“Before, we didn’t have the habit of washing our hands with soap before eating. Now, I had been understood how germs were spreaded in the body. With the help of ‘Project Swaccho’, we were using soaps made by ourselves, which were much better than other chemical-based soaps available in the market,” said Nargis Begum, a woman living in the railway colony of Rangpur, a northern divisional city of Bangladesh.
Recently, with the aim of making disadvantaged women self-reliant, seven enthusiastic students of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR), had started implementing a small initiative called ‘Project Swaccho’ in the city. Nargis Begum was one of the trainees under this project.
The initiative began with 10 underprivileged women living in the railway colony near Lalbagh area of Rangpur city, where many underprivileged and marginalized communities live. The two month-long project was primarily aimed at training these women in the production of eco-friendly soaps, alongside simultaneously raising awareness about health and hygiene.
The project is being carried out by seven young entrepreneurs of Begum Rokeya University: Most. Muntas Tamanna, Most. Atika Banu, Md. Munirul Islam, Rakibul Hasan Munna, Trisha Kundu, Rupa Chakraborty, and Sathi Rani.
Under the project, the trained women were to produce and commercialize handmade soaps made with natural ingredients. Thus, ‘Project Swaccho’ had opened a gateway to self-reliance for the underprivileged women of the area. Alongside, through its training sessions, the marginalized community had become more health-conscious. In short, the project implementers had turned into a true “beacon of light” for the 6–7 thousand disadvantaged residents of the colony.
It is worth mentioning that the natural soaps produced under ‘Project Swaccho’—made with ingredients like neem, aloe vera, turmeric and so on—had already been created a stir in both online and local markets. This initiative, funded by the students themselves might open a new horizon of self-reliance in the lives of local marginalized women, according to the local economic analysts.
Morsheda Akter, a trainee under Project Swaccho, said:
“Through the training sessions of Project Swaccho, we had learned how to make soaps using natural ingredients. I believe this would help us become self-reliant.”
“From the training, we also learned about the importance of health awareness. And so, our families were becoming more enthusiastic about practicing basic hygiene habits,” added Akter.
Speaking about the project’s journey, Trisha Kundu, a team member of ‘Project Swaccho’ said, “To us, Project Swaccho was not just a small initiative; it was a pledge to build a healthy and beautiful society through cleanliness, awareness, and self-reliance. Though we started on a small scale, we had learned through this experience that big changes often began with small steps.” She also emphasized the importance of effectively involving marginalized communities to bring lasting social change.
“Our experience of working in Rangpur railway colony had been truly meaningful in our lives. The smiles of the children there, the sincerity and cooperation of ordinary people inspired and gave us strength to continue. In every session, we realized that people actually wanted to be conscious—what they need was just a little guidance and encouragement. That was what we were trying to provide,” told Kundu.
Trisha Kundu further expressed,
We had believed that a clean environment meant a healthy and strong generation. Therefore, with the collective participation of all, ‘Project Swaccho’ would continue to move forward in fulfilling the cherished dream of a healthy future generation, she further added.
Another entrepreneur of the project, Rupa Chakraborty, also a student of Begum Rokeya University, said, “Our goal was to make underprivileged women both self-reliant and health-conscious. To achieve that goal, we had already started working with 10 women in the first phase.”
Chakraborty added that the backward women of Rangpur’s railway colony, after receiving training, were now focusing on producing eco-friendly soaps and, at the same time, emphasizing health awareness. In the future, they would plan to expand their activities on a larger scale under the project, she also mentioned.
Commenting on the initiative, Saifuddin Khaled, Lecturer from the Department of Economics at Begum Rokeya University, said,
“Our students’ initiative ‘Project Swaccho’ was a unique example—where education was not confined to classrooms but was being used as a tool for social change. By involving underprivileged women in producing and marketing natural soaps, they were not only creating opportunities for income but also expanding the scope of women’s economic empowerment and social inclusion.” The health awareness sessions would have long-term positive impacts on improving the quality of life of marginalized communities, said Khaled.
In his opinion, such initiatives might create opportunities for local-level micro-entrepreneurship and strengthen the foundation of sustainable development. He described the project as “a shining example of the social responsibility and innovative leadership” of Rokeya University students, also.