As part of her journey that will see her complete 200 marathons in the space of a year to raise awareness of the global water crisis, Australian Mina Guli is asking runners from around the world to join her in her quest to raise one-million bars of soap for those who need it the most.
This Global Handwashing Day (15th October), water advocate and ultramarathon runner Guli and the team at Thirst Foundation are using their third annual #Sweat4Soap activation to get one-million bars of soap to the refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar District.
Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is not only a human right but is absolutely critical…
Through a collaboration with soap recyclers Eco-Soap Bank, they are donating one bar of soap to the camps for every 1km people around the world register to run or walk. That’s all Guli is asking runners to do – register, run or walk, and then pledge those kilometres to the cause. Thirst and Eco-Soap Bank will do the rest.
The world’s largest refugee camps in the Cox’s Bazar District in Bangladesh desperately need soap, a resource, which, in the sprawling camps of some 1.24-million people, could be the difference between life and death.
“Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is not only a human right but is absolutely critical to ensure the health of the millions of refugees and displaced people around the world,” said Guli, who is running 200 marathons in a year for the RUN BLUE Campaign to raise awareness, to demonstrate the urgency of the water problem the world is facing and to drive commitments to concrete action on water by governments, companies and organisations across the world in advance of the UN Water Conference in March 2023.
Guli recently completed her 100th marathon in The Hague, the Netherlands, having run through Central Asia, down through Africa and now in Europe. She ran marathons in South Africa on her journey, which will end on the steps of the United Nations. She runs an average of four marathons a week.
“The lack of access to soap remains a critical factor in fighting the spread of preventable diseases worldwide. In some areas of the developing world, only 1% of households have soap for handwashing,” said Samir Lakhani from Eco-Soap Bank. “Our goal is to save, sanitise, and supply leftover soap from manufacturers for the developing world and to provide a highly cost-effective hygiene product to those who need it most.”
“This #Sweat4Soap activation is an opportunity for all of us around the world to step up and make a difference,” said Guli. “With every step we can change lives. A bar of soap is not just a weapon for hygiene, but a vital tool to give dignity to those who have nowhere left to run to and nowhere left to return to.”
Thirst Foundation chose to partner with Eco-Soap Bank because of their dedication to saving, sanitising and supplying leftover soap from manufacturers for the developing world to use. Their product is not only cost effective and reduces waste, it also provides livelihoods and free education to disadvantaged women.
According to Guli: “They are an essential part of our campaign to reduce water waste, raise water security and to raise awareness of how we use this most precious resource.”
The United Nations’ Sustainable Goal 6 (SDG 6) is to provide “clean water and sanitation for all”. The UN reports that if we continue with no action for water security, 2.8-billion will lack safely-managed sanitation by 2030.
#Sweat4Soap signups are open from 21st September. Runners can pledge their kilometres and run or walk between 10-16 October.
The #Sweat4Soap and Eco-Soap Bank teams are also on alert for a freight company that could assist in moving the soap from Cambodia to Bangladesh.
To sign up for #Sweat4Soap:
- Register at www.sweat4soap.com for this free virtual run or walk.
- Between October 10 and October 16, run or walk the distance you pledged.
- Use the hashtag #Sweat4Soap to share your adventure with us and the rest of the community.