, a G.12 student from Ruamrudee International School, travelled to the northern region of Thailand, where he observed farming communities in the mountains and plateaus, particularly coffee plantations. He was struck by the disparities between the conditions of these coffee plantations and the Bangkok cafes where their coffee was sold. This experience served as his inspiration to initiate positive change by improving the lives of coffee farmers and creating an additional income source for them.){kind=link}
Rawit Thamparanon (Beam), a G.12 student from Ruamrudee International School, travelled to the northern region of Thailand, where he observed farming communities in the mountains and plateaus, particularly coffee plantations. He was struck by the disparities between the conditions of these coffee plantations and the Bangkok cafes where their coffee was sold. This experience served as his inspiration to initiate positive change by improving the lives of coffee farmers and creating an additional income source for them.
Drawing from his family’s background in soap production, Rawit developed a keen interest in soap-making. When he discovered that coffee could serve as a natural active ingredient in soap, he combined his passion for soap-making with his desire to drive change. After extensive research, he selected the Arabica coffee strain from Pang Khon, Chiang Rai, as the starting point for his soap development.
Rawit pursued his transformative vision by seeking the guidance of Dr. Dakrong Pissuwan, the Head of Nanobiotechnology and Nanobiomaterials Research Laboratory and Head of Mahidol University’s School of Materials Science and Innovation. Here, research on nanoparticles and their real-world applications took place. Rawit experimented with the use of gold nanoparticles coated in Sericin, a protein derived from silk cocoons, in soap-making within the same lab.
During school breaks, Rawit dedicated his time to research and develop his soap product under the brand ‘NewLeaf,’ with a clear goal of initiating positive change in society. Rawit personally oversaw every step of the product development process, from creating a formula that received Thai FDA approval to controlling production and designing the packaging. Moreover, the product’s packaging is crafted from FSC paper, sourced responsibly according to international standards.
In alignment with the mission of giving back to society, all the current revenue generated from the sale of ‘NewLeaf’ has been donated to the Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities in Pattaya to purchase mattresses for student dormitories. Rawit also plans to donate the first batch of 100 bars of soap (priced at 49 baht per bar) to the foundation for fundraising purposes.
The foundation gratefully received the donation on October 11, 2023, bringing smiles to everyone involved. By initiating change through small steps to support our society, we believe that this endeavour will pave the way for more extensive social support in the future.
