About

The idea that became a project

BubbleNut Wash is a brand of natural detergent that was conceived by an Indian student out of the need to provide a reliable source of livelihood to rural communities living in and around particular forest areas in India. BubbleNut Wash has taken up the task to work to identify unique forest products that have market potential in the mainstream society and can hence benefit the community economically.

The idea

Totaling over 100 million, the indigenous people are insulated from the technological, social and economic advancements of the modern world. While many of these people have never been to a school, they spend most of their time on the farms to grow enough for themselves or forage through the forests for food, fuel and medicinal herbs. Thanks to living in the lap of nature, the forest communities have accumulated a great knowledge system in utilizing herbs, fruits, flowers, seeds, nuts and barks of the forests in their lifestyles. Adding  business skills and education to this knowledge, BubbleNut Wash propagates the use of these organic forest products and helps the local communities.

The project

Soap nuts are a natural cleaning device that have been used for hair wash, dish wash and laundry wash for centuries. However, these nuts grow on some of the toughest terrains, either on the Himalayan slopes or deep inside the forests of peninsular India. BubbleNut Wash works mobilizes unprivileged rural women into producer groups who work to collect soap nuts all through Autumn and Spring seasons. They sort, grade, dry, pack and ship soapnuts for washing machine use. The market access provided by BubbleNut Wash enables women producer groups to generate additional income that can be spent on their children’s education and health.