Burundian refugee soap maker who is fighting coronavirus in Kenya

Serengeti

Moderator
Staff member
Burundian refugee soap maker who is fighting coronavirus in Kenya
When Innocent Havyarimana started his soap-making business in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp in early 2015, he was trying to move on from the traumatic events that had made him flee his native Burundi a year earlier.
Little did he know that his cottage enterprise would become a major weapon in the fight against coronavirus in one of the world's biggest settlements of its kind - Kakuma is home to almost 200,000 people.
As soon as the former chemistry student realised the importance of hand-washing in tackling the spread of Covid-19, he lowered prices and started to offer his products in smaller quantities and sizes, to make them more affordable.
"Everyone needs soap but not everybody is able to afford it. So I lowered the prices, as it was more important to protect people than to think of profit," the 35-year-old tells the BBC.
"I had to increase my production by 75% to meet the demand when the pandemic started, so Covid-19 has been good for my business.
"But I made sure I gave free soap to vulnerable people such as the elderly and the disabled."
 
Top