Keynote Speaker: Derreck Kayongo

Staying the Course on Life’s Ever-Changing Journey

Derreck Kayongo believes that each of us is called to do something great; if we stay the course and take deliberate actions, we can make a meaningful impact on our world.

His life and journey are a testament to this belief. A former Kenyan refugee who fled political despotism in Uganda, Derreck will share how he chose an uncommon path on life’s journey — a path that has led him to his current work of changing the world.

Drawing on his life experiences in Africa where he saw the impacts of civil war and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Derreck set out on a mission to attack the very issues he had once witnessed. He has worked tirelessly on HIV/AIDS relief, the debt crisis in Africa, African policy, landmines, human rights, and child soldiers.

Derreck’s most recent work on maternal and family health began 15 years ago. While staying at a hotel in Philadelphia, he noticed the cleaning crew replacing bathroom soap each day, even if the bars had only been slightly used. Derreck was baffled, and the sight eventually drove him to found The Global Soap Project.

Derreck now looks at a bar of used soap not as waste, but as a life-saving and humanizing resource. More than 2 million children worldwide die from diarrheal diseases every year. Hand-washing with soap can reduce this statistic by 42 to 47 percent. Through The Global Soap Project, Derreck is working to address this issue by sending recycled soap to refugee camps in Africa through partner agencies.

Derreck will share his story and his personal mission in a context that will reenergize attendees and challenge them to sharpen their focus as they continue on their personal journeys.