Since 2017, Thesis has been supporting Havant based charity Singing Gorilla Projects . Singing Gorilla Projects (SGP) funds and manages community-based projects in remote parts of Uganda.
The relationship has seen one of our management team visit Uganda to help support the work of the charity. Ana Mardell, our MD, joined the project for a couple of weeks in August 2018 and had the chance to see for herself some of the work the charity carries out, as well as experiencing the area’s incredible wildlife and culture.
SGP was set up to improve the health and welfare of remote communities through the provision of education, healthcare and clean water. Recent projects have included building and equipping a new health centre, setting up a new school building and rolling out water delivery programs installing water tanks, filters and pumps. The charity works on the Nteko ridge and the surrounding hills in the Kisoro district of Uganda, close to the Congo border and Bwindi, the home of the endangered Mountain Gorilla. The area has significant challenges, not least the fact that its population is predicted to triple by 2050. As a result, ensuring that it has a solid infrastructure, with clean water, good education options and local healthcare, is imperative.
After visiting the project Ana was able to share her experiences with Thesis staff, and explain more about the work undertaken by SGP. Since then Thesis has donated over £10,000 to the charity which has been used towards projects such as building new classrooms and installing toilets in the local schools. Ana has also been able to speak at other local events to help explain the work of SGP.
Our connection with this project initially came through Ana’s link to Vistage. Her Vistage group includes Chris Read, founder of the SGP and CEO of Dunstan Thomas. One of our core values as a business is to support other community-based initiatives, particularly those which are akin to our own ethos to improve and enrich people’s lives through innovation and healthcare solutions. We have been very pleased to have donated our time and money to such an important project, and look forward to further supporting the charity in the future.