Prime Minister’s Office Award: Sophie Guise

Temwa’s co-founder receives Prime Minister’s Office Points of Light Award

Temwa is delighted to announce that co-founder and Trustee, Sophie Guise, has been recognised for her hard work and received the Prime Minister’s Office Point of Light Award on 6th August 2018. The award acknowledges ‘outstanding individual volunteers’ across the UK who are helping to make a difference in their communities and beyond. 

The Prime Minister’s Office released the following press release:

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6th August 2018, Points of Light 971

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.

Sophie Guise

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.”

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A Message from Temwa

We would like to thank Sophie for everything she has done for Temwa, and emphasise what an integral part she has played in Temwa’s work with remote communities in Malawi. Without Sophie and Jo, Temwa would have never existed. Thanks to their determination, sacrifice and dedication to supporting the people of Nkhata Bay North, tens of thousands of lives have been transformed over the last 15 years. Sophie is an incredible co-founder who worked hands on to establish Temwa’s first project: the community centre in Usisya which is still the hub of much of our community development work. She continues to dedicate  her time to Temwa as a Trustee and a fundraiser alongside her full-time job and raising her family.

Sophie fully deserves this award and we are so grateful for all that she does for Temwa. Thank you, Sophie! 

 

To find out more about the impact of Temwa since 2003, watch our 15 years film or if you would like to become a regular donor click here.

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