Opportunity arises out of difficult situations as they say and this is ever so relative to Edwin Broni-Mensah. After experiencing difficulties in accessing tap water when away from home, Edwin came up with a cunning idea to get easy access to water whilst simultaneously helping those deprived of water in poorer nations – that was the birth of GiveMeTap.

GiveMeTap bottles are stylish, reusable bottles that enables the owner of each GiveMeTap bottle to easily get free water refills from partnering shops across the UK. Proceeds from the purchses goes towards the funding of water projects across Africa.

Edwin and his GiveMeTap team have been involved in many water projects in rural areas in Ghana and Malawi. As a hardworking social entrepreneur, with a passion for water related issues, his scheme is the perfect mix of business and philanthropy.Edwins efforts have been recognised by many and as a result, he has been nominated for a GUBA Blavo Young Entrepreneur Award.

GUBA gives Edwin a chance to tell us his story …..

Tell us about the premise behind your business

As a student at the University of Manchester, I was trying to stay really fit and hydrated while writing my PhD. I found that my water bottle did not last the day and it was really expensive to buy bottled water on the go and noticed a huge stigma attached to asking for tap water in cafes. At the same time, I started to realise the plight of millions of people in Africa who do not even get a choice. They have to drink dirty, diseased water. I founded GiveMeTap in order to eliminate these problems.

How does it feel to be nominated for the Young Entrepreneur Award and what would winning mean to you?

I feel honoured to be nominated for this award. I have worked really hard to make GiveMeTap a reality and it is always great to have your achievements recognised. Winning the award would do amazing things for GiveMeTap. It is exciting to receive an award but it is even more exciting to see how many more people we may be able to help because of it.

What do you think about the GUBA Awards?

The idea behind the GUBA awards is spot on. I feel that as Ghanaians, we can do a lot for our hometowns with the opportunities we are presented here in the UK. It is important for us to give back and for us to be proud of our heritage.

Where does your motivation come from?

Every day I wake up and I think about the times I have spent there or out in other African nations. I have seen how vital the work I do on a daily basis is for the people of these small, isolated communities. My motivation comes from knowing that I am working to help them achieve a better quality of life through water.

Do you have any plans of expanding your business?

The only way is up for GiveMeTap – First, I expanded from Manchester to London and now the whole of the UK. I now plan to take GiveMeTap scheme to America next year. We’re also expanding as a team and recruiting interns and recruiting full time staff to truly grow the business.

What message would you give to aspiring and upcoming entrepreneurs?

Make the most of the resources at your disposal. In the beginning, you may feel that there is a lot going on.  With each stage you learn as you go along that there are people around who can help you along the way. Don’t be afraid to ask for this help.

Do you have anything else you would want to add?

Thank you, GUBA, for believing in myself and GiveMeTap!

GiveMeTap is a great initiative which is beneficial to all- the message is clear, hydrate and in turn help the less fortunate. We urge everyone to support the water projects being carried out by Edwin and his team.

Vote for Edwin for the GUBA Blavo young Entrepreneur Award at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/young-entrepreneur 

Visit http://www.givemetap.co.uk/ to find out more about the initiative.