Creative Inspiration: Derreck Kayongo
Chances are you haven’t put much thought into what became of that soap bar you barely touched during your last hotel stay. Thanks to Derreck Kayongo, that soap could save a child’s life.
In 2009, Kayongo started the Global Soap Project (GSP), a non-profit organization that collects partially used soap from hotels, reprocesses it, and redistributes it to impoverished communities. Since its inception, the GSP has given away two million bars of soap to children who would otherwise not have access to it in countries such as Kenya, Haiti, and Kayongo’s home country, Uganda.
According to Kayongo, two million children around the world lose their lives every year simply because they are unable to wash their hands. The GSP is working to change that. “If we can put a bar of soap in each child’s hands and teach them how to wash their hands before eating, then you have a healthier child,” Kayongo said.
Early on in his life, Kayongo experienced a lack of basic amenities on a first hand level. “I became a refugee and saw the need for soap during the Idi Amin war. Essential commodities were scarce,” he said. After coming to the United States and learning that soap from hotels across the country end up in the landfills, he saw an opportunity to make a difference.
Kayongo recalls countless moments that have touched him since he began his project, but one in particular stands out. The GSP had just shipped their first batch of soap to Kenya, and Kayongo was there to witness the peoples’ reactions. “The smiles on the women and children’s faces when giving them that soap was just completely overwhelming. It reminded me that the best gift you can ever give to anyone is when you risk everything you have in an effort to bring a little bit of heaven on earth,” he said.
Fun Fact: Derreck Kayongo was a Top Ten CNN Hero of 2011.
words: Daniela Weinapple
images: Fia Forever + Provided
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