in Guyana. A "pedal powered sheller" was designed in 2009 to shell faster. It has been distributed in the Philippines, in Guyana, and in Guatemala. Soap for Hope In keeping with their mission of changing the world for the “bottom billion” through production of self-sustainable technologies, the Full Belly Project and partners at Diversey introduced the soap press in 2013. Known as Soap for Hope, this project reuses a portion the millions of pounds of soap that are thrown away annually by local hotels and resorts. The soap press allows communities to produce and distribute recycled soap products to fend off disease, promote better health, and generate income for impoverished communities around the world. The Full Belly Project developed a “soap press in a box” micro-factory to ship abroad for assembly, granting entrepreneurial opportunity to those with less access to proper sanitation and resources. The soap press in now in 18 countries around the world providing over 41,000 people with soap. Distributing technology Presently, the organization is collaborating with like-minded development organizations in an effort to target areas most in need of this sustainable technology. Since finishing the final design of the Universal Nut Sheller, The Full Belly Project has distributed machines in The Bahamas, Uganda, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Gambia, Zambia, the Philippines, Haiti, Guyana, India, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Guatemala, Tajikistan, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. With a few manual adjustments the machine is also capable of shelling winged beans, neem seeds (from neem trees, also known as margosa), jatropha curcas, wet and dried coffee, and shea. All of these seeds/nuts are lucrative once they have been processed. Most cultivation of these crops occurs in developing countries. Machines like the Universal Nut Sheller add value to these crops and instantly improve the lives of those who use these labor-saving devices. Impact on women This technology is particularly empowering for women in that it relieves them of the burden of hand-shelling jatropha curcas, shea, coffee and peanuts. Women provide the majority of agricultural labor, and with the time saved by this machine, would have the opportunity to dedicate themselves to other obligations. Collection of firewood, a chore often left to children, can be greatly reduced by the simple processing of shelled peanut hulls into fuel briquette. Awards MIT Ideas (2006) Popular Mechanics Magazine – Breakthrough Award (2006) Carolina Challenge – Business Plan CNN Heroes