One thing I like about L’Occitane is their commitment to charity. This is my second time supporting their charity drive.

8th March is International Women’s Day and L’Occitane had came up with a yearly International Women’s Day Soap. How much do you know about this yearly affair? I don’t so I did some searching and I found this.

L’Occitane International Women’s Day Soap 2012 Design

Thanks to L’Occitane USA website, I managed to find some history.

History of the soap factory told by Maud Reboul, L’OCCITANE’s Sustainable Ingredients Manager

“We chose this soap’s factory two years ago. I go to Burkina Faso every 4 months to meet women and ensure shea butter quality and payments… I met this women, named Barkissa Bassia, in a very small shelter on the main road in Leo. She had one baby in her arms and one little girl hanging from her leg. She was very shy; she didn’t speak fluent French. She explained to me that she produces classic soaps to get additional income in order to help her family. Her husband left home and left her alone with children. She was resolute, determined to live better. We were impressed by her motivation.

Afterwards, she sent me a letter informing me that she has created a small soap factory called NUNUNA. We trained her and other women to produce traditional soaps enriched with shea butter. We sent materials from the L’OCCITANE factory in Manosque (tins, perfume, soap-making process…). In 2010, we gave her an order of 40,000 units – production of the 2011 Women’s Day soap. She hired 6 women to help her to produce. Each woman has bought a bicycle. They also get money to pay for their children’s school. At the moment [March 2011], Barkissa is in Manosque for one month, to be trained by our team in a more advanced soap-making process. Nununa’s factory has now received another order from us of 40,000 units for 2012. Barkissa is a wonder-woman! She told me that Women’s Day represents for her a moment of happiness and time-off. They dance all day long and wear a specific dress with a colorful fabric. LADIES first!”

Yesterday I dropped by L’Occitane outlet in KLCC and I bought 2 soap. Although I don’t need anymore extra soap but this is a charity which I must support.

Women’s Day Soap has a high concentration of shea butter (52%) to moisturise and nourish the hands as it cleanses. The packaging of this soap is inspired by the patterns of the colourful dresses worn by the women of Burkina Faso on International Women’s Day.

The soaps are produced in Burkina Faso as part of a co-development partnership with a local factory which has been run entirely by women since 2010, to support their economic emancipation. 100% of the proceeds* of these soaps will go to the L’OCCITANE Foundation, to help fund the building of literacy centres for women in Burkina Faso, in a collaborative project with the NGO, “Aide et Action.” *Excluding VAT and transport costs.

This soap is retailing at RM20 each. Did anyone of you bought any to support this charity?