On Monday, May 26, a Clean the World soap distribution team started the journey to Guatemala with an orientation event in Orlando. The team consisted of Debra Punke and Troy Chontas from Concord Hospitality, Deb Martin of Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, Kris Vos of Hyatt Place Orlando Universal, Heather Hay of East-West Resorts, travel blogger Jennifer Huber, and Marah MacRostie, who was selected to go on the trip through a contest sponsored by Clearly Natural/Beaumont Products. Our Clean the World representatives were Paramita Das, Dennis Ocasio and Rosanna Kingston.
A day later, the group departed Orlando International Airport to connect with Children International of Guatemala, our in-country partner and host for the four-day adventure. Children International has distributed more than 2 million bars of recycled Clean the World soap since 2011. Their mission is to bring real and lasting change to the lives of children living in poverty.
Our objectives for the May trip to Guatemala were to distribute more soap and teach proper hand-washing techniques.
Children International Guatemala was about to launch “Hand Washing Month,” and our visit kicked off the program in style.
Clean the World team members performed a short skit that involves a super hero that fights germs. Our super heroes are Super Jabon (“Super Soap” in Spanish) and Super Agua (“Super Water” in Spanish). We taught the children how to properly wash their hands by using a hygiene song set to the tune of “La Bamba.”
The skit is implemented as part of our presentation throughout all the sites where we distribute soap, and everyone in our entourage takes turns portraying super heroes and germs.
The team delivered more than 12,000 bars of soap to 3,600 children and mothers in two days. We shipped another 108,000 bars into Guatemala for ongoing distribution by Children International.
The smiles, high-fives and hugs showed how much the children appreciated receiving the soap.
Clean the World’s Rosanna Kingston said she was shocked to learn on this trip that some people use bleach and water to wash their hands. This is yet another reason why the education we provide is so important.
