A 21-year-old college student from Orange County has found a way to cleanse and empower people he's never met.
When he started Health to Humanity, John Cefalu knew nothing about shea butter and coconut oil. He only knew that with the right ingredients he might be able to save lives.
The Chapman University student hunkered down in his dorm room and started to experiment making soap. Sixty batches later, Cefalu had concocted a healing, moisturizing and good smelling bar of soap.
The business major is teaching villagers throughout Africa and Uganda how to make and sell the lavender and lemon scented bars. One trip south four years ago taught him the simplicity of sanitation.
The deaths every year from lack of sanitation can be prevented "simply by using soap," Cefalu said.
He has taken his business plan to 12 locations in three countries. He boasts his soap entrepreneurs earn up to 10 times the local minmum wage, and some have even earned college scholarships.
Cefalu has also connected with a village leader, Hezron Njeri, in Kenya. It is Njeri's job to oversee the start-ups and report on their progress.
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"It is empowering people and teaching and also showing people how they can be independent and how they can learn from their own business and that is the empowerment," he said.
Cefalu's agenda is to fight against giving. It's better to teach and cleanse, working with both hands and heart, Cefalu said.
More information on Health to Humanity.
