Giving back since 2013
b.a.r.e. soaps was founded because we wanted to create a sustainable cash flow to fund non profit initiatives we believed in. In fact, "b.a.r.e." stands for "bringing antiseptic resources to everyone".
This spirit of giving has taken us to a rural village in Uganda, to a slum in India, and now to supporting reforestation / rewilding initiatives.
Between 2013 and 2021, we have given over $40k to such initiatives. To this day, b.a.r.e. soaps remains a "side hustle", proving that you CAN make a difference even if you want to keep your 9-5 job!
Impact Throughout the Years
2013
In our founding year, we wanted to support Kabermaido, a rural village in Uganda. We were only able to donate a couple hundred $ and focused on giving bar soap that we made the Hopechest Team from our local church went back to visit the community.
2014
Our donations totaled $380 (in addition to items mentioned below)
Founder Clare visited Kabermaido, Uganda in January. There, she conducted a fun and interactive "hand washing" workshop. A local artist helped draw illustrations for the children to color in and reinforce the lesson. Clare also conducted a trial run to see if the women in Kaberamaido could make their own soap. It did not work due to lack of necessary ingredients.In the spring, Hepatitis B broke out in Kabermaido and we donated a few hundred $ for vaccines.
We also sent bars of soap, vitamins, and reading glasses along with the Hopechest Team that went out to Kaberamaido, Uganda in August.
2015
Our donations totaled $5.6k.
Goats! Our money helped fund 20 goats out of the 150 goat goal (one for each child in the Kaberamaido, Uganda program). Each goat cost around $50, and each child received a female goat.
Goats! Our money helped fund 20 goats out of the 150 goat goal (one for each child in the Kaberamaido, Uganda program). Each goat cost around $50, and each child received a female goat.
The intention is that the families can sell the offspring to traders that come through who would then sell the goats in Sudan, and that the families can use that money to eventually buy a cow. Cows are super important because most of the farming is still done by hand, and a cow can help plow, increasing yield.
We were also proud to have been able to fund custom made leather shoes to all 150 children. Each shoe cost around $12 (which is ALOT in Uganda, since its 3300 shillings to $1, and the average wage per day is 2000 shillings). They were made by a local shoemaker, helping support the local economy.
2016
Uganda:
Our donations totaled $3.3k
Our funds contributed towards a library to support the 150 children. Founder Jessie and Clare were both able to visit Kaberamaido, Uganda in the summer where they spent time handing out soap but also speaking with the women in the community to see if b.a.r.e. soaps could support them in other capacities. During this trip, a mother who made beads from spun paper sold enough necklaces to b.a.r.e. soaps to be able to pay for her children's annual tuition. These necklaces were a hit during the holidays!
India:
The power of Twitter! A local non-profit named Sundara reached out to us on Instagram to see if we would be interested in supporting funding soap recycling workshops.
The intiative would employ women to take used hotel soap, collect it, shred it, sanitize it, and rebatch it into new soap to be given to those in need. We loved the idea committed to funding a small soap recycling workshop in Kalwa Slum in India, supporting the wages of 3 women to make this possible starting in 2017.
2017
Uganda:
We continued to fund immediate needs, including vitamins and soaps. A significant portion of 2017 holiday proceeds were earmarked to fully fund an initiative to bring power to a library resource center via solar for our 150 children. This is significant because there is currently no reliable form of energy or electricity at our Carepoint. Students who excel in grade school and who are therefore afforded the rare opportunity of taking an entrance exam for higher education must do so on a computer in a nearby city. Having never even seen a computer, these students often are unable to complete the exam for obvious reasons. However, to this day, there mains to be infrastructure barriers to bringing this to fruition, so the money was reallocated for other immediate needs.
We continued to fund the employement of 3 women with fair wages. These women not only repurpose used hotel soap and redistribute them in the slums, but they also act as ambassadors in sharing good hygiene practices with their communities.
Our donations totaled $4.5k
We continued to fund immediate needs, including vitamins and soaps. A significant portion of 2017 holiday proceeds were earmarked to fully fund an initiative to bring power to a library resource center via solar for our 150 children. This is significant because there is currently no reliable form of energy or electricity at our Carepoint. Students who excel in grade school and who are therefore afforded the rare opportunity of taking an entrance exam for higher education must do so on a computer in a nearby city. Having never even seen a computer, these students often are unable to complete the exam for obvious reasons. However, to this day, there mains to be infrastructure barriers to bringing this to fruition, so the money was reallocated for other immediate needs.
India:
Our donations totaled $10.5k
We continued to fund the employement of 3 women with fair wages. These women not only repurpose used hotel soap and redistribute them in the slums, but they also act as ambassadors in sharing good hygiene practices with their communities.
We were ran a pilot to sell the repurposed hotel soaps in the US. We discontinued this pilot due to logistical challenges with receiving the repurposed hotel soaps.
2018
Uganda:
Our donations totaled $1k.
Besides continuing to fund vitamins and soap in Kabermaido, Uganda, we contributed funds to a maize milling machine. Years ago, our partners at Point Community Church purchased 10 acres of land which enabled them to not only feed the children but also subsidize school costs through selling the crops to other Carepoints. This year, we saw the largest crop yet- 110 bags of maize, weighing a minimum of 100 kilos (220 pounds) per bag. That's at least 24,000 pounds of food! Currently they need to hire someone to remove the maize from the husk, but having their own machine would save money for the Carepoint. Furthermore, that machine could generate income by being rented out to others.
India:
Our donations totaled $1k.
Besides continuing to fund vitamins and soap in Kabermaido, Uganda, we contributed funds to a maize milling machine. Years ago, our partners at Point Community Church purchased 10 acres of land which enabled them to not only feed the children but also subsidize school costs through selling the crops to other Carepoints. This year, we saw the largest crop yet- 110 bags of maize, weighing a minimum of 100 kilos (220 pounds) per bag. That's at least 24,000 pounds of food! Currently they need to hire someone to remove the maize from the husk, but having their own machine would save money for the Carepoint. Furthermore, that machine could generate income by being rented out to others.
India:
Our donations totaled $7.8k
We have always been a proponent of empowering rather than just "giving". Many of these women who we helped employ are sole bread winners and the wages that they receive enable them to make meaningful decisions for the family including investing in a house or sending their children to school. We were proud to have been able to fund giving raises to a few of the women.
We also were able to aggregate tangible impact results from the repurposed soap.
We have always been a proponent of empowering rather than just "giving". Many of these women who we helped employ are sole bread winners and the wages that they receive enable them to make meaningful decisions for the family including investing in a house or sending their children to school. We were proud to have been able to fund giving raises to a few of the women.
We also were able to aggregate tangible impact results from the repurposed soap.
10% reduction in school absentees
195 hygiene lessons taught
9600 bars recycled and distributed
1810 towels donated from hospitality partners, so that the children can dry their hands clean versus wiping them on their clothes
38 women employed time plus receiving heath benefits for themselves and their children
2019
Uganda:
While we did contribute a nominal amount to the initiative in Kaberamaido, we focused the majority of our "giving back" funds to India.
India:
While we did contribute a nominal amount to the initiative in Kaberamaido, we focused the majority of our "giving back" funds to India.
India:
Our donations totaled $9.3k.
In September, founders Jessie and Clare both visited Kalwa, India. It's hard to put into words the impact our money has had, but we tried to summarize as best as we could below:
*We met the three women in Kalwa who we collectively employ to recycle used hotel soap. They're not only paid fair wages, but they work literally minutes away- something easily overlooked. Most people in Kalwa need to commute 1.5 hours into the city. This job allows them to still take care of their children.
*We met the hygiene ambassadors who distribute the soaps to schools in the rural villages. They're recent young high school graduates in a place called Palghar, where good work for young women is scarce. By employing locals, we ensure that they can speak the same dialect of the children and are relatable.
*We met the three women in Kalwa who we collectively employ to recycle used hotel soap. They're not only paid fair wages, but they work literally minutes away- something easily overlooked. Most people in Kalwa need to commute 1.5 hours into the city. This job allows them to still take care of their children.
*We met the hygiene ambassadors who distribute the soaps to schools in the rural villages. They're recent young high school graduates in a place called Palghar, where good work for young women is scarce. By employing locals, we ensure that they can speak the same dialect of the children and are relatable.
*We saw how they distribute soaps and perform a skit to teach the children about germs, importance of hygiene and how to thoroughly wash hands!
*We saw how our non-profit organization in India holds themselves accountable in so many ways. The soaps are tested by a lab to ensure that they meet sanitation requirements. A randomly selected group of classes are surveyed after 6 months to see whether they remember hygiene best practices.
*But most importantly, we saw how our little soap recycling workshop fits into the greater vision in lifting a slum out of poverty. One small example is how in Kalwa, there is now a clinic that dispenses medication and provides medical attention. This is almost unheard of. In a year, dental services will be offered. This is only possible because another non-profit is providing clean water. Combined with our soap which promotes daily hygiene, we are helping keep these residents healthier from multiple angles.
Carbon Offsets:
This is the first year we began to carbon offset not only our ecommerce shipments but also our flight to India. We supported a reforestation effort in the Southern Carpathians in Romania.
This is the first year we began to carbon offset not only our ecommerce shipments but also our flight to India. We supported a reforestation effort in the Southern Carpathians in Romania.
2020
India:
Our donations totaled $4.6k.
Similar to the rest of the world, COVID shut down the workshop operations. We instead donated to a general initiative to help the people in Kalwa Slum and neighboring slums to help prevent the spread of COVID. Money from us and others helped to:
- Distribute 50,000 bars of soap in underprivileged areas, with flyers and posters on hand-washing and social distancing -
- Deliver over 1,920 meals for doctors and nurses fighting the pandemic in 2 village government hospitals
- Set up 3 hand-washing stations for patients before entering the hospital, and 500 liters of hand sanitizer distributed within the hospital
- Hand out over 17,000 washable cloth masks distributed to medical personnel and police, made by a women’s sewing collective