Sundar India was founded by Ms. Erin Zaikis, a young woman from New York, USA. Her vision was to recycle the waste bar soaps discarded by luxury hotels in Mumbai. Under the leadership of our director, Kenneth Dsouza, and with the support of the team that assisted Erin on this project, we have expanded from an initial partnership with six hospitality brands to over seventy-five partners across India.
Sundar India is an impactful soap recycling project that has been actively running for over seven years. During this time, we have successfully reprocessed over 18 tonnes of waste bar soap, converting it into more than half a million usable soap bars. These bars are a vital component of our innovative Sundar India Hygiene Program, which promotes hygiene among school children. To ensure that the soap is safe for use, we conduct rigorous testing at an accredited microbiological laboratory in Mumbai. This initiative not only reduces waste but also contributes to the health and well-being of the children we serve while giving livelihood to local women.
Ms. Vismita Rao, our efficient and dynamic manager, leads this impactful project, cohesively managing all aspects of operations. Her responsibilities include building partnerships with five-star brands, coordinating the collection of waste soap bars from various locations across India, and overseeing the reprocessing at our SUNDAR INDIA Work Center in Mokhada-Palghar. Additionally, under our sister non-profit organization’s initiative, PARIVARTAN, we are proud to run a hygiene campaign that successfully distributes soap at no cost to hundreds of thousands of children in tribal village schools, enhancing their health and well-being.
