Be the Change

By Sarah Rolffs, CPA

An estimated 2.6 million soap bars are discarded every day from hotel rooms alone in the United States, and an estimated 1.4 million deaths can be prevented each year by handwashing with soap.’

I recently attended the Iowa Society of CPA’s annual meeting with guest speaker Derreck Kayongo, Founder of the Global Soap Project, a nonprofit organization. He was born in Uganda and later immigrated to the United States, after being a refugee in Kenya. His story for the organization all started when he came to the United States and stayed in a hotel for the first time. He was shocked when he learned that literally millions of bars of perfectly good soap are thrown away after just one day of use. Knowing that soap was a rare commodity in Uganda and other impoverished countries, Derreck made this problem his mission, and he went to work to determine how the soap could be recycled to combat child mortality around the world, as hygiene-related illnesses cause more than 1.4 million deaths worldwide. Derreck now works with hotels to collect the discarded soap, and reprocesses it into new, larger bars that are given to 32 countries in need. Derreck shared about the roadblocks in making this dream a reality. It took a lot of time and effort, but he was dedicated to its mission and persevered until his dream was accomplished, helping to save lives, one bar of soap at a time.

I left the annual meeting wondering how I can impact the world in a positive way. Derreck’s mission was started through a simple bar of soap. To be the change requires thoughtful, committed people, willing to meet a need.

In closing, the Global Soap Project’s Facebook page includes this inspirational quote:

"Each new day is a NEW BEGINNING

To learn more about ourselves,

To care more about others,

To laugh more than we did,

To accomplish more than we thought we could,

And be more than we were before"

Sarah Rolffs, CPA | Supervisor
SRolffs@MHCScpa.com