Derreck Kayongo, a refugee from Uganda, talks about death squads visiting his village. Rousted out of bed in the middle of the night with his family and neighbors, the villagers were terrorized by soldiers. One by one, he watched neighbors shot in the head while the soldiers demanded that the person who had attacked and killed two of their troop stand up and admit it. Eight people died before one young man finally stood, lied, and died. He falsely admitted to murder in order to save his family and friends. One voice saved many lives. This incident was the motivation for Derreck’s father to take his family and escape to a better life.
Derreck, now a U.S. citizen, has again seen the power of one voice. While at a hotel in the United States, Derreck ran into what he considered a strange and perplexing problem – three bars of soap were left in his hotel room.
Derreck’s father was a printer, but also made soap on the side, so Derreck’s interest was naturally peaked when he saw so many bars of soaps, each identified with different body parts. He thought, soap is soap, no? So, he decided to use one bar and put the remaining two bars in his suitcase with a plan to enjoy the luxury of the small, individually wrapped bars at home. He was stunned the next day when three new bars were again placed in his room. He felt fortunate, so again he used one and put two bars into his suitcase. On the third day, when the soaps were replaced again, Derreck’s conscience bothered him. He turned himself into the concierge explaining he had stolen the four bars of soap and he was so sorry. The concierge explained this American custom to the new citizen and then Derreck asked a question: “What happens to the soap we only use once?”
From this, the Global Soap Project (GSP) was born. American hotels throw away 1 billion bars of soap each year, and 2 million children die each year from diarrhea and lower respiratory diseases. Fighting these diseases can be as simple as just washing your hands with soap and water.
In the last year, Derreck and his dedicated staff have collected more than 50 tons of soap that would have ended up in our landfills. They have produced 30,000 new bars of soap on a shoestring budget with the help of amazing volunteers and grassroots support from around the world. They have distributed bars to Kenya, Uganda, St. Lucia, Swaziland, Haiti, and Ghana, helping orphans, refugees, flood victims, and prisoners in desperate situations. GSP has also joined forces with many groups including Engineers without Borders and Care USA.
Yes, one person can make a huge difference in the world today and it starts by asking questions.
As a mother to three young children in the mid ’90s, I had questions. I questioned why total strangers had the power to deny the kids their right to breathe during the school day. Questions about why asthma and anaphylaxis medications that make the difference between life and death were locked away, out of reach, in the nurse or principal’s office when the kids might need them immediately to stave off a potentially deadly attack. Today, I am a patient advocate – one person who started out protecting her children and discovered the power of one voice. I learned change happens when we ask questions and demand answers.
In 1997, I went to Capitol Hill with the Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA). We educated Congress about the issues students at school faced when they carried lifesaving inhalers or epinephrine auto-injectors. Tragically, some students died waiting for school staff to unlock the drawer holding their lifesaving medications.
In 2003, the Asthmatic Student’s Treatment and Health Act was introduced in Congress. The bill gave a preference in federal grants to states that protected a student’s right to carry and self-administer their life saving asthma and anaphylaxis medications. It passed by unanimous consent in both houses in 18 months, and President Bush signed the bill into law in late 2004. Today 50 states have laws protecting these vital rights for students with asthma, and 47 states have laws concerning anaphylaxis.
I have seen the power of one voice and have also seen the responsibility we bear as citizens in a democracy.
It does not take formal training. It does not take money. It does not take a genius. It takes someone who will ask why. Someone who will dig for solutions and gather a network of people with similar goals. Someone who will take chances and get involved.
Did you vote in November? Do you have questions? Have you shared your opinions with your representatives in Congress and at the state level?
Elected representatives work for you. They are your employees. If you do not explain the job you expect them to do for you, give them the details they need and then provide feedback, there are others who will. In addition, they may have goals not aligned with yours!
From the roads we drive on to the food we eat, and now our healthcare, the decisions our elected officials make reach deep into our personal lives. It is not just a right, but also a responsibility to be involved in the democratic process. Yes, you are one voice and so much more!
Do you know you can meet with your representatives in their district office? That you can meet them in Washington, D.C.? All it takes is a phone call to set up an appointment. We all have a responsibility to tell our elected officials how we think they are doing, and the issues we want them to address while in office. As their employer, yearly reviews are not just necessary but are a requirement!
People complain all the time about the system, but only 41% of eligible voters showed up at the polls this past November. Where were you?
Sandra Walker did not plan on being a patient advocate. Protecting her children was her goal but exposure to the world of politics taught her the need for citizen involvement. Walker is the director of patient advocacy for the Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (aanma.org) and works with families, medical professionals, and decision makers. Walker lives in New Jersey, with her husband Scott, and they spend much of their time at their vineyard in Massachusetts.