Africa-Press – Kenya. A group of university students living near the Maasai Mara Game Reserve is reaping big by making herbal soap from elephant dung.
The students who live at the Nashulai Community Conservancy sought inspiration from the traditional Maasai use of elephant dung to treat skin ailments.
The leader of the group Vivian Sumoi in an interview with a local publication stated that they saw an opportunity to exploit the animal waste into a herbal product.
Due to the significant elephant population in the area, the dung is readily available and is also eco-friendly.
The group retails the elephant dung soap at Ksh500 per 50-gram packets earning a 10 percent commission.
Their current market is that local tourism lodges in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve but they have plans to expand their operations.
The whole process begins with collecting the dung early in the morning when the elephants have moved deep into the reserve.
Upon collection, it is taken to their manufacturing centre within the area where it is dried and ground to a fine texture.
The dung is thereafter mixed with olive oil and other chemicals to turn it into liquid soap.
The final product is then packaged and sold to consumers.
Sumoi added that the elephants consume a variety of herbs and trees enhancing the herbal components of the soap.
Elephant dung has been exploited for other various products including eco-friendly paper, a mild pain killer and a remedy for a bleeding nose, mosquito repellant as well as in the making of beer.
