Can a handmade soap do more than clean, moisturize and perfume? Yes, it can. Much more. And no, this is not an advertisement for natural cosmetics: it is the story of an ancient recipe from Syria that is now transforming lives in Portugal, and that could even transform the world. But what soap is this? It is called Amal – the Arabic word for “hope” – and it is made by migrant and refugee women welcomed into our country, who know its meaning better than anyone else.
At the Amal soap workshops, Ghufran Shlash shares with participants a little about Syrian culture, his history and the history of his country. Photo © MEERU
Ghufran Shlash, 26, is one of those women. Her family left Syria when she was 14, when the fear of dying in a bombing overcame the fear of fleeing, and that word – “amal/hope” – seemed to have lost its meaning. Ghufran lived for five years in Turkey, with her parents and four younger siblings, in precarious conditions, until, in 2019, they received the news that they could come to Portugal, through the Voluntary Resettlement Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“When I arrived in Portugal, I discovered a very kind people, who love to help. I realized that the Portuguese have many similarities with the Syrian people. I discovered that people here are good. The Portuguese people we met are very helpful and like us, in general.” Ghufran tells 7MARGENS.
Today, despite missing her country, Ghufran already feels a little bit like she belongs in Braga, where she lives with her husband and son, and is an intercultural mediator at Amal Soap, a social entrepreneurship project that emerged in 2017 with the aim of promoting the inclusion of refugees in the job market, and which has been run as a social business by the company for the past year. MEERU Development Association | Opening the Way .
“In 2020, my family took part in the ‘MEERU Aproxima’ project, where we were accompanied by a group of volunteers who became our friends. Since then, we have always remained close to MEERU’s activities and the friends we have made,” recalls Ghufran. “ Last year, the MEERU team challenged me to collaborate on an Amal Soap workshop for a company, where I helped to produce soaps and shared with the participants a little about my Syrian culture, my history and the history of my country. Since then, I have been involved in many moments: production and packaging of soaps, soap fairs, events to present this project…” , he continues, with visible enthusiasm.
Ghufran is not alone. “ Like me, other refugee and migrant women are also being mobilized for this project. I now feel that there is a goal that I am trying to achieve at Amal: to spread my culture through this project and at the same time obtain the financial support that I need to help my family live in Portugal. Furthermore, working with women from different cultures and countries was interesting because I quickly adapted to the diversity. I love the differences between us and I learn a lot from them” , emphasizes the Syrian refugee.
The revenue obtained from the sale of soaps and workshops The proceeds go towards the promotion and integration of these women and their economic empowerment, whilst always ensuring the sustainability of production. The aim now is to help more and more refugees and migrants like Ghufran, giving them even more tools to facilitate their integration, something that could become a reality as early as 2025, with Amal Soap’s new home set to be completed.
“ Until now, we have been traveling between MEERU headquarters and some spaces that have been provided to us from time to time. But, from January 2025, we will be living in our home: the Amal Soap laboratory. The works are currently being finished and the final details are almost, almost ready” , Pedro Amaro Santos, executive director of MEERU and Amal Soap, told 7MARGENS.
These new facilities – located in the building of IPSS Perpétuo – Education and Culture , in the heart of Porto – will include not only a laboratory for soap production, but also a warehouse. The space, ceded as a result of a partnership and friendship with the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorist Missionaries) in Portugal, it will also be home to the Amal Academy, “a safe place for technical and interpersonal training for migrant and refugee women to enter the job market”, reveals the person in charge.
This is, for Pedro Amaro Santos, the “biggest dream” , which “ will allow us to reach more unemployed migrant and refugee women in Portugal, to walk a path side by side with them, which will allow their labor integration in Amal Soap’s partner companies” .
How can you help make this dream come true? By purchasing Amal soaps. Made according to the ancient traditions of Aleppo soap in Syria, they are completely biodegradable, vegan, and do not use palm oil. They are available in a variety of scents – bay leaf, lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, and mint – and can be ordered on the project's official page .
“ I would love for people to give our soaps as Christmas gifts, because I believe they are a way of spreading hope among us, and through this gift we can get people talking about immigration and cultures: by receiving this gift, children and adults will learn the meaning of cultural exchange” , suggests Ghufran, for whom “ AMAL soap is a sign that harmonious exchange between cultures is possible”.
“By receiving this gift, children and adults will learn the meaning of cultural exchange,” says Ghufran . Photo © MEERU
For those who want to take up your suggestion, the good news is that you still have time. Amal Soap guarantees shipments before Christmas, outside the Porto area , for orders placed until December 19th, and within the Porto area for orders placed until the 22nd. Deliveries can also be made in person, at MEERU headquarters, until the 23rd. One way or another, one thing is certain: whoever purchases them will receive, and offer, immense hope.
This article was written by 7MARGENS. Support 7MARGENS : https://setemargens.com/apoie-o-7-margens/
