08 Jun 2020

Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) lecturer, Professor Paul Agachi says they are committed to assisting communities to make soap.

BIUST donated 1 000 liquid soaps and 400 bar soaps to Maun Administration Authority (MAA) recently.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Professor Agachi said the soaps were produced by BIUST engineering students.

Prof. Agachi noted that soap manufacturing was a simple process that could be imparted in a day or two. He added that soap making was part of Setswana culture which was lost to civilisation.

Prof. Agachi also noted that the country was rich in raw materials such as salt, coal and sand which were exported as raw materials and imported as finished products instead of establishing factories locally.

BIUST communications and public affairs manager, Mr Godfrey Kgopana noted that the bar soaps donated were produced by students. Mr Kgopana also noted that the BIUST soap production project started three years ago for community development and to help in the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said if Batswana could become innovative in soap production it would help cut the soap import bill, which was about P532 million according to a recent study by the Local Enterprise Authority.

 In his remarks, MAA chairperson, Mr Vepaune Moreti said that the North West District welcomed BIUST’s initiative of soap production by communities. He said they would be given to two communities in the MAA area. Mr Moreti also said soap production could be adopted by different groups of people who had benefitted from government programmes.

 He said the authority would take up BIUST’s offer of partnership after engaging stakeholders. Ends