Soap Shish Report

Soap Shish is a modular soap stand for schools in the developing world. Inspired by an ‘abacus’ and using the colourful and slippery features of a soap, Soap Shish attracts kids to play with it, and at the same time, to clean their hands. It is durable in a school environment since the soap bars can not be taken out or melt away while they are being moved.

Soap Shish can be assembled in various lengths or widths after producing the soap bars attached to wooden or bamboo sticks, using a single mould. The structure allows the stand to be modified for many different kinds of toilets not changing the cost of the production.

Designed by Cansu Akarsu and Eunjung Lee FALL 2010 ID KAIST [email protected]


Contents

Executive Summary

Research & Analysis a.1 User Observation a.2 Forms of Soap and Units a.3 Soap Making in the Developing WorldIdeation b.1 Product Objectives b.2 Design ObjectivesDesign Process c.1 Soap Shish for Schools c.2 Usage in Schools c.3 Additional Features c.4 Prototyping c.5 Primary User Testing c.6 sOap for All

Business Plan d.1 Short and Long Term Plan d.2 Pilot School d.3 Soap Shish as a School Activity d.4 Soap Shish in Long TermStrategic analysis e.1 Supply Chain and Pricing e.2 SWOT Analysis e.3 Globalizing the Design

Why Soap Shish?

Appendix

References


Executive Summary

Hand washing is promoted by several organizations in order to prevent disease-causing pathogens from spreading. WHO has reported that diar-rhoeal disease, commonly seen in developing countries, kills 1.5 million children, and there are about two billion cases of diarrhoeal disease every year. Since hand washing with soap reduces the transmission of diarrhoeal disease by over 40 per cent, it is one of the most cost-effective interven-tions for reducing child deaths. (2009)

Studies show that washing hands with only water is not as effective as pre-venting disease compared to using soap. The reasons are that soap breaks down grease and dirt and that using soap increases the amount of time spent during washing hands. (Ensink, J.,and V. Curtis, 2009)

By developing the behaviour of hand washing, Soap Shish is aims to cre-ate an impact on the amount of money spent on health care, but more important, the amount of deaths. In order to create new generations with hygiene awareness and to decrease the number of child deaths, the pro-ject starts in schools.

Copyright Dennis Thern


a.1 User ObservationA child in a rural primary school

In Africa, water is usually fetched from public water wells and brought to the school with buckets, may be with a bar of soap. Washing hands is shown to the students by the teacher. The water and the soap are too valuable to be wasted since the school budget is very low. Though hygiene programs exist in the curriculums of many school, and they educate the children on the importance of hand washing, they do not necessarily change their behaviours.

The 2007 study by Water and Sanitation Program revealed that a culture of hand washing did not really exists. The authorities tried to find ways to prevent the theft or loss of soap. Out of 3,797 pupils observed in Senegal, only seven percent washed their hands with soap after using the toilet.

When children were asked why they did not wash their hands, they said that it took time the time from their playtime. According to them, hand washing is an activity done alone, which takes time away from fun activi-ties with friends. The children actually knew all about the health problems they could have if they did not wash their hands. (Curtis, V. and Sidibe, M. 2007) As a result, improving hygiene as a behaviour can be achieved by having a fun element to attract kids to wash their hands with soap.


a.2 Forms of soap and units

Soap can be found in various forms like bar, paper, liquid or foam. Although the commonly used form is liquid in most of the public places in the developed world, soap bars are the oldest, lowest cost, and the most long lasting form of soap. Solid soap can be given any shape and colour. It is slippery; and it creates a white foam when scrubbed with water. These aspects of the product can be used to create a fun element to attract kids.

There are several designs used to hold a single soap bar in place to prevent the public usage problems like melting, getting lost, or stolen. However in the devel-oping areas soap can not be renewed constantly, and it remains in short supply. For that reason, the soap unit should be able to carry more than one soap bar.


a.3 Soap Making in the developing world

Soap bars have been produced by people for ages using natural resources. When interviewed on 21 January 2011, Willem Tom, from Cordaid, has explained that women are making soap all over Africa using different resources depending on the environment. The lye component, also called the soap base, is derived from the ashes of plantain skins, cocoa pods, or shea tree bark. This can be made by the soap makers in rural areas using heat or bought easily all over the world. It is melted and mixed with oil from similar plants. Palm oil, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter and shea butter are commonly used in Africa.

The soap is usually given colour and scents by adding grass, leaves, or flower pet-als such as lemon grass, bamboo leaves and juniper berry. After being poured into moulds, the soap drying time depends on the environment. It can take a day or two; or can be an hour via additional components.

Soap is bought to the local markets in a big volume and cut into small squares depending on the amount the customer wants. This is an efficient way of saving from packaging and transportation costs.

pouring into moulds leaving to dry cutting into pieces

palm fruitfatty oil

shea fruit

plantain skincocoa pod

ashes cooking the soap mixture

cocoa bean


b.1 Product Objectives

Providing soap at all timesSince the distribution channels of rural areas are not very developed, the soap can not be renewed frequently. The soap stand design should be able to hold enough amount of soap to last at least one month.

Durable in school environmentThe durability in school environment and against different age groups’ be-haviour has to be considered in the structure. The design has to stand strong in case of falling, pulling, hanging, etc. Since the schools are consid-ered as public places, the stand aims to prevent the soap from being stolen or lost. Voluntary teachers say that the bar of soap would go missing so they don’t provide it at all.

For outdoor and indoorSchools have different kind of toilets or water basins; they may want to place the soap stand outdoor or indoor. Though the local methods of pro-tection from the rain exist, and can be interpreted in the design, a sug-gested rain protection method is needed.

Improving hygiene as a behaviourThe final goal of the product is to motivate children in a way to improve hygiene as a behaviour; to make them see washing hands not as a boring responsibility, but a fun activity. By motivation, washing hands with soap is going to turn into a habit in the next generations.

Including a game elementThe soap unit is aimed to be attrac-tive to children. Instead of being a boring responsibility, washing hands

will become a fun activity.

Durable in school environment

fallingbreaking

or movable?

interaction among children

soap for fun

colorful

slippery

creating foam

Large amount of soap

problem:high weight

Easy transportationSoap should easily be carried to neighbour communities requiring only human power.

solution: dividing the soap into pieces

Modular structure

Photo by Dennis Thern

Kid playing with an abacus, Kenya

Photo by Dennis Thern

irremovable


b.2 Design Objectives

Attractive to childrenIt is clear that the aim of turning washing hands with soap into a habit can be achieved by an attractive toy that involves touching the soap. The soap stand has to be designed in a way to involve game elements by using dif-ferent features of soap (slippery, creating foam) and interaction among the children during the usage.

Besides, the design has to be flexible to implement the creativity of the children. For example a school project can be done involving the soap stand to create a sense of belonging.

Avoiding soap from being wastedThe soap is in risk of being wasted both in standard usage and in misusage. Even if the students used the soap correctly, the soap can melt and drop in a humid place. Besides, if the product is fun, then the students might use the soap more than they need. To solve this problem, a washing hands song can be taught to the children. The song’s lasting time will teach them in a fun way how long to scrub the soap.

Modular structureAllowing to be places in different kind of toilets or water basins in differ-ent schools can be achieved by creating a modular structure can can be assembled in many ways. Especially mounting to a wall, or have it standing can differ for different schools. Skilful workers’ existing knowledge of as-sembly techniques with ropes can be used.


c.1 Soap Shish for schools

A huge abacus

The initial Soap Shish is designed for schools. Inspired by an abacus, an existing toy used in education, soaps are carried by bamboo or wooden shishes and that stand on top of each other. Using the colourful and slippery features of a soap, it attracts kids to play with it, and at the same time, to clean their hands. Soap Shish can be used my a couple of students at the same time. This changes seeing hand washing as a responsibility done alone, into an activity done with their friends.

The soap mould enables any length of stick to be used to make any amount to soap bars. Depending on the environment, 1 to 5 sticks can be assem-bled by using a rope and existing tying techniques known and used by local people.


c.2 Usage in schools

The soaps are slided up or down, left or right along the shish. Although the students can move the soaps, they can not remove or lose them. Having the soaps above or next to the water prevents the soap from melting.

Sense of belongingSince the amount of soap needed in a school can differ, the abacus is com-pleted by the students. They are encouraged to use their imagination to put wooden boards, bells, drawings, or other things through the shish. This aims to create an additional value: sense of belonging. Students are not only expected to use the product, but also protect it. Risks of pulling or hanging on the stand; or stealing the soap are prevented.

Hand washing durationTo avoid the soap from being wasted, a song is created using local rhythms. The lyrics are written to be sang while using Soap Shish, and lasts for 20 seconds, the hand washing duration recommended by WHO. The students can also make a dance with a choreography with the movements made using the Soap Shish.

‘‘Gets always dirty mama Gets always dirty Move it up move it down Left and right all clean

Pour me the water mama My hand is squishy Move it in move it out Gets always all clean ’’ the church choir in the village of Zolokere, Malawi


c.3 Additional Features

Protecting from rain

Soap Shish is expected to be moved indoor during rainy season. However, a protection from the top is possible in case of outdoor usage. Local peo-ple have come up with practical ideas using several materials for years. It is suggested to put a modular element to the top, to be used if necessary.

Thaumatrope

A toy that student can make and put through the shish can use the idea of a thaumatrope, a popular motion toy from Victorian times. Thaumatrope is used by turning a disk and seeing two different images blended into each other. A shish can be used to work with this principle, and the toy can be improved by chil-dren’s creativity.

Avoiding waste

It is impossible to avoid the soap from dropping down; but it is possible to avoid it to become waste. An element can be places underneath the soap shish to collect these soap drops to dry and become solid again. It is more likely to reuse this soap in cleaning rather than washing hands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD0ovANHdqQ


c.4 Prototyping


c.5 Primary User Testing on going in Korea

Aim

to observe• the target group’s (8-14 year old children) interest in the product• the problems that might occur during the usage• the durability in the school environment• the persistence of the interest in using the product• if it encourages hand washing and creates a hygiene awareness

Setting:

Doori Elementary School in Daejeon is chosen to do the primary user test-ing. The Soap Shishes are mounted nearby the unisex sinks that face the corridors that are outside the toilets. Students do not have to go to the toilet to wash their hands; and they can easily be attracted by the Soap Shish during the breaks.

Users:

3rd grade, 10 year-old 31 students



Soap Shish Activity

An activity is carried in a the class to introduce the product and to talk

about hand washing with soap.

Make your own thaumatrope

Materials: cardboards, rubber bands, colored pens

On one side of a cardboard, children were asked to draw a creature they hate or scared of; on the other side, to draw their hands. When they screw their rubber bands and released, the thaumatrope rotated. The two im-ages blended and showed that creatures they are scared of are actually germs living on their hands if they do not wash.

Sing the Soap Shish Song

With the teachers help, the hand washing song is taught to the students in Korean and English.

Video link: http://vimeo.com/22230773



Sustainability in the School

The teacher is given a camera to take photos and videos of Soap Shish dur-ing break times. She is expected to encourage children by talking about why and when to wash hands.

Student’s feedback

When the school is visited again after one week, the children wanted• the soap to hang on the ceiling• various shapes and scents of soap• sound or music during the usage• to make their own soap

http://vimeo.com/22231288

http://vimeo.com/22231258


c.6 sOap for all

A design valueThe problems of soap usage like getting melt, lost, or being stolen are valid for households as well. sOap is a developed version of Soap Shish, to be used everywhere. A design value is added to a standard soap to make it more useful: a hole through the soap. The production method is similar; but this time the mould has no slots. The soap is poured and dried on a bamboo or wooden shish. As a result, a long rectangular big volume of soap is created that is carried by a long shish.

User Scenario

The shish through the soap is brought to the market wrapped in big leaves (banana, bamboo, etc.). A wheel attached to the end of the stick can be used to move it easily. The salesman pulls the shish out from one end of the bar, and from the other end, slices the amount of soap that the cus-tomer wants to buy. The shish can be used as a measuring instrument during the sales and to make sure that the hole in the soap does not melt.

The sliced soap is wrapped with leaves, tied with a piece of rope and sold to the customer. The hole can also be stuck with a leaf to avoid melting in high temperatures.

The user can use a stick, but more likely the rope to put though the soap and hang it close to the water source. The soap does not get lost or melt and can be carried with the rope not getting the hands slippery.


d.1 Business Plan

Short Term Plan

Soap Shish will start as a non profit project in a rural district, in a selected number of primary and secondary schools. The first models of Soap Shish will be produced to be tested and developed. In a partnership with a or-ganization that is already active in these schools, and a local soap maker,

Soap Shish will be introduced as a school activity project.

1. Creating a fund in relation with an NGO2. Working with the teachers and a local soap maker to make a soap mak-ing activity in the school3. Testing the Soap Shish

4. Developing the product

Long Term Plan

With the success of the pilot project, the developed design that enables the sOap and Soap Shish to be sold in the community shops, will be in-troduced to the local soap maker. The product will target neighbourhood schools, public areas, and households.

Soap Shish will turn into a profitable project for the local soap maker. New social entrepreneurs can also easily implement the same system in their own community. Additional creative ideas will develop a competitive envi-ronment and boost the market.

Besides, other schools that want to start Soap Shish as a school activity can have the mould made by the closest wood workshop, and buy the ingredi-ents from the closest soap maker as mush as they need.

pilot project schools

soap makers

ShortTermPlan LongTermPlan


d.2 Pilot school

Nkhata Bay, Malawi

The project starts in Nkhata Bay, Malawi. Demographics of the district is learned from Ripple Africa, a charity based in UK, that deals directly with the local communities and sends voluntary teachers. Though there is no running water, 65% of all schools (170 preschools, 184 primary, and 37 secondary schools) have access to safe water.

<The pilot project starts in 3 of these schools from different age groups.>

Why Nkhata Bay?

‘‘There is no running water and a bar of soap would go missing so we don’t provide it at present. I love that the project provides soap which cannot be stolen, that it is permanently near the toilets, but mostly that it makes it FUN to encourage kids to clean their hands’’ says Canning from Ripple Africa. It is also documented by Ripple that each year,3461 people under 5 die from diarrhea in the district each year4099 people under 5 die from diarrhea non-bloody3370 people die from dysentery536 die from “opportunistic infections”8504 die from “skin infections.”

Soap Shish can be highly beneficial to this environment.

MALAWI

NKHATA BAY

Chiomba Nursery School

120 students

Mazembe Primary School

410 students

Kapanda Secondary

School180 students


d.3 Soap Shish as a school activity

Via a partnership created with a sponsor NGO, designer of the product, a local soap maker, the teachers, and students; a the pilot project starts in three schools.

Preperation

The NGO finances the pilot project and connects the designer with the local soap maker. The designer is sent to the site to work with the soap maker to produce the wooden mould. Ingredients are also maintained by and bought from the soap maker.

Activity and testingSoap Shish starts as a school activity on a school day. The soap maker leads the soap making process, and the teachers encourage the students to par-ticipate. While the students learn to make their own soap using the mould, the NGO and the designer record the students’ and teachers’ feedback.

Design DevelopmentThe designer continues to work on developing the Soap Shish for schools and the soap maker. Teachers and students are visited once in a while to observe the soap usage and the find out the amount of soap needed. The teachers are expected to record the observations on the usage and come up with ideas on hygiene education: a song on hand washing. Students are also asked to participating in the possible surveys.

Designer

Soap Maker

NGO

Designer

Designer Teacher

Student

Soap Maker

Soap MakerTeacher

Students

NGO

Preperation Activity and testing Design Development


d.4 Soap Shish in long term

Continuing in schools

The NGO starts a campaign showing the success of the pilot project, and create a fund to start the project in other schools. The fund is used to buy more ingredients as the schools need to make more soap every one-two months. NGO should also start to record the impact of the improvement of hygiene education as a behaviour on the health care costs of the com-munity and the amount of deaths.

Design consulting for Soap Makers

Consumers in rural areas are value based consumers and creative and en-trepreneurs. Adding a design touch to a standard soap in rural areas will create a competitive environment in the market and give the local con-sumers a power to chose. For its benefits, sOap appeals to the existing consumers and the people who did not use to buy soap for it problems.

NGO

Teacher

Student

Soap Maker

Villagers

Soap for Schools

Business for the Soap Makers

Designer

Soap Maker


e.1 Supply Chain & Pricing

collectingjatropha seeds

extracting the oilby manpower press

packaging with used PET bottles

MWK 35 / kg

MWK 150 / kg

150gram Caustic Sodafrom a local chemical

manufacturer

1 liter Jatropha oil from a local

agroforestry enterprise

3/4 liter Waterfree fom the community

water well

wood sticks & large leavesfree fom the woods

1kg Soapingredient costs MWK 75

MWK 200 MWK 320.15 € ~ 1.2 DKr

x 12

ZT Ruida Chemicals

Local Resources

Supplier Manufacturer Retailer

Local MarketSoap Maker

Primary Processing Transportation Seondary Processing Distribuion Sales


e.2 SWOT Analysis

Low cost of productionuse of natural resources, local workers, single type of mould

Skilled local workershaving knowledge in soap making

Distribution channelshaving the production facilities close to the resources

Attractive design elementsSoap Shish for schools and o’Soap for households

Different weather conditionsneeds protection in rainy season

Lack of experienceno hygienic behaviour awareness

Lack of facilitieslack of electricity makes the production slow

Necessity of a complementary goodWATER

Increasing number of NGO’swanting to invest in local products that can improve hygiene,

education and create job opportunities for local people

A cradle-to-cradle design productreusing the left soap drops in cleaning

Globalizing the designdifferent ingredients depending on the environment

A potential for creating a media storyimpact of washing hands on health care

Decrease in resourcese very long term threat for all the competitors

Risk of misusing the productstudents can use excessive amount of soap

Complicated assembly processunskilled people may not be able to assemble

S

O T

W


e.4 Expected Impact

With the success of the pilot project and starting the soap making in sev-eral neighbour communities, Soap Shish expects several impacts on the community in one to three years.

Hygiene Behaviour Change

It has been said that in a aut of 3,797 pupils observed, only 7 percent washed their hands with soap after using the toilet. (2007) Having ob-served the child behaviour and solved the main reasons, Soap Shish pro-ject expects this number to increase up to 60s and 70s.

Decrease in Medical Expenses and Child Deaths

The increase in soap usage during hand washing both in the schools and households will decrease the risk of transmission of many diseases. This also means a decrease in medical expenses and child deaths in the com-munity that Soap Shish is implemented.


Why Soap Shish?

Fun and attractive

Prevents Soap Theft

Built by the children, thus creates an ownership

Can be implemented to different school environments


References

http://usa.loccitane.com/FO/Content/Video/Default.aspx?v=./en-US/Shea_Butter_Production&cm_

mmc=Linkshare-_-User-_-Default-_-None

http://www.daveblumenkrantz.com/africa/photo_gallery/photo_gallery_bw_uganda_education.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34131608@N07/4609667365/sizes/o/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34131608@N07/3594337608/

http://www.globalhandwashing.org/handwashing-resources

http://www.soapmakingfun.com/making-homemade-soap/african-black-soap.shtml

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/well/resources/fact-sheets/fact-sheets-htm/Handwashing.htm

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/en/index.html

http://spore.cta.int/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&lang=en&id=818&catid=7

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/International-Relations/internationaldevelopment/

malawi/case-studies/economic-development/janeemo-project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek8M3jLNO2s&feature=related

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b9axPAHFt7w/TSuUfvxp7RI/AAAAAAAAABo/_yMIprMNvhQ/s1600/thau-

matrope.jpg

http://www.whats4eats.com/files/images/plantains-flickr-tokyofoodcast-319371804.thumbnail.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AXpGWdyC7ig/SsPF0C5Z2XI/AAAAAAAAAJA/oH5TlHSwY6k/s320/1.jpg

http://celadonlife.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/pourintomold.jpg

http://www.insightempire.com/cocoa-butter/cocoa%20butter.jpg

http://ipsnews.net/pictures/20080729_CocoaPods_HighRes.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Small_banana_leaf.JPG

http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00LeCtuPcIhKqi/Wooden-Mop-Handle.jpg

http://www.jatropha.de/documents/jcl-manual.pdf

http://www.soapmakingfun.com/making-homemade-soap/african-black-soap.shtml

Survey Results:

https://spreadsheets0.google.com/pub?key=0AnWKKbLFlrw2dGszdERieWRGeWxGLUlCVUxfUHJlQ1E&

output=html


Why Soap Shish?

Fun and attractive

Prevents Soap Theft

Built by the children, thus creates an ownership

Can be implemented to different school environments

Expected ImpactHygiene Behaviour Change

It has been said that in a aut of 3,797 pupils observed, only 7 percent washed their hands with soap after using the toilet. (2007) Having observed the child behaviour and solved the main reasons, Soap Sh-ish project expects this number to increase up to 60s and 70s.

Decrease in Medical Expenses and Child Deaths

The increase in soap usage during hand washing both in the schools and households will decrease the risk of transmission of many dis-eases. This also means a decrease in medical expenses and child deaths in the community that Soap Shish is implemented.


Designed byCansu Akarsu & Eunjung [email protected]

Advisor Professor: Sangmin Bae

Project Report:http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8805119/SoapShishreport_low.pdf

Index: Design Challenge Special Jury Awardhttp://designtoimprovelife.dk/designchallenge/finalists.php

Short Presentationhttp://dl.dropbox.com/u/8805119/soapshish_short.pdf

Videos:http://vimeo.com/22231288http://vimeo.com/22231258http://vimeo.com/22230773

Soap Shish Report

Documents

Transcript of Soap Shish Report