Temwa
971. Sophie Guise
Sophie Guise, from Bristol, is the cofounder of ‘Temwa’, a charity dedicated to supporting the 40 per cent of Malawians who survive on less than £1 a day.
Inspired to act after running a backpackers’ lodge in a remote village in Malawi, Sophie is the cofounder of ‘Temwa’, a charity dedicated to supporting the 40 per cent of Malawians who survive on less than £1 a day. When she found out that 16 per cent of people in Nkhata Bay North were HIV-positive, created a mobile clinic to visit remote areas which has tested 30,000 individuals and runs support groups. ‘Temwa’ now employs over 30 local people to develop education, health, agriculture, and microfinance projects to support communities to be more self-sufficient. ‘Temwa’ has tackled deforestation by planting over 1 million trees, trained more than 5,000 farmers in sustainable agricultural techniques and given out over 1,200 microloans to local entrepreneurs. Since January 2017, the team have introduced a water filter project protecting over 2,000 people from diseases like cholera and bilharzia.
In a personal letter to Sophie, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“Your ambitious work establishing ‘Temwa’ is having a transformational effect on the lives of thousands of people across Malawi. The initiatives you are creating are supporting the most vulnerable households in remote regions, building sustainable communities for the long term.”
Sophie said:
“I was blown away to receive this award. ‘Temwa’ has been able to change so many people’s lives within the remote Malawian communities that the organisation works in and we would not have been able to do this without the support of so many volunteers. I am proud to be receiving this award and would not be doing so without everyone who has given their time to ‘Temwa’ over the last 15 years.”