The Africa Trust was founded b AquAid to achieve sustainable to poverty. Paul Searle – Co-founder of AquAid and the Africa Trust. In 1998 Paul Searle founded AquAid Franchising LTD, it has since become the third largest water cooler company in the UK – providing water to over 50,000 businesses across the UK. Since the introduction of this franchise AquAid has always supported third world causes through the profits generated from AquAid.

After assessing the impact of his donations Paul decided to join Ian Thorpe to form the Africa Trust to ensure the money was spent as effectively as possible. Since 1998, AquAaid has donated in excess of £6,500,000 to some of the poorest countries in Africa. The contributions from this organisation have resulted in over a million people having access to clean water.

Ian Thorpe – Co-founder of the Africa Trust

Ian Thorpe CEO of the Africa Trust graduated with honours from the school of Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia and went on to do post-graduate research in the field of Development Studies at Cambridge University. During six years at university he led six university and Royal Geographical Society funded environmental research expeditions to Africa including three to the Comoro Islands where he was designated Environmental Advisor to HE President Abderamane. Ian taught maths and science at a poor rural school in Zimbabwe and was promoted to become the Head of department. He then took on a leading role re-writing the national science syllabus to be more appropriate for Zimbabwean children. Ian was the country director for Project Trust for 4yrs (setting up and supervising educational and environmental projects across Zimbabwe) and served as the Chief Executive of Pump Aid (which he founded) for over ten years.

After winning the St Andrews Medal in 2005 for inventing and promoting the Elephant Pump, Ian led Pump Aid through a period of rapid expansion. Millions of people in over seven thousand rural communities, schools and clinics now have access to clean drinking water and water for irrigation.

Ian won the World Bank Development Marketplace Competition in 2006 beating 2,500 water and sanitation projects from 254 countries. In 2008 Ian won the St Andrews Medal again, this time for inventing the Elephant Toilet. Since winning the medal, this toilet has been introduced throughout northern and central Malawi.

Ian advises heads of state, ministers and heads of major agencies including the World Bank where he helped to develop their policy for $5 billion spending in the water and sanitation sector 2010-2015. Ian left Pump Aid in order to work with AquAid to found the Africa Trust which provides sustainable solutions to poverty and reaches those who face the most extreme hardship.

Ian has led an extraordinary life in Africa, visiting over 32 countries, to find out more about his life and the journey he has taken over the last twenty years please visit the Ian Thorpe Timeline. (hyper link)

Amos Chitungo Chairman for The Africa Trust in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, Amos Chitungo stepped down as Country Director for Pump Aid to assist Ian in establishing The Africa Trust. Amos is now the Chairman for The Africa Trust in Zimbabwe where powered team that includes several former employees of Pump Aid. All the staff (including Ian) took pay cuts when they left Pump Aid to establish The Africa Trust, as they are keen to be part of an organisation that could address more aspects of poverty in addition to the vitally important ongoing work to improve water supply and sanitation. The Africa Trust is not limited to a certain sector but is concerned with what works and with what ca become sustainable.

Zimbabwe staff include: Norest Chitungo, Programme Manager, Lovemore Mandimutsira, Nelson Sabeta, Clibert Manyau, Dixon Manjowe, Sydney Nyambo and Tendai Mandimutsira. Additional staff are employed on a contract basis including specialist teams of well diggers who are qualified to use explosives when blasting through layers of rock to reach water.

Livingstone Mukasa Business Advisor for Africa Trust in Uganda Livingstone has been appointed as Business Advisor. Livingstone provides skills training to communities and has so far led over forty four-day courses providing training for around two thousand people. Livingstone is also helping to get the ToughStuff solar project off the ground. Livingstone is a successful businessman in his own right having established a profitable dry cleaning business in Kampala. Livingstone is also helping to train trainers for the business skills programme to be expanded into Zimbabwe. This will include training for school teachers.