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It was 1987. Apartheid ruled and South Africa had become the pariah of the world. Economic sanctions were in full swing. What concerned us was the adverse way in which this was affecting ‘the little people’ working hard to give others a chance in life.


So, Stephen and I decided to explore the situation for ourselves. It was Easter 1988. We took leave and for a month travelled in South Africa – land of my birth. We visited those we knew and others we’d heard were doing something constructive for the poorest of the poor. Our eyes were opened wide. Minuscule funding was available within the country, and help from abroad virtually eliminated. Yet the caring dedicated persevered.
 

On our return flight it was Stephen, the Brit, who said: we’ve got to do something. And so the Thembisa adventure began. Back home in Oxford we soon discovered our role as catalysts. Many had a similar concern and in the twinkling of an eye we were joined by volunteers giving their time and talent to get Thembisa off the ground, and so it has continued from then until now.
 

Later in 1988, at home in Oxford, we held the first Thembisa fundraising Garden Party. The target £100, total raised £300. We were over the moon! This provided for a water tank to be built at a remote school in Zululand. In 2009, as Thembisa reached 21, a target of £10,000 was set to enable accommodation and a sports field to be built at a remote and needy orphanage in the Eastern Cape. We raised £15,500, all of which the Alexandria Haven could use! Wouldn’t you want a BIG extension if you looked after 50 children in your 3 bedroom bungalow?

Tonia Cope Bowley
Co-founder and Trustee
A stylized white silhouette of a baobab tree with twisting branches and small buds.A stylized white silhouette of a baobab tree with twisting branches and small buds.

Our patron

Dame Janet Suzman, DBE

‘I support Thembisa because in South Africa a little goes a very long way, and Thembisa has a genius for seeking out the needy in the back of beyond. With the generous help of people like you, Thembisa can give these overlooked people the boost they need to feed the children, help the grannies and grow the crops - while adding a dash of vital education. Please PLEASE help us to continue this modest and warmly human charitable work in what is still a desperately deprived continent. Small is always beautiful; Thembisa is both.’
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Our Trustees

Tonia Cope Bowley, a woman with short brown hair, wearing sunglasses on her head and a floral top, smiling outdoors.

Tonia Cope Bowley

Co-Founder

Tonia, together with Stephen, her late husband, founded Thembisa in 1988. Tonia was born in South Africa. She studied Mathematics and Geography, then taught for 6 years. She then spent a year living in Northern Norway, where she also studied computer programming. This led to her teaching at Oxford University for 29 years, doing research using satellite data to monitor SA’s informal settlements for planning purposes. Tonia is regularly in touch with SA and visits projects supported when in the country. She is the author of several books.

VISION: ‘I was raised on a small farm on the South African plateau. As a child, I was already acutely aware of the injustice of the apartheid system and dreamt of the day I could do something to uplift the poor. I love SA and never envisaged living anywhere else, but my plans are not necessarily God’s.

‘Visions do not necessarily happen overnight. In England I met and married Stephen Bowley, a world thinker of great kindness and compassion. In 1988 Stephen and I took a month’s leave to travel in SA to discover what was being done to uplift the marginalised. This venture led to us founding Thembisa on our return to England.’
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Frank Adam, a smiling older man with short, light-colored hair, wearing a black zip-up sweater indoors.

Frank Adam

Chairman

Frank grew up in South Africa and studied Meteorology at the University of Pretoria. He worked in research on severe weather and forecasting in Pretoria and Bethlehem before moving to the UK in 2002 with his family. Soon after his arrival he was introduced to Thembisa, and has been involved ever since. He currently works part time in education.

Grace Townshend

Editor

Grace grew up in South Africa and studied Biochemistry at the University of Cape Town. She worked in research and medical and veterinary publishing in South Africa and then Paris before coming to the UK in 1995, where she worked as a medical writer prior to retiring in early 2025. She is the editor of the newsletter and takes on numerous other supporting roles as needed.
Caroline Mathew, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a white top and a necklace, smiling in an outdoor evening setting.

Caroline Mathew

Treasurer

Caroline grew up in South Africa and studied Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Cape Town. She worked in IT and teaching for a few years before establishing her own software business, which has developed an Occupational Health software package. Caroline now spends a couple of months every year in the UK but still lives in South Africa running her business. She is also involved in a charity (Fill-a-bag Feed-a-Family) in Pretoria which provides food parcels to the poorest of the poor.

Peter Braithwaite

Advisor

Peter and Thembisa found each other in the 1990s through the volunteering organisation REACH. Peter wanted to volunteer with a charity as he moved from full time work in IT. He provided admin support initially and then became Secretary/ Treasurer until 2024, helping raise and manage funds for the many projects we support. With his business acumen and proactive thinking, Peter provides wise input into our processes, ensuring that they are efficient and of maximum benefit to our projects.

Liz Carmichael

Advisor

Liz, who is British, studied medicine in order to work in Africa and spent 1975–1981 at Baragwanath Hospital, Soweto. After obtaining a BA doctorate in Oxford, Liz was a priest in Johannesburg from 1991–1996 and served on the peace committees under the National Peace Accord. She was Chaplain and Tutor in Theology at St John's College, Oxford, from 1996 to 2011. She has kept close contact with South Africa and has published a book on the National Peace Accord.

Taryn Wheatley

Social Media

Taryn joined us as a Trustee in 2024 after learning about Thembisa through Grace Townshend at their local church. She is energised by the ability to make a real difference in peoples' lives by supporting charities that are well run. Taryn and Ben (also a trustee) live in Oxford with their two children. Taryn is a content manager for a technology company, and is passionate about telling stories that inspire action.

Jenny Camons

Design

Jenny's involvement with Thembisa began in 1993 while house-sitting for Stephen and Tonia, the co-founders. Born in South Africa, she immediately recognized the importance of the trust's mission. She became a Trustee in 2010. In addition to her fundraising and support roles, she leverages her design and UX experience to assist with marketing and Trust communications.

Ben Wheatley

Website manager and treasury assistant

Ben lived in South Africa for 7 years with Taryn and their two children. He saw first-hand the impact that poverty has on peoples' lives. He enjoys the sense of community and the ability to make a real difference through The Thembisa Trust. Ben assists Caroline with treasury administration and looks after our website.

Tributes

Peter Braithwaite

Advisor and past Secretary/Treasurer

We remember Peter as kind, gentle and wise, and an exemplary Treasurer
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Stephen Bowley

Co-founder

Together with Tonia, Stephen co-founded The Thembisa Trust in 1988. Stephen was a Trustee of Thembisa throughout that time, and was Chair of the Trustees since 2009.
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Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Patron

The Thembisa Trust gives thanks for the life of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and are especially grateful for his support as our Patron since 1999.
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Edward Andrews

Trustee

Edward’s life verse was ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbour as yourself’. He will be remembered as a servant-hearted friend to many, many people on two continents.
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Chris Mann

Advisor

Chris was a key advisor and wise counsellor of Thembisa since its founding. Chris, then Administrator of The Valley Trust, a centre for health promotion in KwaZulu-Natal, enthusiastically backed the idea of setting up a Trust to support grassroots projects.
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Sybil Parry

Supporter

Sybil was an invaluable source of wisdom, a huge encourager, and had a vibrant interest in each and every project. Whatever Sybil could do in support of Thembisa she did.
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Charles Swaisland

Trustee

Charles was interested in the whole world and always strove to make it a better place. All his life he dedicated himself to the task he had set himself, however humble or erudite.
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