustainability Awards. Soap Aid was praised for its creativity and insightful work towards building a more sustainable environment.

Thank you to our dedicated Rotary volunteers and Hotel Partners around Australia and New Zealand committed to collecting and returning discarded hotel soap. Your ongoing efforts contribute to long-lasting environmental outcomes and deliver critically needed soap to communities in need.

What a fantastic result we had in August achieving our biggest soap collection month for 2017!

Over 4,260 kgs of discarded soap was re-directed from landfill and recycled, helping us provide soap to 1,750 children for 12 months.

The more soap we collect, the more soap we can send to our community impact partners throughout the world

In February 2016, areas of Fiji were left devastated in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston, the worst recorded cyclone in Fiji’s history. Cyclone Winston tore apart communities and left an extraordinarily high number of people in the region requiring urgent aid.

Hygiene and sanitation are extremely important in preventing the spread of infections and diseases after a tragic event such as Tropical Cyclone Winston. Soap Aid immediately responded by sending 50,000 bars of urgently needed soap to support relief efforts in the region. This extraordinary effort was achieved through the valued partnerships Soap Aid formed with Live & Learn, CARE Australia, and Virgin Australia.

All soap bars provided by Soap Aid have now reached severely affected households and communities in Fiji. Through partners Live & Learn and CARE Australia, hygiene kits have been distributed to households in Naviti and the Magodro district. Additionally, Emergency School Hygiene kits across four schools on the western island of Naviti have been stocked with lifesaving soap and distributed to 350 boys and 261 girls ensuring infections and illnesses are minimised.