NORCROSS: One man's trash is another's treasure | Education

NORCROSS, Ga. -- When we last met Derreck Kayongo two years ago, he had a big idea but no funding to make his dream come true.

Now, the Atlanta resident has more than a million dollars in funding from an international chain, and his factory is helping thousands of people.

Kayongo took 11Alive News on a tour of his Norcross facility, where he's trying to help refugees and orphans around the world.

"One has makeup on it. One has hair," Kayongo said.

But Kayongo doesn't mind. In fact, he has 400 tons of discarded hotel soap piling up at this facility.

Recycled soap is at the core of his nonprofit organization, Global Soap Project. This is truly a case of one man's trash being another man's treasure.

"If I can put a bar of soap in every child's hand, who can't afford it, that's my goal," Kayongo said. "Right now we have two million kids dying every year to what could potentially be diseases like diarrhea. The CDC says if you put a bar of soap in every one of those kids hands, you could potentially reduce the infection rates by 40 percent."

To sanitize the soap, they scrape off a layer and grind it down (Derreck took a chunk of money out of his 401(K) to pay for the machine.) After the soap is ground down, it's remixed and reshaped. To be sure it's safe, bars from each batch are lab tested for pathogens.

The Hilton hotel chain believes in Global Soap Project. It's now a partner and backing up the non-profit with $1.3 million in funding. Other major chains such as The Intercontinental and Marriott Renaissance are sending soap. Kayongo has cartons and boxes of used soap arriving from large U.S. hotels and small inns too. 

Soap from the Global Soap Project has already helped people in 23 countries.

Three years since tinkering at home and trying to create the recycled soap in a crockpot, Kayongo traveled back to his home country of Uganda with fresh soap for orphans and refugees.

Kayongo knows the life of a refugee. He was forced to flee Uganda with his family in the 70s. Kayongo says going back to help was humbling.

"First of all it's very sad to know I left home to live in another country," he said. "It's very tough. But to come back to do good, it is so rewarding."

Kayongo's work has not gone unnoticed. He's currently a top 10 finalist for CNN's Hero of the Year. The voting closes Dec. 7. If the Global Soap Project receives the most viewer votes, Kayongo's nonprofit will receive a $250,000 grant.

Also, the Global Soap Project depends on volunteers. If you would like your school, religious organization or group to support the work of this Metro-Atlanta based nonprofit, visit their website.