The IQSApS program at IQS has taken part in the Rato Baltin project, driven by the NGO beArtSy — an initiative dedicated to empowering women in rural areas of Nepal on issues of human, sexual, and reproductive rights. As part of this effort, Pharmacy student Ariadna Sánchez Pérez developed a Final Degree Project (TFG) that combines scientific research with social impact through the creation of an ecological powder soap made from local resources.
IQSApS collaborates with the Rato Baltin project to empower women in Nepal
Science with real impact
The question guiding Ariadna’s project was clear: “How do you turn knowledge into commitment?” The answer took her to Nepal, where she was able to connect research in detergency with improving the quality of life of a community.
The work is based on the study of Sapindus mukorossi — the well-known soapnut — to produce a powder soap enriched with natural fragrances such as mandarin peel and lemon. The main challenge was adapting the process to the conditions found in rural areas, avoiding complex techniques while ensuring the product’s viability in the local context.
Beyond improving domestic hygiene, the proposal opens a pathway for women to produce and sell the soap, generating their own income and fostering their independence.
“It’s an experience that makes you grow both as a person and as a professional. It connects you with reality and reminds you that, through science, we can also help build a more just world,” says Ariadna.
“A more holistic education that shapes more responsible and empathetic people”
Dr. Ana Cuartero, the TFG supervisor, reflects on Service-Learning.
What academic and personal benefits does a Service-Learning experience offer students? Service-Learning offers highly relevant academic benefits: it allows students to apply theory to a real-world case and develop skills such as communication — since adapting to different environments is essential — as well as improving problem-solving in contexts with more limited technical and material resources. Furthermore, discovering that what they learn has genuine social utility significantly increases their motivation and engagement.
On a personal level, Service-Learning fosters a sense of responsibility, community commitment, and the ability to adapt to diverse realities.
What challenges does implementing Service-Learning projects present? It requires time to design projects that integrate both academic and social objectives, as well as the capacity of supervisors to adapt the methodology to the reality of partner organizations. Evaluation is also more complex, since social dimensions must be taken into account that do not arise in other types of work.
How would you summarize the added value of this approach to teaching? It enables a more holistic education: it doesn’t just transmit knowledge, but shapes more responsible and empathetic individuals. It is the union of learning and putting that learning to use in service of society.
A project that is already a reality in Nepal
The method developed in Ariadna’s Final Degree Project has already begun to be implemented in Nepal with the support of beArtSy. In parallel, a second project has been launched to optimize the soap formulation and explore new developments that could help women in the community start their own businesses and consolidate their economic independence.
The Rato Baltin project and IQSApS’s involvement thus stand as an inspiring example of how science and education can become tools for social transformation and genuine empowerment.